Buying soil for a raised bed always feels like a coin flip - too little and your bed is sad and shallow, too much and you’re storing extra bags until 2032.
Use the calculator below to estimate the soil volume for your raised bed. It will show the total in cubic feet and cubic yards, plus a quick estimate of how many common 1.5 cu ft and 2.0 cu ft bags you’ll need.
Tip: If you’re filling a tall bed, many gardeners save money by filling the bottom with logs/branches (hugelkultur-ish), then topping with soil mix. Just don’t short the top layer where roots actually live.
Raised bed soil calculator
Suggested soil mix (optional)
- 60% topsoil
- 30% compost
- 10% aeration (perlite, pumice, or similar)
Estimates are approximate. Bag volumes can vary slightly by brand, and soil settles after watering.