Soil Calculator
Enter your garden bed's length, width, and desired soil depth to find the volume needed and number of bags.
How soil volume is calculated
This calculator converts your desired soil depth from inches to feet, then multiplies by the bed's length and width to find the total volume in cubic feet — then converts to cubic yards (dividing by 27) since bulk soil is commonly sold by the yard.
For bagged soil, the number of bags is found by dividing the total cubic feet needed by your bag's size and rounding up, since you can't buy a fraction of a bag.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should soil be for a garden bed?
Most vegetables and flowers do well with 6-12 inches of quality soil. Deep-rooted plants may need 12-18 inches, while shallow-rooted plants like lettuce can manage with as little as 6 inches.
Should I buy bagged soil or bulk soil?
For small projects (under about 1-2 cubic yards), bagged soil is often more convenient and comparably priced. For larger beds, bulk soil delivered by the yard is usually significantly cheaper per cubic foot.
What bag size is standard for garden soil?
Common bag sizes are 1, 1.5, and 2 cubic feet, though this varies by brand and product — check the bag's label for its exact volume before calculating how many you need.