Soil calculator for Nebraska

Size up your garden beds, raised planters, and landscape work in cubic yards, then select soil that suits the work.

Enter your project dimensions

Length (feet)

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Width (feet)

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Diameter (feet)

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Depth (inches)

Enter a depth between 0.25 and 24 inches

Material

Add 5% extra for compaction & spillage

A 4 x 8 raised bed at 12 inches deep contains 32 cubic feet of soil. That comes to 1.2 cubic yards, often more than first-time bed builders expect when they plan on a few bags. Use this calculator for any planter, bed, or landscape project. Soil weights vary: garden soil is about 2,000 lb per cubic yard, screened topsoil is 2,200, and fill dirt is 2,400. Select the material you plan to order so the ton calculation matches.

Three steps for bed math

Record each planter or bed in feet. Multiple-areas mode adds the total as you enter each one.
Choose depth by purpose: use 4-6 inches to amend an existing bed, 6 inches for a new ground-level bed, and 12 inches to fill a raised planter from empty.
Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply yards by 1.0 to 1.2 for tons, based on soil type.

Cubic yards = (Area sq ft × Depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27
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 job

For vegetable patches, flower beds, and containers, choose compost-mixed garden soil for planting.
Use screened topsoil for lawn work and final grade shaping. Lawn depth guidance and examples are in the Topsoil Calculator.
Use fill dirt as the lower layer for grade adjustments and filled holes, then place growing soil at the surface.
For worn-out native ground, mix 2-3 inches of garden soil through the upper 6 inches instead of swapping out the entire bed. It uses less material, and roots can establish more readily.

Fill raised beds for less

For beds taller than 18 inches, you do not need garden soil at the full depth. Put fill dirt or coarse organic matter that breaks down in place in the bottom third. Keep 8-12 inches of garden soil at the top, where roots grow. Use two layers and make two quick calculator runs. April is a good time for raised beds, so measure the 12 inches instead of estimating it.

Example: three 4 x 8 beds

At 12 inches deep, ninety-six square feet of beds contains 96 cubic feet. That is 3.6 cubic yards, or about 3.6 tons of garden soil. Order 4 yards. Blended soil can settle roughly 10% during the first weeks as the compost portion firms up, leaving extra material to refill the beds after settling.

Improve clay and sand in place

Eastern loess can stay wet and slump when saturated, while Sandhills ground can drain away water too quickly. In either case, mix 2-3 inches of compost-blended garden soil into the upper 6 inches and repeat for a couple of seasons. That takes a third of the material and lifting compared with replacing the bed to full depth. Roots and worms keep carrying the blend downward over time. Replace soil fully only if debris or contamination makes the native material unusable.

Bulk soil or bags

At 40 lb each, about 36 bags make up a cubic yard. A raised bed can call for 43 bags, so you end up handling 43 bags twice. Buying in bulk lowers the cost per cubic foot and comes in a single tip with free delivery, so there is no truck fee to make up. Bags are useful when you only need to refresh one planter. Ask for the soil pile to be placed on a tarp. It can discolor concrete, while a tarp lets you fold up and pull away the leftover soil.

Soil amounts for beds and bags

How much soil is needed for a 4x8 raised bed?

For 32 cubic feet at 12 inches deep, plan on about 1.2 cubic yards or roughly 1.2 tons of garden soil. At 18-inch depth, the bed needs 1.8 yards. Add a little extra because blends can settle about 10% at the start.

How do garden soil, topsoil, and fill dirt differ?

Garden soil combines topsoil with compost for planting. Screened topsoil is natural soil for lawns and finish grading. Fill dirt is compactable subsoil used below the surface. Weight and price rise across those materials, from 2,000 to 2,400 lb per yard.

How many soil bags equal a cubic yard?

Expect about 36 bags at 40-lb each for a cubic yard, with roughly 0.75 cubic feet in each bag. Twelve bags make up a third of a yard, a point where bulk reduces both cost and lifting.

How many yards of dirt are required for beds?

Find the square footage of all beds, multiply by depth in feet, and divide by 27. A 200 square foot bed area at Six inches deep requires 3.7 cubic yards. Add beds above to combine their totals.

Will bulk soil settle after filling?

Compost in organic-rich blends can compact by 10-20%. Start with soil above the rim, water it in, and top it off once. Beds with heavy planting can need another inch or two each spring.

Can delivered garden soil be planted in directly?

Yes. In a ground-level bed, work a few inches into native soil rather than setting plants in a distinct imported layer. Roots pass through a gradual soil change more easily than an abrupt divide.

Topsoil CalculatorCalculate →Dirt CalculatorCalculate →Mulch CalculatorCalculate →All calculatorsMulch, sand, topsoil, dirt & more.Open the hub →

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