Use this free soil calculator for raised beds, garden areas, and round planters. Enter dimensions or square feet, fill depth, bed count, bag size, and extra percent.
1 bed: 8 ft x 4 ft at 12 in with 10% extra
Use inside measurements and the depth still to fill. Soil mix, settling, drainage, plant needs, delivery minimums, tapered planters, and the exact bag label still need separate checks.
Recent soil estimates will appear here.
Soil estimates stay local. The result plans volume and bags, not the right soil mix, nutrients, or plant care.
Inputs and recent answers stay in this browser tab and are not sent to a server.
Estimate one or several rectangular raised beds from inside dimensions.
Estimate a simple round bed or planter from inside diameter.
Convert known square feet and fill depth into cubic yards, cubic feet, and litres.
Use the cubic-foot volume printed on the exact bag for a whole-bag estimate.
Compare bulk topsoil delivery with bagged garden soil.
Plan a top-off layer without entering the full wall height of a partly filled bed.
35.2 ft3, 1.3 yd3, 996.8 L, and 24 bags
48 ft3, 1.78 yd3, and 24 bags
13.82 ft3, 0.51 yd3, and 10 bags
44 ft3, 1.63 yd3, and 22 bags
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Plain-language answers about when to use the tool, what it does with your inputs, what to double-check, and how privacy works.
Use it when your task matches one of these common needs: Estimate one or several rectangular raised beds from inside dimensions. Estimate a simple round bed or planter from inside diameter. It works best when you already know bed dimensions or known area, fill depth, number of identical beds, bag size, and extra percent.
In plain language: Total area = one-bed area x number of beds. Rectangular area = length x width. Round area = pi x (diameter / 2)^2. Cubic feet = total area x fill depth / 12 x (1 + extra percent / 100). Cubic yards = cubic feet / 27. Bags = ceiling(cubic feet / bag size). The examples on the page are there so you can compare your inputs with a 4 x 8 raised-bed example before copying the answer.
Bed dimensions or area: inside length and width, inside diameter, or the square footage you already measured. Number of beds: how many identical beds or planters use the same dimensions and fill depth. Fill depth: the soil depth still to add in inches, not the wall height when the bed is partly full. Bag size: the cubic-foot volume printed on one bag. The calculator rounds the result up to a whole bag. Extra percent: an optional planning cushion for settling, uneven spreading, or a supplier recommendation.
Read the headline estimate first, then check the material, waste, coverage, and unit lines. For project tools, the supporting lines are often the difference between a rough idea and a list you can actually shop from.
This is a volume estimate, not a soil recipe. Tapered planters, existing fill, settling, drainage, soil tests, plant needs, delivery minimums, and product labels can change what you buy. Check that you used inside measurements, entered only the depth still to fill, copied the exact bag volume, and kept soil-mix or amendment decisions separate from volume math.
Use Bed dimensions for rectangular beds, Round bed for a simple circular bed or planter, or Known area when you already have square feet from another measurement.
Enter the inside measurements for one bed and the number of identical beds. The calculator multiplies the one-bed area by that count before applying fill depth and extra percent.
Enter the cubic-foot volume printed on the bag. The calculator divides the soil volume by that bag size and rounds up to a whole bag, so a 0.75 ft3 bag and a 2 ft3 bag give different counts.
Use cubic yards for bulk soil orders and delivery quotes. Use cubic feet and bag counts when you are comparing retail bags at a garden center.
Enter only the depth still to fill. If a 12-inch bed already contains 8 inches of soil, enter 4 inches. Choose the depth for your project, plants, drainage, and local guidance instead of treating the calculator default as a recommendation.
It can plan the volume of a rectangular or simple round planter. Many pots taper, so use inside measurements near the average fill width and treat the result as an estimate. Check the potting-mix bag label before buying.
Yes. Split the layout into simple shapes, add their square feet, and use Known area. The Round bed mode handles a simple circle from its inside diameter.
Use zero when you only want the measured volume. Add a percentage when your supplier, product, past settling, or an uneven bed gives you a reason. The 10% default is an editable planning example, not a universal soil rule.
Some potting mixes and garden products list volume in litres. The calculator converts the same estimated cubic-foot volume to litres so you can compare units, but the product label still controls the bag count.
No. It calculates volume only. Soil and compost needs depend on the existing soil, crops, drainage, and test results. Calculate separate layers separately and use local Extension or supplier guidance for the mix.
Organic material can decompose and a new fill can settle, so the surface may drop over time. Re-measure the missing depth before topping up instead of repeating the original full-bed order.
No. The calculator runs in your browser tab. Your recent answers stay only on the page while you use it, and they are not sent to a server.