Pad & Lot Builder
Outline your pad, lot, or road, stack the build-up layers, and get the material, tonnage, and truckloads to bring in. Free.
Move the map to your site, then Drag a box to trace it, Tap corners to place them one by one, or Free draw freehand. Every point is draggable; tap one to remove it.
Or enter the area by hand
- Outline it on the map, or type length and width
- Stack the section top to bottom, a material and a thickness per layer
- Cubic yards, tonnage and truckloads to bring in, per layer
- A 3D view of the finished section, plus a downloadable report
| Layer | Thick | Material (loose) | Tons | Loads |
|---|
Planning estimate from your footprint and section. Confirm quantities against a stamped plan and a geotech compaction spec before you order. Calculator Terms
New here? The 30-second version
This is a free pad and lot material calculator. You outline a building pad, parking lot, drive, or road, stack up the layers you plan to build it from, and it tells you how much material to bring in and how many truckloads that is. It is the mirror image of our earthwork calculator: that one tells you what to dig out, this one tells you what to haul in. No account, no paywall, no catch.
- 5 ready-made section presets
- 5 materials, from fill to crushed base
- $0 no account, no paywall, ever
How it works, in three steps
You outline your area
Find your site on the satellite map and trace the footprint: tap corners, drag a box, or free-draw it. The tool measures the real area for you. Not ready to draw? Type a length by width, a total square footage, or an acreage by hand instead. Either way you get the same takeoff.
You stack the section
A pad or lot is built in layers. Add each one top to bottom, pick the material (fill dirt, select fill, crushed base, sand, or topsoil), and set its compacted thickness in inches. Start from a preset (building pad, parking lot, gravel drive, road) and adjust, or build your own section from scratch.
You get the takeoff
For every layer we work out the in-place volume, then add the compaction and waste a real job needs so the delivered (loose) number is honest, and we count the truckloads by whichever runs out first, volume or legal weight. You get a clean per-layer breakdown and the totals, ready to order or share.
What am I looking at?
Every number on the result panel, in plain language.
Cubic yards to bring in
The headline number: the delivered, loose volume of material you need to order. It runs higher than the finished compacted volume on purpose, because loose material settles when it is placed and rolled.
Compacted in place
The volume the section actually occupies once it is built and compacted: your footprint times the total thickness. The delivered number above is this, grossed up for compaction and waste.
Tons and truckloads
We weigh the loose volume against each material's density to get tonnage, then size the haul to your truck. Heavy materials hit the legal weight limit before they fill the bed, so the count binds on weight, not volume.
The layer breakdown
Each row is one layer: its material, thickness, loose cubic yards, tonnage, and loads. Different materials ride in separate trucks, so the total loads is the sum of the layers, not one mixed pile.
The materials
What each layer is usually built from.
Fill dirt
General grading and bulk build-up under a structured section.
Select fill
Engineered, moisture-conditioned fill for structural pads.
Crushed base
Flex base for lots, drives, and roads under paving or as a wearing surface.
Sand and topsoil
Bedding and drainage, or a finish-grade cap for landscaping.
Ready to build it?
Soil Depot delivers bulk soil, select fill, and base across Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Run your numbers above, then call (817) 632-5787 or get a quote and we will line up the loads.
How the Pad & Lot Builder works
The Pad & Lot Builder sizes the material for a building pad or lot. Enter the pad footprint, the build-up height, and the base section, and it returns the cubic yards and truckloads of select fill and base you need, plus an allowance for the side slopes. It is the fast way to price the fill under a slab, a metal building, a laydown yard, or a lot before you order.
Pads are built in compacted lifts of spec material, so the loose yards you order are more than the finished volume. The builder accounts for the pad geometry and gives you the order quantity, so your select fill and base show up in the right amount.
How to size a building pad
- Enter the pad size. Give the length and width of the finished pad, or draw it on the map.
- Set the build-up and base. Enter how high you are raising the pad and the thickness of the base section on top.
- Add the side slopes. Set the slope so the calculator includes the material in the embankment, not just the box.
- Read your material. See select fill and base in cubic yards and truckloads, then send it to a quote.
Building pad material FAQ
How do I calculate material for a building pad?
Multiply the pad area by the build-up height for the fill volume, add the base section on top, and include the side-slope embankment. The Pad & Lot Builder does all three and returns loose yards and truckloads.
What material goes under a building pad?
Structural pads are built with select fill (commonly TxDOT Item 132, PI 15 or less) compacted in lifts, often capped with a base section. We supply both select fill and base by the truckload.
Why order more yards than the pad volume?
Fill compacts under a roller, so the loose delivered yards shrink to a smaller finished volume. You order the loose quantity, and the builder sizes it so the compacted pad comes out right.
Do you deliver select fill and base for pads?
Yes, across DFW, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston by the truckload, matched to your geotech spec. Send the pad numbers and we quote material and delivery same-day.
See everything the calculator suite does, one guide to all four tools →