Soil calculator: How much soil and topsoil do you need?
Does a raised bed need filling, or does the lawn need a new layer of topsoil? The calculator converts dimensions and fill height to liters and cubic meters and helps you compare bags, bulk bags and loose delivery.
Worked example
- Bag: 1.4126 ft³
- Area 1: Length 6.5617 ft · Width 3.2808 ft · Fill height 15.748 in
Order
28.2517 ft³
1.0464 yd³ (geometric 1.0464 yd³, needed after existing soil 1.0464 yd³)
- Bags: 20 pcs
The soil type and plant needs are not assessed.
Measure the space the soil must fill
Use the inside dimensions of a raised bed. For a lawn, you use the area and the desired layer thickness. If you already have soil that stays and can be used, it is entered separately, so it is not ordered again.
Soil can settle after it is spread. Any allowance must be based on the project and the product information. The calculator shows the allowance, so you can see the difference between the geometric need and the chosen order.
Guide to choosing the delivery quantity
Use the actual contents of the product
A bag with a stated number of liters can be compared directly with the calculated need in liters. Delivery by weight, on the other hand, requires a relevant density, which can be affected by moisture, among other things.
Example with a raised bed
Inside dimensions of 2 meters by 1 meter and a fill height of 40 cm give 0.8 m³, or 800 liters. Without an allowance, that equals 20 bags of 40 liters.
Also look at freight and unloading. A low material price is not necessarily the lowest delivered price. The soil type must suit the use; the quantity calculation does not decide which mix the plants need. Use the lawn calculator if the project also includes establishing a lawn.