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Calcimator

Soil Volume Calculator

Calculate how much soil you need for raised beds, garden plots, and containers. Get volume in cubic feet, cubic yards, and bags needed.

Inputs

ft
ft
in
$
$

Results

Total Volume

32 cu ft

≈ 6 bathtubs

Cubic Yards1.19 cu yd
Volume (Liters)906.14 L
1 cu ft Bags Needed32
2 cu ft Bags Needed16
Cost (1 cu ft Bags)$192.00
Cost (2 cu ft Bags)$153.60
Cost (Bulk Delivery)$53.33
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Measure your raised bed or garden plot and enter the length and width in feet.
  2. Enter the desired soil depth in inches — most vegetables need at least 12 inches of root space.
  3. Input the cost per 1 cubic foot bag and the bulk cost per cubic yard so you can compare purchasing options.
  4. Read the Total Volume (cu ft and cu yd) to understand how much soil you need.
  5. Use the 1 cu ft Bags Needed or 2 cu ft Bags Needed values to plan your trip to the garden center, or compare against the Bulk Delivery Cost.

How the result changes with Bed Length

Bed LengthTotal Volume
1144 cu ft
36144 cu ft
65260 cu ft
90360 cu ft

What each input means

Bed Length
Length of the raised bed or garden area in feet.
Bed Width
Width of the raised bed or garden area in feet.
Soil Depth
Desired depth of soil in inches. Most vegetables need 12 inches.
Cost per 1 cu ft Bag
Price per 1 cubic foot bag of garden soil or potting mix.
Bulk Cost per Cubic Yard
Cost per cubic yard if purchasing bulk soil delivery.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Bed Length = 8, Bed Width = 4, Soil Depth = 12, Cost per 1 cu ft Bag = 6 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total Volume
    Total Volume
    32 = 32
  3. Calculate Cubic Yards
    Cubic Yards
    1.19 = 1.19
  4. Calculate Volume
    Volume = cubicFeet
    906.14 = 906.14

Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.

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