01
Formula
Cubic yards = (L × W × depth in feet) ÷ 27.
Cost = yards × your price per yard. There is no waste percent on this form. Raise the depth if you want extra for settlement or for an uneven grade.
Apply for financingCompost
Compost calculator for yards of a bed
This compost calculator turns a rectangular bed and a depth in inches into cubic yards. Cost uses the price per yard you enter. That price is an estimate, not a delivery quote. Depth is the finished layer you want, not a recommendation.
Compost volume
1.85cu yd
Cubic feet50.00
Estimated material cost$74.07
Area200 sq ft
Planning estimate from the numbers you enter. Coverage, density, waste and price are assumptions, not a supplier quote or an engineering specification.
How it works
Yards are the bed's volume divided by 27.
Cubic feet equal length times width times depth in feet. Depth in inches is divided by 12 first. Cubic yards equal cubic feet divided by 27. A 20 by 10 foot bed at 3 inches is 50 cubic feet, or 1.85 cubic yards. At $40 per yard the material estimate is $74.07. Compost settles. If you need 3 inches after it settles, order more than the neat volume. This page does not add that settlement unless you increase the depth yourself. It also does not calculate a carbon-to-nitrogen recipe for a pile. It is the volume of compost you place.
02
Example
20 by 10 feet at 3 inches.
The volume is 50 cubic feet and 1.85 cubic yards. At $40 per yard the estimate is $74.07. The $40 is a placeholder. Use the price on the quote you were given.
03
Tips
A 3 inch layer is a planning depth, not a spec.
Vegetable beds, tree rings, and turf topdressing do not want the same thickness. Topdressing a lawn is often a fraction of an inch. Type that smaller depth. Do not use a bed depth on a lawn.
04
Equipment
A loader moves a yard faster than a shovel.
Dengaro arranges financing for a tractor or a compact loader. The compost cost is not the financed amount.
Important questions
Know what to expect.
How many cubic feet are in a yard of compost?+
Twenty-seven, the same as any cubic yard. That conversion is exact. How much the compost weighs is not. Weight depends on moisture.
Does this include delivery or a spreader fee?+
No. Add those into your price per yard if you want one number, or keep them off this page and add them on the estimate.
Can I use it for a round bed?+
Not directly. The form is a rectangle. For a circle, use the area from the volume calculator and then multiply by depth in feet and divide by 27.
Is the price a quote?+
No. It is the price you typed. Suppliers sell by the yard or by the ton, and moisture changes the ton. Confirm the unit before you order.
Financing built into the sale