How to use it
- Enter the length in feet.
- Enter the width in feet.
- Enter the depth in inches.
- Press Calculate to see cubic yards, tons and cubic feet.
This calculator turns your garden dimensions into three practical quantities: cubic yards, tons (using the industry‑standard 1.3 US tons per cubic yard) and cubic feet. Knowing cubic yards tells you how many bulk bags to order, while tons helps you compare weight‑based pricing. Cubic feet is useful for smaller projects or when a supplier quotes in that unit. Simply plug in length, width and depth, and the tool instantly converts the volume, applying the standard conversion from inches to feet and from cubic feet to yards. The results are rounded to two decimal places for easy ordering, and you can see all three units at once to avoid mis‑calculations that often lead to costly over‑orders or shortages.
Pro tips
- Add a 5‑10% waste allowance for compaction and spillage.
- Round up to the nearest half‑yard when ordering to match common bag sizes.
- Compare supplier quotes in both tons and cubic yards to get the best price per weight.
- Double‑check depth; a common mistake is entering inches as feet or vice‑versa.
Real-life examples
- A homeowner planning a new flower bed wants to know how many soil bags to buy.
- A landscaper needs to estimate soil weight for a commercial project to meet truck load limits.
- A DIY gardener is converting a raised‑bed plan into cubic feet for a local supplier that quotes per cubic foot.
Case study
Emily entered her 12 ft × 8 ft garden with a 6‑inch depth. The calculator showed 2.22 cubic yards, which the supplier rounded to 2.5 yards. Using the 1.3 ton per yard factor, she ordered 3.3 tons, avoiding a costly shortfall and finishing her bed on schedule.