Assembling a 4-by-8 Two-Course 2x10 Raised Bed on 4x4 Corner Posts with a Drill Driver: 1/8-Inch Pilot Holes, 48 Screws, and an 18-1/2-Inch Wall

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Cut four 96-inch and four 45-inch 2x10 boards plus four 24-inch 4x4 posts, pre-drill 1/8-inch pilot holes, and drive 3 screws per board end. The bed is 48 x 96 inches outside, 18-1/2 inches tall, and holds about 45 cubic feet of soil.

How wide should a raised bed be so you can reach the middle?

Four feet wide, which Virginia Cooperative Extension says lets you reach the center of the bed from either side. For a 4-by-8 bed, build two courses of 2x10 boards for an 18-1/2 inch wall, so you can plant and weed without bending far.

Virginia Cooperative Extension's container and raised-bed gardening publication says beds 4 feet wide allow easy access to the center from either side. It also says soil in a raised bed drains better and warms faster in spring.

Simpson Strong-Tie's pressure-treated wood FAQ says the treated wood industry recommends hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel fasteners, and that electroplated coatings are not hot-dip galvanizing.

Cut List for a 48 x 96 Inch Bed

Part Qty Length How it is figured
Long board, 2x10 4 96 in. Two per side, two courses
Short board, 2x10 4 45 in. 48 in. minus 2 x 1.5 in.
Corner post, 4x4 4 24 in. 18-1/2 in. wall plus 5-1/2 in. in the ground
Wall height 1 18-1/2 in. 2 x 9-1/4 in.
Screws 48 3 in. 16 board ends x 3 screws

Materials and Tools

  • DeWalt 20V drill driver with a 1/8-inch bit and a driver bit
  • Six 8-foot 2x10s (four stay full length, two are cut into the four short boards), and one 8-foot 4x4 cut into four posts
  • About 52 exterior screws, 3 inches long, hot-dip galvanized or stainless
  • A level, tape measure, carpenter's square, and a shovel
  • About 1.7 cubic yards of fill, gloves, and safety glasses

Assembly Steps

  1. Cut the boards. Mark and cut the long and short boards to the cut list.
  2. Dig the post spots. Dig four 6-inch holes at the corners of a 48 x 96 inch rectangle.
  3. Set the posts. Put a 24-inch post in each hole with 5-1/2 inches below grade and plumb it.
  4. Mark the screws. On each board end mark three points, about 1 inch from the edges.
  5. Drill pilot holes. Use the 1/8-inch bit so the ends do not split.
  6. Attach the bottom course. Drive 3 screws through each board end into the posts.
  7. Add the top course. Stack the second course and repeat, keeping the seams tight.
  8. Check square. Measure the diagonals, which should match at about 107 inches.
  9. Level the bed. Shim the low side with soil, then fill.

Count 16 board ends at 3 screws each for 48, leaving a few spare.

Common Raised Bed Mistakes

  • Making the bed wider than 4 feet leaves the middle out of reach
  • Electroplated screws corrode quickly in treated lumber
  • A bed built on a slope needs a leveled base or the soil slumps
  • Stripped screw heads happen when the clutch is set too high

The floor of this bed can take a buried mesh, as in lining raised garden beds with hardware cloth. Strawberries in the bed need a cover, shown in building a 4-by-8 strawberry bed cage with two hinged lids. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide lists the right mesh for gophers.

Rabbits come next, and rabbit-proofing a vegetable garden with a 24-inch hardware cloth wall is the follow-up build.

FAQ

Can I build it taller?

Yes, add a third course, but you will need more fill.

Why 4x4 corner posts?

They give every board end solid wood to screw into.

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