Raised-bed Soil & Bags

When to use it

For a group of identical rectangular raised beds measured on the inside. Leave space below the rim, deduct the combined volume already occupied by material or objects, and enter the volume printed on each soil bag. The example uses metres and litres and an independently chosen USD bag price; it is not a market quote.

Related: Package Unit Price.

Inputs

USD

Calculation method

Fill depth = inside height − unfilled rim height. Net volume = length × width × fill depth × bed count − total occupied volume. Apply the chosen extra percentage to that net volume, divide by bag volume, and round up. Cost uses the whole number of bags. Two 2 × 1 m beds with 0.35 m fill depth hold 1.4 m³. Deducting 0.1 m³ leaves 1.3 m³; adding 10% gives 1430 L. At 40 L per bag, buy 36 bags.

0.4 [Inside bed height m]-0.05 [Height left unfilled below rim m] → Actual soil fill depth m

2 [Inside bed length m] × 1 [Inside bed width m] × Actual soil fill depth m × 2 [Number of identical beds]-0.1 [Volume occupied across all beds m³] → Net fill volume before allowance m³

Net fill volume before allowance m³ × (1 + 10 [Extra allowance on net volume]%) → Soil volume including allowance L

ceil(Soil volume including allowance L/40 [Printed volume per bag L]) → Whole bags to purchase

Whole bags to purchase × 8 [Price per bag USD] → Bagged-soil purchase cost USD

Change one input

Change only bed length from 2 to 3 m. Keep two beds, the same fill depth, the same total occupied volume and the same 10% allowance. Soil to purchase rises to 2200 L and 55 bags. The cost table uses the same bag price in both cases.

Results are displayed to at most two decimal places; later formulas use unrounded values.

Scope and limits

• Measure internal rectangular dimensions.
• Occupied volume is the combined total, deducted once.
• Extra allowance is a chosen planning input.

Dimensions, usable fill depth and bag volume must be positive; bed count must be a positive integer. Occupied volume must be nonnegative and smaller than total fill volume. Allowance and bag price must be nonnegative. The chosen allowance is not a universal settlement rate. Do not turn bag mass into volume without product-specific evidence. This covers neither tapered planters nor delivery charges or a recommended soil recipe.

[Soil-volume reference: Keter](https://www.keter.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-keter-US-Library/default/dwdb 894 cb 7/keter-mobile-garden-bed-soil-guide.pdf).

Keter.

Download and import into Calvance to edit the numbers. The canvas does not reject every invalid input; check the stated ranges.

Common questions

Can I enter a bag marked in kilograms?

Not as litres. Use the product’s stated fill volume; soil density and moisture vary.

Is occupied volume entered for each bed?

No. Enter the combined occupied volume across all beds. For different bed sizes, calculate separate groups.

How to import your template

We recommend using the latest version of Calvance.

1. Save the file. Choose Download template and save the .calvx file to Files on your iPhone or iPad. From a computer, you can send it to your device with AirDrop.
2. Open Import. In All Canvases in Calvance, tap the add button to open the template screen, then choose Import.
3. Choose the file. Select the saved .calvx file to create your own canvas. Importing uses one canvas from your allowance.
4. Edit and check. Check the results against the worked example, then add your numbers. Duplicate the canvas to keep different versions.

Download .calvx file