Which dirt do you need?
Dirt is a catch all word. For filling and levelling you want fill dirt, which is subsoil with little organic matter. For anything that will grow plants or grass, you want topsoil on top. This calculator gives you the volume and weight for either, so you can compare quotes.
Fill dirt
Subsoil with few nutrients. Compacts firmly.
Best for holes and raising ground
Topsoil
The dark top layer, full of life.
Best for lawns and beds
Screened dirt
Sifted to remove stones and roots.
Best for levelling and seeding
Clean fill
Soil mixed with crushed stone or rubble.
Best deep under paving
How much does dirt weigh?
Dry, loose dirt weighs about 1.2 tonnes per cubic metre. Packed down it is nearer 1.5 tonnes, and soaked through it can reach 1.7 tonnes or more. That matters if you are hauling it in a trailer or have a weight limit on a driveway.
How does the calculation work?
Volume (m³) = area (m²) × depth (m)
A trench 8 m long, 0.5 m wide and 40 cm deep: 8 × 0.5 × 0.4 = 1.6 m³. As loose dry dirt that is about 1.9 tonnes.
Moving it yourself
A small car trailer can usually carry around half a tonne. Check the trailer plate and your car towing limit before you load up, and spread the weight over the axle.