Sand Calculator
Cubic yards, tons and bags of sand for paver bedding, sandboxes, pool bases and general fill.
How much sand do I need?
Sand runs about 2,700 pounds per cubic yard dry, so a cubic yard is roughly 1.35 tons. Area times depth gives you cubic feet, divide by 27 for yards, multiply by the density for tons. The complication is that sand takes on water readily, and wet sand can weigh 20 percent more than the same volume dry.
Sand layers are usually thin, which makes the numbers smaller than people expect. A one inch bedding layer under pavers covers 324 square feet per cubic yard. A 300 square foot patio needs less than a single yard of bedding sand.
| Application | Typical depth | Coverage per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Paver bedding layer | 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| Under an above ground pool | 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| Levelling under a shed base | 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| Sandbox fill | 12 in | 27 sq ft |
| Volleyball court | 12 to 18 in | 18 to 27 sq ft |
Use the right sand, this one actually matters
Sand is not one product, and picking the wrong type is a genuinely expensive mistake on a paver job.
- Concrete or bedding sand is coarse and angular. This is the correct sand under pavers. The sharp grains lock together and hold the pavers at a stable level.
- Mason sand is finer and softer. Good for mortar, horse arenas and volleyball courts. Too fine to bed pavers on.
- Play sand is washed and screened very fine, and it is the worst possible choice under pavers. It is round, it does not lock, and a patio bedded on it will rut and sink within a year.
- Fill sand is cheap bulk material for backfilling. Quality varies a lot yard to yard.
If you take one thing from this page: never bed pavers on play sand. It is sold in bags at the same stores, it looks cleaner, and it will cost you the whole patio.
Polymeric sand is a different thing
Bedding sand goes under the pavers. Polymeric sand goes in the joints between them after they are laid. It contains a binder that hardens when you mist it, locking the joints and resisting weeds and ants.
Do not substitute one for the other. Polymeric sand in a bedding layer would set into a rigid slab that cracks. Regular sand in the joints washes out with the first heavy rain.
Coverage for polymeric is roughly one 50 pound bag per 85 square feet for standard pavers with narrow joints, dropping to about 40 square feet per bag for wide joints or large format slabs.
Sandboxes
A sandbox is one of the few sand jobs that is genuinely deep, which makes the volume add up faster than people expect. A 5 by 5 foot box filled 12 inches deep is 25 cubic feet, just under a cubic yard, which is about 1,350 pounds.
In 50 pound bags at roughly half a cubic foot each, that is 50 bags. At $6 a bag you are at $300 for what would cost maybe $60 in bulk plus delivery. For anything past a small box, bulk is dramatically cheaper if you can get a delivery to drop near the site.
Use washed play sand for sandboxes specifically. It is screened for fine particles and rinsed, which matters when children are handling it daily.
Bags versus bulk
Sand bags are small, usually half a cubic foot at 50 pounds, so there are 54 bags in a cubic yard. At $5.50 a bag that is close to $300 a yard, against $40 or so in bulk. The crossover comes fast. If you need more than about a quarter of a yard, which is only 14 bags, it is worth pricing a bulk delivery.
Common questions
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
About 2,700 pounds dry, so roughly 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Wet or damp sand runs closer to 3,200 pounds per yard, which is a meaningful difference if you are buying by weight.
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
54 bags at the common 50 pound, half cubic foot size. At 1 cubic foot per bag it is 27 bags. Bagged sand costs several times bulk, so bulk wins for anything past about a quarter yard.
What kind of sand goes under pavers?
Coarse concrete sand, also sold as bedding sand or ASTM C33 sand. Its angular grains lock together and hold the pavers level. Never use play sand or mason sand under pavers, they are too fine and round, and the patio will settle unevenly.
How deep should sand be under pavers?
One inch, screeded flat and never compacted before laying. Thicker bedding lets pavers sink unevenly. The structural depth comes from the compacted gravel base underneath, which should be 4 inches for a patio and 8 inches for a driveway.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
Multiply length by width by depth in feet and divide by 27. A 5 by 5 foot box at 12 inches deep needs about 0.93 cubic yards, which is roughly 1,350 pounds or 50 bags at 50 pounds each. Use washed play sand.
These figures are planning estimates. Bulk material weight shifts with moisture and screen size, and suppliers round differently, so confirm the final quantity with your yard before you order.