Calculators / Garden and firewood
Soil calculator for raised beds
Measure your beds and how deep the soil goes. You'll get the bags to grab at the store, or the yards to have delivered.
Updated · How we check our numbers
Order this much
45 bags of soil
67.5 cu ft for 2 beds, with 15% extra for settling. That's 45 1.5 cu ft bags or 2.5 yards bulk.
- Per bed
- 29.3 cu ft
- Cubic feet
- 67.5
- Cubic yards
- 2.5 yd
- 1.5 cu ft bags
- 45
Estimate for planning only, not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, your local code and a licensed professional before you buy, build or install. Use at your own risk. Terms.
per bed = 8 ft × 4 ft × 11 in ÷ 12 = 29.3 cu ft
all beds = 29.3 × 2 = 58.7 cu ft
with 15% for settling = 58.7 × 1.15 = 67.5 cu ft
yards = 67.5 ÷ 27 = 2.5 cu yd
bags = 67.5 ÷ 1.5 = 45, rounded up
Fill the bed to the rim. It sinks an inch or two after the first few waterings, and you top it off with compost.
At 2.5 yards, a bulk garden mix beats 45 bags on price. Have it dumped on a tarp next to the beds.
Bagged raised bed soil is lighter than bulk topsoil and ready to plant. Count on 45 bags at 1.5 cu ft.
See raised bed soil on Amazon (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
How we work it out
We multiply each bed out in cubic feet, add them up, then add 15% because bed mix packs down after it gets watered.
cubic feet = length × width × depth in inches ÷ 12
order = cubic feet × beds × 1.15
bags = order ÷ bag size, rounded up
A 2x6 bed is really 5 1/2 in tall, so two boards stacked hold 11 in of soil. Keep beds 4 ft wide at most. Any wider and you're stepping in to reach the middle.
Where the numbers come from
Build the bed
Not sure of the size?
When to plant
Planting
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