How Much to DIY

Soil and raised bed calculator

How much soil do I need?

Fill raised beds of any number and size, or spread topsoil over the ground. Get cubic yards for bulk delivery, or bags from the volume on the label.

Soil · saves on this device as you type

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Where the soil is going

Nothing is prefilled. Blank fields keep their results pending.

Pending input

Where is the soil going?Spreading over ground (a lawn area or garden bed) or filling raised beds.

Add an allowance for settling?Loose soil settles after watering. How much depends on the mix; there’s no universal figure. Nothing is added until you choose.

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How this soil calculator works

Raised beds

Each bed size is a box: inside length × inside width × fill depth, times how many beds share that size. Add as many sizes as you have; the totals are summed.

Ground areas

Measure the area (with any parts left out) and the depth you’re adding. Volume = area × depth.

What it does not assume

No default depth and no settling percentage. Soil settles after watering by an amount that depends on the mix, so the allowance is your choice.

Worked example: two 8 × 4 ft raised beds

  1. One bed: 8 ft × 4 ft × 1 ft fill = 32 cu ft.
  2. Two beds: 64 cu ft = 2.37 cu yd.
  3. With a 10% settling allowance chosen: 70.4 cu ft = 2.61 cu yd.
  4. In 1.5 cu ft bags: 70.4 ÷ 1.5 = 46.9 → 47 bags.