In 2015 we uploaded a video that went viral. It was titled “How to build raised beds for cheap” and in that video we showed how you could build a raised bed for as inexpensive as possible. In this episode we are doing the same. How much more will it cost? Let’s find out.
VIDEO: How Much Does It Cost To Build a CHEAP Raised bed in 2022 Vs. 2015?
In 2015 we uploaded a video that went viral. It was titled “How to build raised beds for cheap” and in that video we showed how you could build a raised bed for as inexpensive as possible. In this episode we are doing the same. How much more will it cost? Let’s find out.
I went the expensive route paying about $175 for two 4x8x1 galvanized steel raised beds. They will last longer than I will be here, so in the long run they will pay for themselves both in cost and labor.
I ended up using some logs. They work pretty well!
Thanks for the instructions, now we need a video about what to put in the raised bed. How much soil vs compost vs peat moss? Do you get the bagged soil or something else?
Man, I’m so glad I used pressure treated. Our beds are 4-7 years old and the 7 year old ones are still working amazing. We’ve had to repair the ends on 2 of those, nothing a couple brackets couldn’t fix. You’ll be very happy using PT wood for the new one!
Pro tip. Get your deck screws from a place that sells them by the pound. You will get them for 1/2 the price.
Hey Luke, first thanks for the video on raised beds! I did a raised bed nearly 2 years ago, from 2x12x10s that was 30’ long and 8’ wide. I used concrete Castle blocks to adjoin them. How would you recommend I accomplish this in the future, as these castle blocks may fail over time. I thought about just marrying the 2x12s with 1 bys at each joint, but wasn’t sure.
We got lucky and my husband snagged 2 pallets of odd wood pieces last spring just as I wanted to build 2 raised beds. So we got 2 free beds and enough wood left over for another this year. I wanted them tall (30 inches) so they would have cost us a lot.
What about the soil, that isn’t cheap either.
Liked the quick video though.
It's very sad and didn't have to be this way , thank you president Biden!
Would have been alot cheaper last year.
Free timber – sometimes you need to think outside the box! A plumbing supply place near me has rectangular timber frames that are used to transport PVC pipes. The timber is roughly 3" x 1.5" and it gets dumped, so they're happy for me to take as much as I want! I use a 3lb club hammer to knock the frames apart for transport. For each bed side I'm making, I stack the timber to the height I need and join the pieces using metal strips/joining plates and screws (the strips cost under $2 per side) and then I join the completed sides using metal corner brackets. Looks neat, does the job, and really cheap. I've stacked these frames in the past and used them as compost bins, so I know they'll last 5 – 8 years. Hope this helps someone !
It got so bad that it was actually cheaper for me to buy a manufactured raised bed with a 10 year warranty than to build one with the cheapest lumber I could find.
I don't even want to buy plywood to build my workshop cabinets because it's just so expensive right now
Another suggestion – I've used rebar and saddle clips to reinforce and stop long sides from pushing over. Conduit saddle clips are really cheap, and you can even get rebar offcuts for free from building sites if you ask nicely! I screw in the saddle clips a bit below where the top of the soil will be, slide in the rebar and then pound the rebar down deep into the ground so the soil covers it up. The rebar would probably work a bit better on the outside – and I have done that where extra reinforcing is needed – but that's a trade off to the looks. The rebar's a bit of insurance to keep the timber all in place and it's working really well. Cheers from Australia!
YEP! When I brought EXACTLY the same 'boards' 8x2x12 in 2018 in Texas, I paid HALF(each) of what you spent on that same ONE board today!
the worst problem with timber is the chemicals needed to make it last more than 6 months
the western world is awash with plastic milk bottles, why cant we make "plastic planks"
Let’s go Brandon!
What’s your soil mixture consist of?
Good stuff.
Thank you! The theme of simplicity is great. I had no idea wood was presold..yikes!!
Cheapest wood I've found (still) for raised beds is 6 ft cedar fence pickets. Thin, but they last 4 to 6 years. I cut up them up to make 4-ft lengths, add screws, and 2×4 in the corners to reinforce. Two high is 11 in.
We opted to go with 3 inch square inside corner blocks and bolts to connect through untreated boards. They were made in August 2020. I also used a linseed oil protectant painted on. My raised beds will be easy to change a board if necessary AND can be easily disassembled if I want to move them. Total cost for a 2 x 12 x 8 long bed, unfilled, $117 and change. 3 times the price paid for the beds I put in in 2018.
I built 4 raised beds 3×13 with concrete blocks. Spent a fraction of what lumber costs.
Thanks for sharing God bless
Awesome information brother! Here in Arizona things are FINALLY cooling down.
I use 4x4s cut 3 inch longer then the board so they sit in the ground a few inches to help hold it in place and then you don’t have to screw into the ends of the boards they screw right into the 4x4s. Then I line the inside of the wood with at least 6 mil plastic roll to help keep the moisture and bugs off the wood. Going on year 5 and they still look brand new.
WOW your lumber is EXPENSIVE. Southern Indiana prices… $9 for a 2×10 and $12 for a 2×12? How the prices swing so drastically from location to location kills me!!!! We are prob 8 hours south of you? And that is the untreated price…
Pellets are free..
I bought 2 x 8 x 10 in late 2019, I paid $9.28 a board at that time to help with a price increase timeline. The 2 x 12 were about $3 more if I
remember correctly