Soil calculator for Oregon
Figure cubic yards for beds, planters, and other yard work, matched to the soil your project calls for.
Enter your project dimensions
A 4 x 8 raised bed at 12 inches deep needs 32 cubic feet of soil, equal to 1.2 cubic yards. That is often more material than a new bed builder expects when planning to use a few bags. Enter any bed, planter, or yard dimensions in this calculator and choose among the three available soil types. The blend affects weight: garden soil runs about 2,000 lb per cubic yard, screened topsoil 2,200, and fill dirt 2,400. Choose the material for your order so the ton estimate matches.
Three steps for bed math
- For each planter or bed, enter its dimensions in feet. Multiple-areas mode adds all entries into one total.
- Use 4-6 inches to refresh an existing bed, 6 inches when making a new in-ground bed, or 12 inches to fill an empty raised planter.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Then multiply yards by 1.0 to 1.2 for tons, based on soil type.
Tons = yards × 1.0 (garden soil) · 1.1 (topsoil) · 1.2 (fill dirt)
Coverage and weights
| Soil type | Weight per cubic yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| Garden soil (blended with compost) | ≈ 2,000 lb | 1.00 |
| Topsoil (screened) | ≈ 2,200 lb | 1.10 |
| Fill dirt | ≈ 2,400 lb | 1.20 |
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 3 yards cover |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | 486 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | 243 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | 162 sq ft |
| 12 inches, raised bed | 27 sq ft | 81 sq ft |
Choose soil for the work
- Use compost-blended garden soil for vegetable beds, flower planting, and planters.
- Screened topsoil works for lawn work and finish grading. See the Topsoil Calculator for lawn depths and examples.
- For filling holes or changing grade, place fill dirt below and reserve good soil for the planting layer.
- Revive worn soil by mixing 2-3 inches of garden soil into the upper 6 inches, rather than swapping out the entire bed. Roots get a gradual transition, and less material is needed.
Fill tall raised beds for less
For a bed taller than 18 inches, you do not need blended soil at the bottom. Use a lower third of fill dirt or coarse organic matter that breaks down in place, then keep 8-12 inches of garden soil at the surface for feeding roots. Calculate the two layers separately. Measure 12 inches instead of estimating the depth.
Example: three 4 x 8 beds
For a bed covering Ninety-six square feet at 12 inches deep, the volume is 96 cubic feet, or 3.6 cubic yards and about 3.6 tons of garden soil. Order 4 yards. The compost portion in blended soil compacts roughly 10% during the first weeks, leaving extra material to refill the beds after the initial settling.
Improve clay or sand in place
In the Willamette Valley, heavy clay can stay wet, while sandy ground drains before plants can hold enough moisture between watering. In either case, till 2-3 inches of compost-blended garden soil into the upper 6 inches over successive seasons. This takes one-third the material and lifting of replacing the whole bed, while worms and roots continue improving the layer below. Replace soil to full depth only when debris or contamination makes the native ground unsuitable.
Bulk soil or bagged soil
At 40 lb each, a cubic yard comes to about 36 bags. One raised bed can use 43 bags, which means handling 43 bags twice. Bulk soil costs less by cubic foot and comes in one tip, with free delivery. Bags are better suited to topping off one planter. Put the pile on a tarp to protect concrete from stains, then drag and fold the tarp for cleanup.
Soil amounts for beds and bags
How much soil is needed for a 4x8 raised bed?
How are garden soil, topsoil, and fill dirt different?
How many bags equal one cubic yard of soil?
How many yards of dirt are needed for beds?
Will bulk soil settle after it is placed?
Can delivered garden soil be planted in directly?
More calculators
Measured your beds? Order soil online.
Garden soil, topsoil, and fill dirt sold by the yard with delivery included.
