Soil Calculator
Calculate how much soil or compost you need for raised beds and garden areas.
Enter length, width, and depth in feet or meters.
Soil Needed
Soil volume is calculated by multiplying the three dimensions of the bed or area.
Volume = Length × Width × Depth
Imperial (feet):
Cubic Feet = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft)Cubic Yards = Cubic Feet / 27- Depth is commonly entered in inches, so convert:
Depth (ft) = Depth (in) / 12
Metric (meters):
Cubic Meters = Length (m) × Width (m) × Depth (m)Liters = Cubic Meters × 1,000- Depth is commonly entered in centimeters, so convert:
Depth (m) = Depth (cm) / 100
Common raised bed depths:
- 6 inches / 15 cm — minimum for most vegetables
- 12 inches / 30 cm — ideal for root vegetables (carrots, potatoes)
- 18–24 inches / 45–60 cm — deep beds for maximum root growth
Soil buying guide (imperial):
- Most bagged soil is sold in 1–2 cubic foot bags
- Bulk soil is sold by the cubic yard (1 cu yd = 27 cu ft)
Soil buying guide (metric):
- Most bagged soil is sold in 25–50 liter bags
- Bulk soil is sold by the cubic meter (1 m³ = 1,000 liters)