Soil for a 2×4 bed at different depths
| Soil depth | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | 1.5 cu ft bags | 2 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 in | 4 | 0.15 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 in | 5.3 | 0.2 | 4 | 3 |
| 10 in | 6.7 | 0.25 | 5 | 4 |
| 11 in | 7.3 | 0.27 | 5 | 4 |
| 12 in | 8 | 0.3 | 6 | 4 |
| 18 in | 12 | 0.44 | 8 | 6 |
| 24 in | 16 | 0.59 | 11 | 8 |
Building with lumber? A single 2×12 gives about 11 inches of soil depth, two stacked 2×6s also give 11 inches.
Planning this bed
At 2 ft wide you can reach the center from one side without stepping on the soil — that keeps it loose. The bed has 8 sq ft of growing space. Expect the soil to settle 10–20% in the first season, so keep a few bags of compost to top it up.
The math
4 ft × 2 ft × (12 in ÷ 12) = 8 cu ft
8 ÷ 27 = 0.3 cu yd
8 ÷ 1.5 = 6 bags (rounded up)
Common questions
How many bags of soil for a 2x4 raised bed?
6 bags of 1.5 cu ft for 12 inches deep, or 3 bags for 6 inches.
How many cubic yards for a 2x4 raised bed?
0.3 cubic yards at 12 inches deep.
Want the full method, tips and other sizes? See the raised bed soil calculator guide.