YARDMEASURE
Calculation methodology
The calculators use rectangular volume and explicit purchasing assumptions. Every estimate depends on the values you enter.
Volume and unit conversion
For US inputs, volume in cubic feet equals length in feet × width in feet × depth in inches ÷ 12. Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards. For metric inputs, cubic meters equal length in meters × width in meters × depth in centimeters ÷ 100; one cubic meter is 1,000 liters.
One foot is exactly 0.3048 meters, one inch is exactly 0.0254 meters, and one cubic foot is 28.316846592 liters. Switching unit systems converts the same physical measurements; it does not start a different project. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
For raised beds, use inside dimensions and only the remaining fill depth. The geometric result does not assess soil composition, drainage, or the correct depth for a particular plant.
Several areas and optional extra material
Calculate each area’s volume and add all areas before calculating bags. Avoid overlapping rectangles when approximating an irregular bed. The result is only as accurate as that approximation.
The base volume contains no automatic settling, compaction, waste, or safety allowance. If you select an allowance, multiply the total measured volume by 1 + allowance percentage ÷ 100. Apply bag and bulk-order rounding after this step.
Whole bags and bulk order increments
The whole-bag quantity is the purchase volume divided by one bag’s stated volume, rounded up. The bag-volume input must match the product label; weight cannot be substituted for volume without a material-specific density.
For bulk ordering, divide the purchase volume by the selected supplier increment, round up to a whole increment, and multiply back by that increment. Ask the supplier which increments it sells and how it measures delivered material.
Editable quote comparison
Bag cost equals the whole-bag count × your price per bag. Bulk cost equals the rounded bulk order quantity × your price per matching volume unit + the delivery charge you enter. These are arithmetic comparisons of your inputs, not live prices or supplier offers.
Check taxes, minimum orders, delivery access, additional fees, and product differences with the supplier before buying. Displayed totals include only the values entered into the calculator.
References and attribution
University of New Hampshire Extension’s On-Farm Construction reference lists rectangular volume and the conversion of one cubic yard to 27 cubic feet. The worked examples and purchase-rounding rules on YardMeasure are derived calculations.
University of Maryland Extension’s Soil to Fill Raised Beds explains why the starting soil and growing situation matter when selecting material. It is background reading, not a universal recipe or an endorsement of this calculator.