Beginner · 2 hours · Last reviewed
Raised garden bed plans with a cut list
A raised bed made from stacked 2x6s, 2x8s or wider boards, screwed to 4x4 posts inside the corners and 2x4 posts along the long sides. Set the outside size and the number of board courses; the cut list, lumber, screws and the soil needed to fill it are recalculated.
Drawing
4 parts · 14 pieces- Outside
- 96" × 48" × 11" tall
- Soil to fill
- 26.6 cu ft (0.99 cu yd)
- Growing area
- 29.1 sq ft
Raised garden bed: 14 pieces. Buy 1 × 4x4, 6 × 2x6, 1 × 2x4.
Parts
Cut list
| Part | Name | Qty | Length | Width | Thick | Cut from | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Long side board | 4 | 96" | 5 1/2" | 1 1/2" | 2x6 (1 1/2" × 5 1/2" actual) | |
| B | End board | 4 | 45" | 5 1/2" | 1 1/2" | 2x6 (1 1/2" × 5 1/2" actual) | |
| C | Corner post | 4 | 11" | 3 1/2" | 3 1/2" | 4x4 (3 1/2" × 3 1/2" actual) | |
| D | Middle post | 2 | 11" | 3 1/2" | 1 1/2" | 2x4 (1 1/2" × 3 1/2" actual) |
Shopping list
6 ×
2x6 (1 1/2" × 5 1/2" actual), 8 ft
Parts A, B · 98% used · fewest possible
Board feet bought: 64 BF nominal (36.9 BF in the finished parts, actual size). Every list allows a 1/8" saw kerf per cut and assumes defect-free stock; tally board feet or price the boards to compare lengths.
Hardware and tools
| Qty | Item and use |
|---|---|
| 40 | #10 × 3" exterior screws Two per board end into each corner post, two per board at each middle post |
| 30 sq ft | Landscape fabric or hardware cloth (optional) Lines the bottom against weeds or burrowing animals |
Tools
- Circular saw or miter saw
- Drill/driver
- Square
- Tape measure
- Level
Build steps
- Cut 4 long boards at 96" and 4 end boards at 45" from the 2x6s, 4 corner posts at 11" from a 4x4 and 2 middle posts at 11" from 2x4s. Square ends matter: the boards butt against each other at the corners.
- Build the two ends first. Lay 2 end boards edge to edge flat, set a corner post under each end, flush with the board ends and with the top and bottom edges. Drive two screws through each board into each post.
- Stand the ends up and screw the long boards to the corner posts, overlapping the ends of the end boards. Check the bed is square by measuring both diagonals.
- Fit the middle posts inside the long sides, evenly spaced, two screws per board into each.
- Level the ground where the bed will sit, set the bed in place and check it with a level; dig the high side down rather than packing the low side up.
- Line the bottom if you want to, then fill. The bed holds about 26.6 cubic feet (0.99 cubic yards) of soil.
How this raised bed is built
Each course is four boards: two long sides that run the full length, and two end boards cut to fit between them. Every board end is screwed into a 4x4 post standing inside the corner, so the corners do not depend on screws driven into end grain.
Soil pushes outward, hardest at the bottom and in the middle of long sides. The plan adds a middle post for every 6 ft of side beyond the first, which keeps 2x boards from bowing.
Which wood to use
Cedar, redwood and larch last longest untreated. Current pressure-treated lumber uses copper-based preservatives (ACQ or copper azole); many university extension services consider it acceptable for vegetable beds, while some gardeners prefer to line the inside walls or avoid it. Older lumber treated with CCA (chromated copper arsenate) is not sold for residential use in the US and should not be reused for food beds.
A 2x6 is 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" actual. Two courses of 2x6 make an 11" deep bed, which suits most vegetables; three courses (16 1/2") are easier on the back.
Where the plan stops being reliable
The soil volume is the inside volume of the bed, level to the top. Garden soil settles, so many people order about 10-20% more; your supplier will tell you how their mix settles.
Very tall beds (over about 16") hold a lot of wet weight. The plan warns you, but it does not calculate the load; use cross ties and closer posts for anything tall and long.
Safety
Wear eye and hearing protection, keep guards on saws, and support long boards and full sheets on both sides of the cut. Pre-drill near board ends so screws do not split the wood. The plan is a woodworking guide, not an engineered design: it has no load ratings, and it does not replace the instructions that come with your tools and fasteners.
About this plan
Designed for LCuts from standard practice for this kind of build; the dimensions, cut list and steps are computed from your inputs by code you can check on the methods page. The shopping list runs every part through the cut list optimizer (boards) and the sheet cut optimizer (plywood), with the same heuristics and lower bounds. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.
Common questions
How much soil do I need for a raised bed?
Multiply the inside length, width and depth. For a 4 by 8 ft bed of two 2x6 courses (11 inches deep), that is about 26.6 cubic feet, just under one cubic yard. The plan prints the figure for your size.
How wide should a raised garden bed be?
Four feet or less if you can reach it from both sides, about 2 to 3 feet if it sits against a wall or fence. That lets you reach the middle without stepping on the soil.
How deep should a raised bed be?
Eleven inches (two 2x6 courses) is enough for most vegetables if the ground below can be dug. For root crops or on hard ground, go to 16 1/2 inches (three courses).
Is pressure-treated wood safe for a vegetable garden?
Modern copper-based treatments (ACQ, copper azole) are considered acceptable by many university extension services; if you would rather avoid it, use cedar or redwood, or line the inside walls. Never reuse old CCA-treated lumber for food beds.
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