A basic raised garden planter bed is a weekend build most people can knock out in about 3 hours for around $50 in lumber. Cut your boards to fit your yard, screw the ends together first, add the sides, then set it on corner posts and fill with garden soil. Seal the wood so it lasts more than a season.
- Our first full-size raised planter bed cost about $50 in lumber and took roughly 3 hours to build.
- Assemble the two end pieces first, then attach the sides — it goes together far cleaner in that order.
- Corner posts (4x4s) that hang a few inches below the box anchor it and stop the whole thing from shifting.
- A black liner in the bottom knocks down weeds; seal or use pressure-treated wood so it survives the weather.
- Smaller pressure-treated versions run closer to $30 — size the box to your garden, not the other way around.
What It Takes To Build a Raised Planter Bed
Here’s the honest version before you buy a thing. A raised planter bed is nothing more than a wooden box with corner posts, filled with good soil and set where it gets sun. The whole build for our first full-size one cost about $50 in lumber at the local home improvement store and took roughly 3 hours start to finish. Cut your boards to length, screw the two short end pieces together first, attach the long sides, then flip it and set it on 4×4 corner posts sunk into the ground. Fill it with garden dirt and you’re planting the same afternoon. About 90% of the “hard part” people imagine is just measuring correctly and not rushing the corners. I’m not a master carpenter and I built this with a drill and a handful of deck screws — if you can drive a screw straight, you can do this.
Measure First — This Is Where Most People Screw Up
Before you tear into it, measure your garden area and write the numbers down. I mean actually write them on paper, not “I’ll remember.” I built a box years back off a measurement I had in my head, drove to the store, guessed at board lengths, and came home with lumber a full foot too short for the spot I’d cleared. That’s a lesson I only needed once. Every yard is different, so I’m deliberately not handing you exact cut lengths here — this is meant to give you the method and inspire the design, not force your box to match mine. Get your length, your width, and how tall you want the sides, and let those numbers tell you how much wood to buy.
You can use whatever wood suits you or comes in cheapest. Just know that if it’s not pressure-treated, you’ve gotta seal it. Untreated pine sitting in wet soil rots faster than people expect — I’ve pulled apart planters that turned punky and soft at the corners in two seasons because nobody put a finish on them. A wood stain and sealer protects it and buys you years. If you’re already building out your yard this season, a raised bed pairs nicely with a DIY raised brick planter greenhouse with a PVC pipe irrigation system for the plants that need a little more protection.
Step-By-Step: Assembling the Box
Everyone assumes you build a box by making one big rectangle all at once. Don’t. Build the two end pieces first, then bridge them with the sides — it’s steadier, your screws bite cleaner, and you’re not wrestling four loose boards at the same time. Here’s the order I follow every time.
- Cut all your pieces first. Get every board cut to length before you drive a single screw. Lay them out so you can see what goes where.
- Build the first end piece. Sink your first screws into one short end. This becomes an anchor for everything else.
- Build the second end piece. Same as the first. Now you’ve got both short ends assembled and ready.
- Set the ends up for the sides. Stand both end pieces so the long side boards can span between them.
- Screw the sides on. Attach the long boards to connect the two ends. Work one corner at a time and keep it square.
- Both sides on — box is done. That’s the frame. Flip it upside down to prep for the corner posts.
- Dig the post holes. With the box upside down, mark and dig holes so the 4×4 corner posts drop into the ground and anchor it.
Setting It On Posts
This is the short one, because it’s simple. Flip the assembled box upside down and dig holes where the corner posts will drop in. The corner posts — 4x4s work great — should hang a few inches below the sides so they sink into the ground and lock the box in place. That overhang is the whole trick to keeping the box from shifting or racking over time.
Weed Control and Filling With Soil
Here’s what a lot of build guides skip. Before you dump soil in, lay a black liner across the bottom of the planter for weed control. It keeps grass and weeds from creeping up through the dirt from below, and it’s a two-minute job that saves you a whole summer of pulling volunteers out of your vegetable rows. I learned to do this the hard way after a first bed where I skipped the liner and spent June fighting the same weeds I thought I’d left behind in the yard. Once the liner’s down, fill it with good garden dirt and you’re ready to plant that same day.
How Much Does a Raised Garden Bed Cost To Build?
Straight answer, because this is the question everyone types into Google before they start. Our first full-size raised planter bed cost about $50 in lumber. A smaller pressure-treated version we built later came in around $30 — we used 2×6’s for the sides and 4×4’s for the corners with some treated deck screws, all from Home Depot. So figure roughly $30 to $50 in wood depending on size. That’s a hard number worth remembering: a solid raised bed costs about $30–$50 in lumber, which is less than most of the pre-made resin kits and a lot more satisfying to build. On that smaller box, the 4×4’s hang a few inches below the sides — same trick as before — to keep the boxes from moving.
Want to bring the cost down even further? You can build a planter almost free from scrap. I’ve done a whole DIY raised garden planter made from a wooden pallet when I didn’t feel like spending anything, and it held up fine. If you’d rather use dimensional lumber and want a cleaner look, this DIY raised garden bed with landscaping timbers is another route that goes together fast.
More Raised Planter Ideas To Steal
Once you’ve built one, you start seeing variations everywhere. Here are a handful we and our readers have put together over the years — different sizes, different materials, same basic idea. Use them to size and shape a bed that actually fits your space.
Watch a Raised Bed Come Together
If you’re the kind of person who’d rather see it built than read it, this video walks through a raised garden bed from lumber to finished box. It’s a good sanity check before you make your first cut — you’ll see the assembly order and the corner-post trick in action.
Keeping Your Planter Bed Alive Past One Season
The build is the fun part — keeping the box from rotting out is what most people forget. If you didn’t use pressure-treated lumber, hit the wood with a stain and sealer before you fill it, and plan to re-seal the outside every couple of seasons. Check the corner screws each spring; wood swells and shrinks through the seasons and screws can back out a little. And keep that bottom liner intact — if you ever empty the box, inspect the liner and replace it if it’s torn, or the weeds come right back. Do those three small things and a $50 box gives you many good gardening years instead of two.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to build a raised garden bed?
Our full-size box cost about $50 in lumber, and a smaller pressure-treated version ran around $30. So budget roughly $30 to $50 depending on size. If you build one from a scrap pallet, you can get it done for close to nothing.
How long does it take to build a raised planter bed?
Around 3 hours for a basic full-size box if you’ve got your cuts done and a drill in hand. I’ve built the smaller ones in less. First-timer? Budget an extra hour so you’re not rushing the corners — that’s where boxes go crooked.
What kind of wood should I use for a raised garden bed?
Use whatever suits you or comes cheapest — I’ve used pressure-treated 2×6’s for the sides and 4×4’s for the corners on the budget builds. If it’s not pressure-treated, you’ve gotta seal it with a wood stain and finish, or it rots faster than you’d think. Redwood costs more but resists rot naturally and lasts for years.
Do I need a liner in the bottom of my raised planter bed?
I put a black liner in every one I build. It controls weeds coming up from below, and it’s a two-minute job. I skipped it once on a first bed and spent that whole summer pulling the same weeds I thought I’d escaped — never again.
How do I keep the raised bed from shifting or moving?
Let the 4×4 corner posts hang a few inches below the sides and sink them into the ground. That overhang is the whole secret — it anchors the box so it doesn’t rack or slide. On the smaller boxes I build, that below-the-side post is exactly what keeps them planted where I put them.
If I use a galvanized steel stock tank for a planter, with a solid bottom, do I need to drill holes in the bottom of the stock tank for drainage? Do I need to line it with anything?
Can you please show a pic or explain how you supported the center? I see one crossbeam but do the 2 extra vertical supports have cross bottom support? Hoping to do a 1×24 planter 2 ft high and wondering how often to place support. ASsumed every 3 feet.
I am building my planters this fall, laying about 3″ cardboard, then laying yard clippings and cut grass with soil repeatedly. This will reduce the amount of top soil that I need in the spring. Cardboard encourages worms, plastic liners discourage worms.
These are super attractive beds. There is a concern, however, in using pressure treated wood for anything to do with food. One should not combine the two, no matter the cost savings. And while I’m being ecological in concern I’d mention that Home Depot is a poor option for plant purchase. Their use of neo-cotinoids on plants is harmful to bees, an essential pollinator. Give your money to someone who cares about our planet and your health. And enjoy the heck out of those beautiful gardens my lovelies!
N. E.,
Reclaimed wood and left over wood from Home Depot that was previously cut and deeply discounted.
-RR
I really wonder how you made this huge planter box for under $50. I went to my home improvement store yesterday and the cheapest price I could get for materials to make a similar box (8x2x3 ft) was $250. About $180 for the wood and the rest for hardware.
Stan Haff,
Here is a page explaining all about… Can strawberries grow in snowy climates?
-RR
When using raised beds, will the plants such as strawberries survive the winter? We’re in North central IL and are considering garden options.
Cardboard is actually far superior an option it holds water well and is a wood product that naturally breaks down and feeds your soil……plastic will actually cause your soil to suffer after a few years cardboard will help it thrive.
Carol,
It is OK but not recommended. Use a plastic barrier type material and that should work best.
-RR
Is it safe to line the bed with cardboard?
Alice,
If you drill holes for drainage it should be just fine no matter the depth.
-RR
I obtained a homemade shelf made out of plywood, not stained, painted or varnished. With the removable shelves out and repositioning it with back as bottom it’s approx 3′ deep, 4′ wide. I plan to use this as veg planter box. I will drill holes on bottom for drainage but is this too deep? I read about putting packing peanuts in before soil. I’d like to use and end section for potatoes. Any suggestions?
Just love these ideas Found it on Pinterest. Great tutorial! We recently purchased a home and I’m getting ready to do a post about our backyard dreams early next week and I’d like to include a photo of the Raised Planted Bed with a link back to this post.
Susie,
The plastic at the bottom is to prevent weeds. Yes without some sort of barrier at the bottom, you would get unwanted growth such as weeds and other. If this type of gardening system is not for you, maybe consider a square foot garden that will have more dirt to provide more nutrients.
-RR
My parents always had vegetable gardens so I know a little bit. But am very interested in a raised garden. I am not good with a container garden because it seems that the veggies get more nutrients from the ground. If I put black plastic in the bottom of the box I would be defeating that purpose. Would the weeds come up from the bottom and grow up if I did not put the plastic down. Sounds like a silly question.
Thank you! I am so happy I came across your sight on Pinterest, I have been looking for a DIY Raised Planter Bed to do with my son this spring, and yours is just perfect!!
I think it is best to NOT used Pressure treated wood, particularly in a food garden. The chemicals in the wood could leach into your veggies and make them toxic. However! I LOVE the designs! I AM going to incorporate them into my garden!
Andrew,
The wood we used is NOT pressure treated (PT). But concerning your question, if someone was to use a pressure treated wood to make a garden planter…… you can isolate pressure treated wood by lining the inside of the bed with heavy plastic to prevent leaching of chemicals from the wood into the soil. However…. A pressure treated wood does in fact last much longer then untreated wood, so using it might mean fewer trees would be cut. So….. It is always going to be based on availability and personal preference with what type of wood will be used.
-RR
It looks like you are using pressure-treated wood on some of the sides. Shouldn’t you avoid using that type of wood in projects where the toxins from the pressure-treating process may end up in your food?
Hi Jeanette,
The sides of our Raised Garden Planter is 12 inches in total. We used 2 2×6″ boards. You can of course use any size of wood that will suit your garden area. Hope this helps!
Thanks – RR
Could you include a materials list? How wide were your boards for instance?
Great photos!
Image coming soon!
There is just one final and most important picture missing and that’s the one where you planted please included that picture for us to see. thank you truly yours Patricia.