Calculate the total cubic feet of soil needed for your project.
Note: Enter depth in inches, it will be converted to feet.
Understanding Soil Volume Calculation
Accurately calculating the volume of soil needed is crucial for various landscaping, gardening, and construction projects. Whether you're planning a new garden bed, laying sod, or filling a foundation, knowing the exact amount of soil prevents over-ordering (wasting money) or under-ordering (causing project delays).
The Math Behind Cubic Feet
The volume of a rectangular or square area is calculated using a simple formula:
Volume = Length × Width × Depth
In landscaping and construction, soil volume is most commonly measured in cubic feet (ft³) or cubic yards (yd³). This calculator focuses on cubic feet, a standard unit for many soil products and project scopes.
Unit Conversion is Key
A common pitfall in soil calculation is inconsistent units. This calculator is designed to accept your measurements in feet for length and width, but inches for depth. It automatically handles the conversion of inches to feet before performing the volume calculation.
Here's how the depth conversion works:
There are 12 inches in 1 foot.
To convert inches to feet, you divide the number of inches by 12.
Depth (ft) = Depth (inches) / 12
Once all dimensions are in feet, the total volume in cubic feet is calculated by multiplying the three dimensions together.
When to Use This Calculator
Gardening & Landscaping: Estimating soil for raised beds, flower beds, vegetable gardens, or topsoil delivery.
Lawn Installation: Calculating the amount of topsoil or fill dirt needed before laying sod or seeding.
Construction Projects: Determining soil volumes for small excavation, backfilling, or leveling projects.
DIY Projects: Any project requiring a specific depth of soil coverage over a defined area.
Example Calculation
Let's say you want to create a raised garden bed that is 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, and you need the soil to be 6 inches deep.
Length: 10 ft
Width: 5 ft
Depth: 6 inches
First, convert the depth from inches to feet:
Depth (ft) = 6 inches / 12 = 0.5 ft
Now, calculate the volume in cubic feet:
Volume = Length × Width × Depth
Volume = 10 ft × 5 ft × 0.5 ft = 25 cubic feet
Therefore, you would need 25 cubic feet of soil for this garden bed. This calculator will perform this exact calculation for you!
function calculateSoilVolume() {
var length = parseFloat(document.getElementById("length").value);
var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById("width").value);
var depthInches = parseFloat(document.getElementById("depth").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
// Clear previous results and error messages
resultDiv.style.display = "none";
resultDiv.innerHTML = "";
// Input validation
if (isNaN(length) || length <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid positive number for length.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Red for error
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
return;
}
if (isNaN(width) || width <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid positive number for width.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Red for error
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
return;
}
if (isNaN(depthInches) || depthInches <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid positive number for depth in inches.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Red for error
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
return;
}
// Convert depth from inches to feet
var depthFeet = depthInches / 12;
// Calculate volume in cubic feet
var volumeCubicFeet = length * width * depthFeet;
// Display the result
resultDiv.innerHTML = volumeCubicFeet.toFixed(2) + " cubic feet (ft³)";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Green for success
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
}