Landscaping
Landscaping Soil Calculator
Calculate soil volume for planting beds on a job, with settling and access counted.
Result
Raised beds are usually filled with a blend rather than straight topsoil, because pure topsoil in a container compacts and drains poorly. The volume is the same either way.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Bed volume at the finished depth.
- Settlement, which for organic blends is substantial.
- Whether the soil is placed by machine or by hand.
Where this one goes wrong
Quoting the soil and forgetting the bed preparation. Removing turf, breaking compaction and establishing an edge all happen before any soil arrives and all take time that is invisible in a volume calculation.
Questions
About this calculator
What preparation does a new bed need?
Turf or existing vegetation removed, compaction broken, and an edge established. Skipping the compaction step produces a bed that waterlogs and disappoints.
How much settlement should I allow?
More for organic-rich blends than for mineral soil. It is worth measuring on your own material rather than using a general figure.
Can existing soil be improved instead of imported?
Frequently yes, and it is often better value for the customer. Importing soil is sometimes the easier sale rather than the right answer.
The formula
cubic feet = length x width x depth/12
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How to use this calculator
- Length (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 8 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 4 ft.
- Fill depth (inches) (in). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 12 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 5%.
- Cost per cubic yard ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $42.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to cubic yards needed, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Length (ft) | 8 ft |
| Width (ft) | 4 ft |
| Fill depth (inches) | 12 in |
| Waste / compaction allowance | 5% |
| Cost per cubic yard | $42 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed main result | 1.2 |
| Cubic feet | 33.6 |
| Approximate tons | 1.2 |
| Estimated cost | $52.27 |
| 1.5 cubic foot bags | 23 |
You need about 1.2 cubic yards (1.2 tons), costing roughly $52.27 delivered.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only cost per cubic yard, this is what happens to cubic yards needed. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Cost per cubic yard ($) | Cubic yards needed |
|---|---|
| $21 | 1.2 |
| $32 | 1.2 |
| $42 example above | 1.2 |
| $63 | 1.2 |
| $84 | 1.2 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Length (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 8 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 4 ft.
- Fill depth (inches) (in)
- Measured in in, starting at 12 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 60, starting at 5%.
- Cost per cubic yard ($)
- A money amount, starting at $42.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed | The headline result. A decimal figure. |
| Cubic feet | A decimal figure. |
| Approximate tons | A decimal figure. |
| Estimated cost | A money figure. |
| 1.5 cubic foot bags | A number. |
Seasonality is not in this
Coverage and material figures assume the area you enter. Slope, access for machinery, existing growth and the time of year all affect both quantity and labour, and none of them appear in a calculation like this.
Keep going
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