Six weeks of overseeding season, every crew in eastern Massachusetts wanting soil in the same window. Here are the numbers you need to write bids that hold.
How much loam does topdressing actually take?
One formula runs everything: cubic yards = (square feet × depth in inches) ÷ 324. Per 1,000 square feet:
| Depth | Yards per 1,000 sq ft | Coverage per yard | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛" | 0.39 | 2,600 sq ft | Light dusting over new seed |
| ¼" | 0.77 | 1,300 sq ft | Standard topdressing pass |
| ⅜" | 1.16 | 864 sq ft | Heavy pass, thin turf |
| ½" | 1.54 | 648 sq ft | Bare-patch repair only |
| ¾" | 2.31 | 432 sq ft | Levelling, no live turf beneath |
Quarter inch is the working number for a topdressing pass over living turf. Anything past half an inch smothers crowns and you will be back to fix it.
How many loads is that?
Soil, sand and stone cap at 6 cubic yards per trip. Mulch caps at 10. At a quarter inch:
| Lawn | Yards at ¼" | Loads | Freight inside 30 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 sq ft | 1.5 | 1 | $100 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 3.9 | 1 | $100 |
| 7,500 sq ft | 5.8 | 1 | $100 |
| 10,000 sq ft | 7.7 | 2 | $200 |
| 15,000 sq ft | 11.6 | 2 | $200 |
| 20,000 sq ft | 15.4 | 3 | $300 |
| 1 acre (43,560 sq ft) | 33.6 | 6 | $600 |
Note where the cliffs are. A 7,500 square foot lawn is one load. A 10,000 square foot lawn is two. That extra $100 belongs in the bid, not in your margin.
How are loads counted on a mixed order?
Per line item, then per cap. Each separate material is its own truck because everything is tipped loose — two materials cannot share a body. Then any line item over the cap splits into additional trips.
| Order | Line items | Loads | Freight inside 30 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 yd screened loam | 1 | 1 | $100 |
| 4 yd loam + 2 yd compost | 2 | 2 | $200 |
| 12 yd screened loam | 1 | 2 | $200 |
| 6 yd loam + 6 yd compost | 2 | 2 | $200 |
| 6 yd loam + 6 yd Super Loam | 2 | 2 | $200 |
Six yards total across two materials still costs two loads. If the spec allows a single material, run a single material.
What does the material cost?
| Material | Per cubic yard | 6 yd + freight | Delivered per yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compost | $50 | $400 | $66.67 |
| Loam (Screened) | $55 | $430 | $71.67 |
| Topsoil (Screened) | $55 | $430 | $71.67 |
| Site Loam | $60 | $460 | $76.67 |
| Super Loam | $65 | $490 | $81.67 |
Freight per yard is where the money is. Three yards of screened loam delivered runs $33.33 a yard in freight alone. Six yards runs $16.67. Fill the truck.
What is delivery across Norfolk County?
Delivery is $100 per load inside 30 driving miles of our Dispatch Office in Dorchester, then $100 plus $4 for each mile beyond 30. Most of Norfolk County sits in the flat zone — Dedham at 9.9 miles, Canton at 16.9, Norwood at 20.1 all price at $100. The southwestern corner of the county runs longer and can pass 30 miles, so run the ZIP through the checker on any product page or the cart before you commit a number to a client. Our Bellingham shed pad job shows the same yardage arithmetic on a base-material order out that way.
When should crews book?
The seeding window in eastern Massachusetts is roughly mid-August to mid-September — six weeks, and it is the same six weeks for every crew in the region. Nobody gets a private window. Get standing orders in early, book by ZIP and material rather than by street as jobs firm up, and text the dispatch line rather than assuming a same-week slot in the first week of September. The full timing rules are here, and UMass Extension Turf is what to point a sceptical client at.
How should you bid loam honestly?
- Separate freight from material. Clients understand $100 a truck. They do not understand a blended yard price that looks high.
- Count loads before you quote. Line items first, then caps.
- Round yardage up, never down. Running short mid-pass costs a second $100.
- Price a soil test into renovation bids. The UMass soil lab is cheap and it moves the conversation off guesswork.
Crew questions
Is there a volume discount?
Pricing is per cubic yard as listed. The saving available to you is freight: fewer line items and fuller trucks.
Can two materials ride on one truck?
No. Loose bulk in a single body means one material per trip.
Is there a minimum order?
No minimum. But the per-load fee does not shrink, so small drops carry high freight per yard.
Can the truck drop on the lawn?
Curbside is the default. On-property drops need a signed liability waiver, and soft late-summer turf is exactly why.
Build the order from the soil range or the full catalogue, or text (617) 286-2740 with square footage and ZIPs and we will return yardage and load counts.
