Raised Bed Garden Cost Calculator
Work through building raised beds in order, with the soil and frames worked out for the size you choose.
Part of the 🏠 Homeowners and DIYers toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
If your soil may be contaminated, or you plan to use treated timber, check what is safe for growing food. Rules on permits, building regulations and which work needs a qualified person differ by country and place, so check yours before you start.
Plan the beds
The size of one bed, how high the soil is, and how many beds. This sets the soil, the liner and the frames.
The size of one bed
Use this instead of length and width.
How deep the soil is, from the base up. Many beds are about 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 in).
How many beds you plan to build.
Choose the spot and prepare the ground
Level, sunny and near water. Clear the weeds and level it first.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Build the frames
Timber or a frame kit, priced for each bed.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced per unit use the number from there.
Fill them with soil
The big cost. Priced by the volume of soil from step 1.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Sort out the watering
Easier to put in before you plant.
Plant and support
Seeds, plants and anything to hold them up or protect them.
Running it afterwards
Once it is done it can still cost something. This is not part of the cost above.
Your raised vegetable beds, step by step
What each stage adds, and the total.
Type some prices in the steps above and the whole cost appears here, stage by stage.
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Give the size of one bed, how high the soil will be and how many beds. This works out the total area and the volume of soil, then takes you through each stage of the build with the cost of each step.
Raised beds are cheap to describe and surprising to fill. The frames are a modest cost, but the soil is bought by volume, and a few beds at a useful depth need more than most beginners expect. The tool works out the volume from the size, the height and the number of beds, so you can price the soil per cubic metre or yard, and the frames per bed. It also covers the liner, the watering kit and the first plants, and the small yearly costs of keeping the beds going.
How it’s worked out
- Step 1, the size of one bed, the height of the soil and the number of beds. The total area is one bed times the number of beds, and the soil volume is the total area times the height.
- Choose the spot and prepare the ground, with a liner or weed membrane priced by area.
- Build the frames, priced for each bed and multiplied by the number of beds.
- Fill them with soil, priced by the cubic metre or yard, with delivery.
- Sort out the watering, then plant and support. The yearly costs are water, a compost top-up and new seeds. The summary adds a share kept back for surprises, 15 percent if you leave it empty.
Three beds of 2.88 square metres with 30 cm of soil need 2.6 cubic metres of soil. At 60 a cubic metre that is about 156, with 180 for the frames at 60 each, and the stages build up to about 640 before surprises.
Common mistakes
- Underestimating the soil. Volume is area times height, and three beds at 30 cm hold more than people expect.
- Using treated timber without checking. If you grow food, check what is safe for the frames and for your soil.
- Forgetting the water. Raised beds dry out faster, so a hose connection or drip kit is worth planning early.
- Building where it is shady or far from water. Choose a sunny, level spot near a tap.
Questions
How deep should raised beds be?
Many are about 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 inches) of soil, and deeper for root crops or where the ground below is poor. Type your own height.
How do I work out the soil?
The tool multiplies the area of one bed by the number of beds and by the height of the soil. For imperial, square feet times inches divided by 324 gives cubic yards, which is how it is worked out.
Should I line the bottom?
Many people lay cardboard or a weed membrane to suppress weeds. The liner line is priced by area, so you can include it or leave it empty.
What does it cost to keep beds going?
Water, a yearly compost top-up and new seeds or plants. The running costs step lets you add your own figures.
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not building, legal or professional advice. Costs, rules, permits and building regulations differ by country and place, so use your own quotes and check the rules where you live. Structural, electrical and gas work should be done by a qualified person.
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