Garden Soil Calculator
Enter your bed’s length and width, pick a project type or a custom depth, and choose a soil blend to see the cubic yards, tons, and bags you need.
Measure straight across the widest point.
Adjust depth below if needed.
Covers spillage and compaction. 5–10% is normal.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored.
Bags or bulk delivery?
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Coverage & weight
Material profile
For the calculator’s default 10 ft × 8 ft new garden bed at 8 inches deep, you’ll need about 2.17 cubic yards, or roughly 1.75 tons of garden soil blend once a 10% waste allowance is added. That works out to around 118 bags if you’d rather buy soil by the bag instead of in bulk.
Garden soil needed for common bed and project sizes
These estimates use garden soil blend at 1,600 lb per cubic yard with a 10% waste allowance built in.
| Project | Depth | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small raised bed, 50 sq ft | 8 in | 1.36 yd³ | 1.09 tons |
| Bed top-dressing, 120 sq ft | 2 in | 0.81 yd³ | 0.65 tons |
| General fill / grading, 200 sq ft | 4 in | 2.72 yd³ | 2.17 tons |
| Large vegetable garden, 300 sq ft | 8 in | 8.15 yd³ | 6.52 tons |
| Deep raised bed, 64 sq ft | 12 in | 2.61 yd³ | 2.09 tons |
Garden soil types, weight and drainage
| Type | Weight per yd³ | Best for | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screened topsoil | 2,200 lb | Lawns, general fill | Moderate |
| Garden soil blend (topsoil + compost) | 1,600 lb | Vegetable & flower beds | Good |
| Raised bed / planting mix | 1,200 lb | Raised beds & containers | Excellent |
Figures are for dry material. Wet or freshly delivered material can weigh noticeably more.
How to calculate garden soil you need
- Measure the bed length × width in feet for a rectangular bed, or break an odd-shaped bed into rectangles and add them together.
- Choose your depth 8in for a new bed, 4in for general fill, or 2in to top-dress an existing bed.
- Convert to cubic yards multiply area by depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27.
- Add waste add about 10% for settling, uneven ground, and spillage while spreading.
- Convert to tons multiply cubic yards by the blend’s density (1,200-2,200 lb/yd³) and divide by 2,000.
Worked example
Using the calculator’s default 10 ft × 8 ft new garden bed at 8 inches deep with garden soil blend:
- Area10 ft × 8 ft = 80 sq ft
- Depth in feet8 in ÷ 12 = 0.67 ft
- Volume80 sq ft × 0.67 ft = 53.33 cu ft
- Plus 10% waste53.33 × 1.10 = 58.67 cu ft
- Cubic yards58.67 ÷ 27 = 2.17 yd³
- Weight (garden soil blend, 1,600 lb/yd³)2.17 × 1,600 = 3,476.5 lb
- Tons3,476.5 ÷ 2,000 = 1.74 tons
- Order amountround up to 1.75 tons, or about 118 bags at 0.5 cu ft each
Recommended depth by project
| Project | Recommended depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New garden bed | 8 in | Standard depth for planting a new vegetable or flower bed |
| Bed top-dressing | 2 in | Refreshing an established bed without disturbing roots |
| General fill / grading | 4 in | Leveling low spots or filling before laying sod |
| Raised bed (framed) | 10-12 in | Match the depth of the frame walls |
| Container / large planter | 12-18 in | Deep enough for root systems in above-ground containers |
Bags or bulk delivery?
Bagged garden soil (roughly 0.5 cu ft per bag) is convenient for small beds and topping off containers, but it costs several times more per cubic yard than a bulk delivery. Once a bed needs more than a couple of cubic yards, a bulk load plus the delivery fee is almost always the cheaper and faster option.
- Small bedsunder 0.5 ton (about 1 cubic yard or less) — a stack of bags from the garden center is easiest for this size.
- Medium beds0.5 to 2 tons — compare the total bag cost to bulk price plus delivery before deciding.
- Large beds & yardsover 2 tons — bulk delivery is cheaper and saves you from hauling dozens of bags.
Common mistakes
- Using outdoor topsoil in containersdense topsoil compacts and drains poorly in raised beds and pots — save it for lawns and general fill, and use a blended or raised-bed mix for planting beds.
- Not accounting for settlingloose soil settles 10-20% within the first season, so beds filled flush with the frame often need a top-up a few weeks later.
- Skipping the waste allowancespillage during wheelbarrow trips and uneven excavation eats into your total, so an order with no cushion often falls short.
- Ignoring existing soil qualityon very poor native soil, tilling in a few inches of new soil often works as well as a full replacement and costs far less.
- Ordering bags for a large bedbagged soil looks affordable per bag but often costs 3-5x more per cubic yard than a bulk delivery once you pass a yard or two.
- Forgetting to compact bed edgesloose soil piled against a raised-bed frame can wash out at the corners until it settles naturally after rain.
What this calculator assumes
Adjust your result if your project differs from these.
- Depth is the finished, settled depth after light raking, not a loosely piled depth.
- Density varies by blend — screened topsoil, garden blend, and raised-bed mix are not interchangeable.
- 10% waste covers spillage and minor settling; very uneven ground may need more.
- Prices are for material only; delivery, spreading labor, and edging are separate.
- Bag coverage assumes 0.5 cu ft bags; bulk delivery is more economical above roughly 1-2 cubic yards.
- Existing subsoil is assumed reasonably level before adding new soil.
Common questions
How much garden soil do I need for a raised bed?
A typical 4×8 ft raised bed filled 10 inches deep needs about 1.2 cubic yards of soil. Enter your bed’s exact dimensions above for a precise figure.
What's the difference between garden soil, topsoil, and raised bed mix?
Topsoil is dense native or screened dirt; garden soil blend mixes topsoil with compost for better fertility; raised bed mix is the lightest and most aerated, built for containers and framed beds.
How deep should soil be for a new garden bed?
8 inches is a good standard depth for most vegetables and flowers, letting roots establish without hitting compacted subsoil.
How many bags of soil equal a cubic yard?
About 54 bags at 0.5 cu ft each make one cubic yard. For beds needing more than 1-2 yards, bulk delivery is usually cheaper.
Does garden soil weigh the same as topsoil?
No — garden soil blend is lighter (about 1,600 lb/yd³) than dense screened topsoil (about 2,200 lb/yd³) because it includes compost and organic matter.
Should I till new soil into the existing ground?
Yes — tilling the new soil into the top few inches of native soil improves drainage and root penetration compared to just laying it on top.
How much does it cost to fill a garden bed with soil?
For the calculator’s default 80 sq ft bed at 8 inches, expect roughly $157 for a bulk load including delivery, or around $708 buying by the bag.
Can I mix compost into a garden soil order?
Yes — many suppliers blend compost in on request, or you can buy garden soil blend as-is and top-dress with an inch of compost each season.
How much does garden soil settle after filling a bed?
Expect 10-20% settling in the first season as loose soil compacts and organic matter breaks down; plan to top off in spring.
Is bagged or bulk soil cheaper?
Bulk is cheaper per cubic yard for anything beyond a bag or two — bagged soil carries a packaging premium that bulk delivery avoids.
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Project
| Shape | — |
| Dimensions | — |
| Depth | — |
| Area | — |
| Material | — |
| Waste allowance | — |
Volume & weight (incl. waste)
| Cubic yards | — |
| Cubic feet | — |
| Weight | — |
| Tons (rounded up) | — |
Shopping list
| Bulk order | — |
| Bagged alternative (0.5 cu ft) | — |
| Estimated cost | — |
Notes
Estimate generated by materialcalculate.com. Assumes uniform depth and standard dry material densities. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.