Standard 2400 × 200 × 100mm garden sleepers, with the short ends fitted between the long sides.
Page last reviewed 26 October 2026 by the UkToolCalc team
A 2.4 × 1.2m raised bed needs 3 sleepers per course: two full-length sides and one sleeper cut into two 1m ends. Two sleepers high (400mm) is 6 sleepers.
2400 × 200 × 100mm sleepers, offcuts reused where they fit.
Bed
Height
Sleepers
Cut pieces
Screws
2.4 × 1.2 m
1 high (200mm)
3
2
8
2.4 × 1.2 m
2 high (400mm)
6
4
16
2.4 × 1.2 m
3 high (600mm)
9
6
24
1.8 × 0.9 m
2 high (400mm)
6
8
16
A smaller 1.8 × 0.9m bed still takes 6 sleepers at two high: every side is a cut piece, and the offcuts are too short to reuse. Sizes that match the 2.4m sleeper waste the least.
Two sleepers (400mm) suits most vegetables and is a comfortable height to weed from a kneeler. Three (600mm) is easier on the back and suits wheelchair users sitting side-on.
Why are the ends 1m and not 1.2m?
The ends fit between the two long sleepers, so each loses a sleeper thickness at both ends: 1.2m − 2 × 100mm = 1m. One 2.4m sleeper gives both ends.
How do I fix sleepers together?
With 200mm timber screws, two per corner on each course. For three or more courses, add a 75 × 75mm post inside each corner to tie the courses together.
