Build
Raised Garden Bed Plans and Designs
Four free raised garden bed plans built from standard 2x6 and 4x4 lumber: a 4x8 starter bed, a two-tier bed, a waist-high bed on legs and an L-shaped corner bed, each with a cut list and soil volume.
| Plan | Outside size | Soil depth | 2x6 boards | Soil needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x8 starter | 4 x 8 ft | 11 in | Six 8-ft | 26 cu ft (0.97 cu yd) |
| Two-tier | 3 x 8 ft | 11 in front, 22 in back | Eleven 8-ft | 27.6 cu ft (1.0 cu yd) |
| Waist-high | 2 x 4 ft, 32 in tall | about 8 3/4 in | Two 12-ft | 4.5 cu ft |
| L-shaped corner | Two 6-ft arms, 2 ft wide | 11 in | Eight 8-ft | 15.3 cu ft (0.56 cu yd) |
Choosing the right design
Start with reach. A bed you can walk around can be 4 ft wide, because you reach 2 ft in from each side. A bed backed against a wall or fence should be 2 to 3 ft deep. Height comes next: 11 in suits most vegetables over loosened soil. Our layout and spacing guide helps you fit several beds and paths into one plot.
All four plans assume 2x6 boards (a true 1 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches), so a pair of stacked rows gives 11 in. Cedar, redwood or cypress last longest without treatment; the best wood guide compares the options. Volumes below are inside measurements with posts subtracted.
Plan 1: 4x8 starter bed
32 sq ft of growing space, reachable from both sides.
- Size: 4 x 8 ft outside, 11 in tall, two rows of 2x6
- Lumber: six 2x6 x 8 ft (four left whole for the long sides, two cut into four 45-in ends); one 4x4 x 6 ft cut into six 11-in posts
- Hardware: about 40 3-in exterior screws
- Soil: about 26 cu ft, just under 1 cu yd
Four posts go in the inside corners and two at the middle of the long sides. For root crops, add a third row: three more 2x6 x 8 ft boards, posts cut to 16 1/2 in from a 4x4 x 10 ft, and about 39 cu ft (1.45 cu yd) of soil. The full cut list and numbered steps are in how to build a raised garden bed.
Plan 2: two-tier bed
A stepped bed for a sunny fence line. The front tier is 11 in tall; the back 18 in rises to 22 in, giving deeper soil for tomatoes or potatoes and a front shelf for greens and herbs.
- Size: 3 x 8 ft outside; back tier 18 in deep, front tier 18 in deep
- Lumber: eleven 2x6 x 8 ft; one 4x4 x 10 ft
- Cuts: eight full 96-in boards (front, back and upper front, two rows each); four 33-in lower sides; four 15-in upper sides; four 22-in posts and two 11-in posts
- Hardware: about 75 3-in exterior screws
- Soil: about 27.6 cu ft, roughly 1 cu yd
Build the lower box first with the 33-in sides fitted between the front and back boards. Set two 22-in posts in the back corners and two more against the side walls with their front faces 16 1/2 in from the outside back edge; the upper front boards screw to the front of these. The upper front boards rest on the top edges of the lower sides. Cut the 33-in pieces two per board with a 15-in piece from the offcut; three boards cover all eight short parts. Diagonals for square: about 102 1/2 in.
Plan 3: waist-high bed
A box on legs that brings the soil up to about 30 to 32 in, so you can garden standing or from a chair. It holds about 8 3/4 in of soil, enough for greens, herbs, radishes and compact peppers.
- Size: 2 x 4 ft outside, rim 32 in off the ground
- Box: two 2x6 x 12 ft, cut into four 48-in sides and four 21-in ends (two of each per board)
- Legs: two 4x4 x 8 ft, cut into four 32-in legs
- Bottom: one 2x2 x 8 ft cut into two 38-in ledgers; two 1x6 x 8 ft cut into eight 21-in slats
- Lower braces: two 2x4 x 8 ft, each cut into one 48-in and one 21-in piece, fixed 6 in above the ground
- Hardware: about 50 3-in, 10 2 1/2-in and 16 1 5/8-in exterior screws
- Soil: about 4.5 cu ft
Set the legs in the inside corners, flush with the top of the box. Screw a 2x2 ledger along the bottom inside edge of each long side, between the legs. Lay the slats across the ledgers with about 1/8-in gaps, notching the two end slats 3 1/2 in square around the legs. Line the bottom with landscape fabric. Filled and wet, it weighs several hundred pounds.
Plan 4: L-shaped corner bed
Two 2-ft-wide arms meet in a fence corner, each 6 ft long on the outside, giving about 16 1/2 sq ft of soil surface you can reach from the front.
- Size: outer walls 72 in each, arms 24 in wide, 11 in tall
- Lumber: eight 2x6 x 8 ft; one 4x4 x 8 ft cut into six 11-in posts
- Cuts per row (make two rows): outer walls 72 in and 70 1/2 in; inner walls 49 1/2 in and 48 in; two arm ends at 21 in each
- Hardware: about 50 3-in exterior screws
- Soil: about 15.3 cu ft, a little over half a cubic yard
Pair cuts to save wood: 72 + 21 in from one board, 70 1/2 + 21 in from another, and one board each for the 49 1/2-in and 48-in pieces. Five posts sit in the inside corners; the sixth goes on the outside of the inner corner, where the two inner walls meet, and both walls screw into it.
Tools and materials list
The same kit builds every plan:
- Circular or miter saw, speed square, tape measure and pencil
- Drill and driver, plus a 1/8-in bit for pilot holes
- 4-ft level and a flat shovel for prepping the ground
- Clamps to hold boards while you drive screws
- Coated deck screws or stainless steel, 3 in long for frames
- Optional: 1/2-in hardware cloth, a staple gun and landscape fabric
For every plan, blend roughly six parts screened topsoil, three parts compost and one part aeration such as pine bark fines. Buy 10% more soil than the volumes above to cover settling.
How to choose
Pick the starter bed if
You have open ground and want the most growing space for the least wood.
Pick the two-tier bed if
You have a sunny fence line and want deep soil for tomatoes in a 3-ft strip.
Pick the waist-high bed if
Kneeling is hard, or the bed will sit on a patio or deck.
Pick the L-shaped bed if
You want to use a fence corner without blocking the rest of the yard.