Yard & Garden Projects
Yard projects hide the same estimating traps as construction projects: volumes that settle after installation, materials sold in units that don't match the recommendation, and formulas quoted without their assumptions. This hub collects the calculators and guides for garden soil, lawns, and landscape materials - raised bed fill, fertilizer rates, mulch and topsoil quantities - each with the formula documented, a worked example, and honest guidance on when a job needs a professional.
The estimating sequence that works everywhere in the yard: measure the real area, apply the depth or rate the job actually needs, correct for settling or concentration, then convert to the units the product is sold in - cubic yards, bags, or pounds.
Calculators
Planning guides
What's coming to this hub
The yard hub is being built out through fall 2026 in the same format as the rest of the site: grass seed and sod quantity calculators, compost carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, drip irrigation run times, rainwater harvesting volume, plant spacing, and a raised bed lumber cut list - every one with its formula documented and its assumptions stated.
Where yard work meets site work
Yard projects regularly turn into small earthwork projects. If a bed or lawn area needs the grade corrected first, start with the slope and grade calculator and the drainage hub. Hauling soil in or out is covered by the excavation hub, and gravel paths and edging fall under the gravel hub. Every formula on this site is documented in our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much soil does a raised garden bed need?
A standard 4 by 8 foot bed at 12 inches tall needs about 1.1 cubic yards, or 20 bags at 1.5 cubic feet - assuming 2 inches of freeboard below the rim and a 12 percent settling allowance. Beds are routinely under-ordered because those two factors get skipped.
How much fertilizer does a lawn need?
Recommendations are given in pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet - typically 0.5 to 1.0 per application. Divide that target by the bag's nitrogen percentage to get pounds of product: at 0.75 lb N, a 24-0-11 fertilizer works out to about 3 lb of product per 1,000 square feet.
How much mulch do I need?
One cubic yard covers 108 square feet at the standard 3-inch depth, or 162 square feet at 2 inches. Multiply bed area by depth in inches and divide by 324 to get cubic yards. Above roughly 14-20 bags, bulk delivery is cheaper than bags.
When is the best time to start yard projects?
Soil and bed building suit spring and fall, when soil is workable and rain settles the fill. Cool-season lawns are fed and seeded primarily in fall; warm-season lawns in late spring. Grading and drainage work is best done in a dry stretch - working saturated soil compacts and ruts it.