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MATERIAL CALCULATOR

Soil calculator.

Calculate soil volume for a bed, a container or several areas.

KEEP YOUR PLAN

Give your project a name.

Save your measurements and quotes on this device. No account needed.

My saved projects

YOUR MEASUREMENTS

Use the depth and allowance from your project specification.

Bag sizes, weight & pricing +

Bag counts and prices apply to the main material only. Enter your supplier’s density to calculate weight.

Compare bags with bulk delivery +

Use the bag size and units above. Compare the same product at your supplier’s quoted prices. Enter small-bag contents above and its price below. Include each delivery charge; enter zero for pickup.

Bulk-bag quote · optional third option

Compare small bags, bulk bags and a loose load side by side. Each price is optional; include delivery once for each option.

Minimum and increment use the bulk quote unit. For half-yard orders, enter 0.5 as the increment. Zero uses the exact estimate. Check taxes, unloading charges and access separately. Weight quotes need your supplier’s bulk density.

Your soil blend +

Enter two materials and their percentages if you want to calculate a blend. Choose the proportions for your planting plan.

Gouache illustration of a timber raised bed with soil, leafy plants and terracotta pots.
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of a completed project.
BEFORE YOU ORDER

Getting a useful estimate

Measure the interior space to fill. Subtract any existing soil you plan to keep.

Measure the space you need to fill. Rectangles use length and width; circles use diameter. For several sections, choose combined areas and add rectangles, then subtract exclusions. The final area must be greater than zero.

Add the areas you need to fill

Use this tool for rectangular beds, circular containers with straight sides, or several areas to fill. Enter the empty depth above any soil you are keeping.

The raised-bed reference explains fill materials. If you are ordering for a raised bed, use the raised-bed tool. For container capacity, use the potting-soil tool.

University of Minnesota Extension: Raised bed gardens

Volume formula

Volume = area × depth × (1 + allowance ÷ 100)

Allowance applies once to each volume layer. No density or compaction factor is assumed. If buying by weight, enter the density for your supplier’s product in the units shown.

A worked example

An example 6-foot by 3-foot rectangle filled 8 inches deep needs 12.000 cubic feet, or 0.444444 cubic yards, without allowance. A 10% allowance gives 13 cubic feet. These are arithmetic examples, not recommended depths.

Calculate a two-component blend

Use internal bed or container measurements and the remaining depth to fill. An optional blend divides the total between two components at percentages you supply. The percentages must total 100. Full bags round up and may leave extra material.

Buying and checking quantities

Enter the volume printed on a bag, or its mass alongside supplier density. Counts round up to full bags. Costs use the purchasing unit and price you enter. Delivery is separate; labor and installation are outside this estimate. Copy or print your list to check with your supplier.

Sources & what they cover

  • NIST SI conversion factorsNational Institute of Standards and Technology

    Exact US customary and SI conversion factors; no material or installation recommendations.

    Source checked
  • Raised bed gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension

    Raised-bed fill and distinctions between topsoil, compost and container media. No blend recipe imported.

    Source checked

We check what each reference covers. A source check does not mean a specialist has reviewed this tool. You supply the depths, densities, prices and blend proportions.

Operated by Pete CallaghanUpdated Not yet independently reviewedHow we check our toolsReport a correction