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Home & Garden
Raised Bed Soil Calculator
Find the soil to fill a raised bed — cubic feet, yards and bags.
Soil volume
—
Cubic feet.
| Cubic yards | — |
|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft bags | — |
| Dimensions | — |
| — |
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Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
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How the Raised Bed Soil Calculator Works
Soil volume is just length times width times depth, with the depth converted from inches to feet (divide by 12). That gives cubic feet; divide by 27 for cubic yards, or by 1.5 for the number of standard bagged-soil bags. An 8-by-4-foot bed filled 10 inches deep needs about 26.7 cubic feet — roughly one cubic yard, or 18 bags.
For a deep bed you can save soil by filling the bottom third with logs, branches or coarse compost (the “hugelkultur” method). A common mix is about 60% topsoil, 30% compost and 10% aeration like perlite.
cubic feet = length × width × (depth ÷ 12)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much soil for a raised bed?
Multiply length by width by depth in feet. This calculator returns cubic feet, cubic yards and the number of 1.5-cubic-foot bags.
How deep should a raised bed be?
Most vegetables are happy with 10–12 inches of soil. Root crops and permanent beds do better with more.
Is it cheaper to buy soil in bulk or bags?
Bulk (by the cubic yard) is usually cheaper once you need more than about 12–15 bags; below that, bags are more convenient.
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