Adding sand is a terrible idea, even worse if you have clay soil. If the reasoning is it improves drainage, a) it doesn't, b) it helps turn clay soil into brick ask me how I know, and 3) organic matter added incrementally does way more for drainage and soil structure.

A dozen bags isn't going to make a dent. At the dimensions you gave, and allowing extra for settling, you're north of 2 cubic yards. As Yard said, buy it in bulk. You can pick it up, or have it delivered. Keep in mind that "topsoil" isn't a regulated term so ask around for who has the good stuff. Topsoil can be just regular shredded and screened soil that was scraped off building sites, it can be a blend of topsoil and compost, or it can be some funky Betty Crocker cake mix of add-ins that may or may not be useful.

Thank you both for the guidance. I don’t have a pickup truck so I will need to have it delivered. The issue is my back yard is not accessible by vehicle, I am in a subdivision where the houses sit close together, the backyard is fenced and there’s only a walking entrance. Do you have any suggestions on how to transport the large amount soil in these circumstances?

Even if you had to find someone to do it for you, wheelbarrowing it is your most reasonable option. Even renting a small machine like a Dingo will cost several times the cost of the soil, and add cleanup and repair of everything between point A and point B.

I don't know if you can do this with Lowe's or Home Depot's trucks, but if so, they can be rented by the hour. It would be hand unloaded and wheelbarrowed. So the cost depends on logistics, availability and variables point out by Rev. For this one-off job, consider, also, looking for assistance with any of these things on Facebook Marketplace.

It is very doable as both Yard and Rev described. In my younger days, I once moved 18 cubic yards of soil by wheelbarrow in a single weekend! Heavier equipment is overkill for this small application.

Most bulk soil providers in my area have a 5 yard minimum for delivery, so that could be a factor. But even renting a pickup from Home Depot for a few hours plus the bulk soil cost will put you well below the cost of buying bagged soil.

2 yards ought to do it :-) I would overfill the area initially to allow for settling. And rather than tamping down the soil by foot, just water the heck out of it a couple of times with the hose. Rainfall, or in this case, a thorough irrigation, will settle it faster and more uniformly. Do this at least a week before you seed and you should be fine.

Very useful information from you guys, thank you so much! I have a corporate account with Enterprise and last time when I rented F250 to pick up a large couch from warehouse I paid 60 bucks per day if I remember correctly. I know I am slow so it would work better for me renting from car rental rather than renting hourly from HD.

You can also check in your area for companies that “blow in” soil (and/or bark mulch). They tend to be more expensive than bulk soil purchases but can be a real saving in terms of time and effort. If you factor in the vehicle rental, you may be about the same total cost but with far less work involved.

I had a landscaping company deliver a pallet of 2 cubic feet bags of topsoil. I think there were 50 to 100 bags. I was able to carry 1 bag at a time to my backyard. Cost about $200. Free delivery.

2 cubic yards of bulk topsoil here will cost about $50. The equivalent in bagged soil, at HD's cheapest ($2.57/bag), would be pushing $140, not including delivery. In my area there is also a minimum for blown in product (which doesn't include topsoil as it is too heavy to 'blow' :-) - a 10 yard minimum at $56 per yard.

Bulk soil will always be significantly lower in cost than any bagged soil product!!

Agree about the cost, gardengal, but in my area the garden center had a 10 yard minimum on the bulk so I went with the alternative. And it was easy to DIY without access to a wheelbarrow.

It is not so easy to do a yard and a half, or two, without a wheelbarrow. For that amount the best is to get a little truck and haul it yourself and then there is no minimum.

My local yard charges me $75 for small loads. Versus $60 to rent a truck, plus your time getting to Enterprise, doing the walkaround, then getting loaded, then driving home and hoping you don't scratch the tailgate or something... the extra $15 seems worth it to me.

It may be easier for your supplier to say they have an X yard minimum because people get weird about delivery fees. But my guess is if you tell them I only need 2 yards, how much is your delivery fee, you'll achieve my fav thing which is Let Someone Else Do It.

Get extra and keep some around for next year Topsoil compacts and you may need to spread a little more. I bet you have a hole or two elsewhere in your yard.