How Much Sand Do I Need?
Cubic yards of sand = area in square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324. A cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons), so multiply the cubic yards by 1.35 to get tons. The table shows the weight for each option in the calculator. Suppliers quote their own tons per cubic yard, and sand type and moisture both move the number, so treat this as a planning figure and confirm it before you order.
| Sand | lb per cu yd | Typical lb per cu yd | Tons per cu yd | Typical tons per cu yd | Typical lb per cu ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry sand | 2,620 to 2,800 | 2,700 | 1.31 to 1.40 | 1.35 | 100 |
| Wet sand | 3,213 | 3,213 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 119 |
The dry range, 2,620 to 2,800 lb per cubic yard, spans three published figures: Engineering Toolbox lists dry sand at 97 lb per cubic foot, a 50 lb bag of play sand sold as 0.5 cubic foot works out to 100 lb per cubic foot (2,700 lb per cubic yard), and the Minnesota Stormwater Manual gives clean sand as 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Wet sand is a single published figure, 119 lb per cubic foot from Engineering Toolbox. The sources do not separate play, masonry, concrete and paver sand, so the calculator uses one range for all of them.
How to Calculate Sand
- Find the area. Multiply length × width in feet for a rectangle. For a circle, use 3.14 × radius × radius. For a triangle, multiply base × height and halve it. Add up several shapes if the area is irregular, or use the Area setting if you already know the square footage.
- Choose a depth in inches. Paver bedding, a sandbox and a volleyball court need very different depths. The depth buttons set the sourced figures for each, and you can type your own. In metric mode, enter centimeters.
- Convert to cubic yards. Area × depth ÷ 324. The 324 comes from 27 cubic feet in a yard times 12 inches in a foot. In cubic feet, the formula is area × depth ÷ 12.
- Convert to tons. Cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000. Dry sand at 2,700 lb per cubic yard is 1.35 tons per cubic yard.
The calculator above does all four steps and adds bags (50 lb, 0.5 cubic foot each) and an optional cost. If the numbers feel off, the Cubic Yard Calculator converts a supplier’s ticket weight back into yards.
Sand Coverage Chart
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, and the coverage falls in proportion as the depth grows. The table also shows what one US ton covers, for dry sand at the typical weight and for wet sand.
| Depth | Sq ft per cu yd | Sq ft per ton (dry) | Sq ft per ton (wet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 | 240 | 202 |
| 2 in | 162 | 120 | 101 |
| 4 in | 81 | 60 | 50 |
| 6 in | 54 | 40 | 34 |
| 9 in | 36 | 27 | 22 |
| 12 in | 27 | 20 | 17 |
| 16 in | 20 | 15 | 13 |
Need a quick order size for a thin layer? This table gives cubic yards and tons for common areas at 1, 2 and 4 inches deep, for dry sand at the typical weight.
| Area | 1 in deep | 2 in deep | 4 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.15 cu yd (0.21 tons) | 0.31 cu yd (0.42 tons) | 0.62 cu yd (0.83 tons) |
| 100 sq ft | 0.31 cu yd (0.42 tons) | 0.62 cu yd (0.83 tons) | 1.23 cu yd (1.67 tons) |
| 200 sq ft | 0.62 cu yd (0.83 tons) | 1.23 cu yd (1.67 tons) | 2.47 cu yd (3.33 tons) |
| 500 sq ft | 1.54 cu yd (2.08 tons) | 3.09 cu yd (4.17 tons) | 6.17 cu yd (8.33 tons) |
| 1,000 sq ft | 3.09 cu yd (4.17 tons) | 6.17 cu yd (8.33 tons) | 12.35 cu yd (16.67 tons) |
Bedding Sand Under Pavers
The sand under pavers is a thin leveling layer, not a fill. Two public specifications for interlocking concrete pavement agree on the thickness: the Iowa DOT’s special provision for PCC pavers (SP-150900) says to screed to a nominal 1 inch and not to exceed 1 1/2 inches, and the UC Pavement Research Center’s guide specification calls for a nominal 1 inch (25 mm) thickness. Both call for sand graded to ASTM C33, and the guide specification adds that bedding sand must not be used to fill depressions in the base. At 1 inch deep, every 100 square feet of patio needs about 0.31 cubic yards, or about 0.42 tons of dry sand. To count the pavers and size the base as well, use the Paver Calculator.
The stone base under the sand is a separate order. The Gravel Calculator has a compacted base option for it.
Sand for mortar in a block wall is a different calculation. The Concrete Block Calculator counts the blocks and mortar bags and gives the tons of masonry sand to mix with masonry cement.
Polymeric Sand Calculator
Polymeric sand is the jointing sand swept between pavers, and it is a different product from the bedding sand under them, so it is ordered in bags, not by the yard. Techniseal’s data sheets for RG+ and SMARTSAND say a 50 lb bag covers 60 to 120 sq ft with narrow joints or 25 to 40 sq ft with wide joints, depending on paver shape, size and joint width. Divide your paver area by those two figures to get a range of bags. The table does it for common patio sizes.
| Paver area | Bags, narrow joints (60 to 120 sq ft per bag) | Bags, wide joints (25 to 40 sq ft per bag) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 1 | 2 |
| 100 sq ft | 1 to 2 | 3 to 4 |
| 200 sq ft | 2 to 4 | 5 to 8 |
| 400 sq ft | 4 to 7 | 10 to 16 |
Techniseal gives joint widths from 1/16 inch to 1 inch, a minimum joint depth of 1.5 inches, and says to fill the joints to at least 1/8 inch below the top of the pavers (or to the bottom of the chamfer). Follow the label on the product you buy, since other brands publish their own coverage. The cubic yards and tons above are for bedding sand only.
Sandbox Sand and Play Areas
For a home play area, NDSU Extension (summarizing Consumer Product Safety Commission guidance) recommends an initial fill of 12 inches and a level kept at 9 inches or more, and it says protective surfacing should extend at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. A plain sandbox away from equipment has no published depth, so use the same 9 to 12 inches as a starting point. The table below gives the volume, weight and number of 50 lb play sand bags (0.5 cubic foot each) for square areas at both depths.
| Size | 9 in deep | 12 in deep |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 ft | 12 cu ft, 0.44 cu yd, 0.60 tons, 24 bags | 16 cu ft, 0.59 cu yd, 0.80 tons, 32 bags |
| 5 x 5 ft | 18.8 cu ft, 0.69 cu yd, 0.94 tons, 38 bags | 25 cu ft, 0.93 cu yd, 1.25 tons, 50 bags |
| 6 x 6 ft | 27 cu ft, 1.00 cu yd, 1.35 tons, 54 bags | 36 cu ft, 1.33 cu yd, 1.80 tons, 72 bags |
| 8 x 8 ft | 48 cu ft, 1.78 cu yd, 2.40 tons, 96 bags | 64 cu ft, 2.37 cu yd, 3.20 tons, 128 bags |
| 10 x 10 ft | 75 cu ft, 2.78 cu yd, 3.75 tons, 150 bags | 100 cu ft, 3.70 cu yd, 5.00 tons, 200 bags |
Sand for a volleyball court uses the same math at a much greater depth. The FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rules (2009 to 2012) require sand at least 40 cm (about 16 inches) deep for World Competitions, and the Beach volleyball button sets that depth. A backyard court can be shallower, so treat 16 inches as the competition figure and not as a requirement for yours.
Dry Sand vs Wet Sand
Moisture changes the weight but not the volume. Engineering Toolbox lists dry sand at 97 lb per cubic foot and wet sand at 119, so by those two figures a load that has been rained on weighs about 23 percent more than the same yards of dry sand, and the Minnesota Stormwater Manual notes that sand weights vary with moisture. Bagged sand is sold dry, so the bag count does not change. If you buy by the ton from an outdoor pile, choose Wet sand in the calculator, because a ton of wet sand is fewer cubic yards than a ton of dry sand.
Worked Example
Say you are laying a 10 × 10 ft paver patio with a 1 inch bedding layer.
- Area: 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft.
- Cubic feet: 100 × (1 ÷ 12) = 8.33 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 8.33 ÷ 27 = 0.31 cubic yards (or 100 × 1 ÷ 324).
- Tons: 0.31 × 2,700 ÷ 2,000 = 0.42 US tons. The dry range is 0.40 to 0.43 tons.
- Bags: 8.33 ÷ 0.5 = 17 bags of 50 lb each, about 850 lb.
So you would buy 17 bags, or ask a supplier for a quarter to a half cubic yard in bulk. If the same yard gets a 4 × 4 ft sandbox at 12 inches deep, that is 16 cubic feet, 0.59 cubic yards, about 0.80 tons of dry sand, or 32 bags. For beds next to the patio, the Topsoil Calculator works out the fill.
Common Mistakes
- Using bedding sand to level the base. The UC guide specification says not to use bedding sand to fill depressions in the base. A deep sand layer settles unevenly under pavers, so fix the base first and keep the sand near 1 inch.
- Screeding the bedding layer too thick. The Iowa DOT provision limits it to 1 1/2 inches. Entering 4 inches because the patio will see traffic orders four times the sand you need.
- Mixing up depth units. Depth is in inches for the 324 formula. Entering 0.25 for a 3 inch layer under-orders by a factor of 12.
- Ordering in yards and paying in tons. Check which unit the supplier quotes. A cubic yard of dry sand is about 1.35 tons, so a 10-ton order is roughly 7.4 yards, not 10.
- Forgetting a sandbox loses depth. Sand packs down and gets carried out on shoes, and NDSU Extension says to keep a home play area at 9 inches or more, so budget for a top-up each season.
- Using saturated sand for paving. The UC guide specification says not to install frozen or saturated sand. Let a rained-on pile drain before you screed it.
Sand Calculator FAQ
How many cubic yards of sand do I need for an area?
Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in inches and divide by 324. A 10 by 10 ft area (100 sq ft) at 1 inch deep is 100 x 1 / 324 = 0.31 cubic yards. Multiply by about 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry sand and you get 0.42 tons. The calculator above does this and shows a range, because suppliers quote their own weight per yard.
How many yards are in a ton of sand?
About 0.74 cubic yards of dry sand make a ton, at 2,700 lb per cubic yard. The dry range is about 0.71 to 0.76 cubic yards per ton, from 2,800 down to 2,620 lb per cubic yard. Wet sand is heavier, so a ton of it fills only about 0.62 cubic yards.
How do I use a paver sand calculator?
Enter the patio or walkway area, tap the Paver bedding button to set a 1 inch depth, and read the cubic yards, tons and bags. Two public paver specifications, one from the Iowa DOT and one from the UC Pavement Research Center, both screed bedding sand to a nominal 1 inch, and the Iowa DOT sets a limit of 1 1/2 inches. Use the Extra percentage if you want an allowance for spillage, and confirm the sand grade with your paver supplier.
Can I use this as a play sand calculator?
Yes. Play sand is sold in 50 lb bags of about 0.5 cubic foot, so the bag count shown is the number of those bags. Enter the sandbox size, tap Play area for a 12 inch fill or Play area minimum for 9 inches, and the tool returns cubic yards, tons and bags. For a 4 by 4 ft sandbox at 12 inches deep that is 16 cubic feet, or 32 bags.
How many bags of sand do I need?
Divide the cubic feet you need by the bag size and round up. A 50 lb bag of play sand is sold as 0.5 cubic foot, so 10 cubic feet needs 20 bags. Bags cost more per ton than bulk, so for anything over about a cubic yard (54 bags) ask a supplier for a bulk quote.
Does wet sand weigh more than dry sand?
Yes. Engineering Toolbox lists dry sand at 97 lb per cubic foot and wet sand at 119, which is about 2,620 and 3,210 lb per cubic yard, or roughly 23 percent more when wet. A cubic yard of dry sand is about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons). Sand stored outdoors takes up rain, so choose Wet sand when your stockpile has been rained on.
How deep should sand be in a sandbox or play area?
NDSU Extension, summarizing the CPSC loose-fill guidance, says a home playground should start with a 12 inch fill and be kept at 9 inches or more. Sand packs down with use, so plan to top it up each season. Pick the depth that matches your equipment and local rules, and check any requirements that apply to a daycare or public site.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
A cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons), with a dry range of 2,620 to 2,800 lb. Wet sand weighs about 3,213 lb per cubic yard. Divide the cubic yards by the weight, or use the tons the calculator shows, and confirm the figure with your supplier because it varies by sand type and moisture.
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet and a bag of play sand is sold as 0.5 cubic foot, so 27 / 0.5 = 54 bags. By weight, 2,700 lb / 50 lb is also 54 bags.
How much will a 50 lb bag of sand cover?
A 50 lb bag is sold as 0.5 cubic foot, so it covers about 6.0 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 3.0 sq ft at 2 inches and 1.5 sq ft at 4 inches. Joint sand for pavers is a different product with its own coverage: see the polymeric sand section.
How much joint sand do I need for pavers?
Techniseal states that a 50 lb bag of its polymeric sand covers 60 to 120 sq ft with narrow joints or 25 to 40 sq ft with wide joints, so divide the paver area by those figures for a range of bags. A 200 sq ft patio with narrow joints takes about 2 to 4 bags. Joint width, paver size and depth change the answer, so buy the bags your product label recommends.
Should I order extra sand?
A little extra is common, because sand settles, spills and spreads thinner over uneven ground. Use the Extra percentage under Optional: price and extra to add your own allowance. It is left at 0 so that the default figure is the plain volume. For pavers, keep the bedding layer near 1 inch rather than adding sand to fix an uneven base.
Sources & further reading
Polymeric sand coverage per 50 lb bag is from the Techniseal RG+ data sheet and the SMARTSAND installation guide. The dry and wet sand densities (97 and 119 lb per cubic foot) are from the Engineering Toolbox page Dirt and Mud: Densities. The clean sand figure of 1.4 tons per cubic yard is from the Minnesota Stormwater Manual page Material conversions for winter parking lot and sidewalk maintenance. The 50 lb bag at 0.5 cubic foot is the size retailers list for QUIKRETE Play Sand. Paver bedding depth comes from the Iowa DOT’s Special Provisions for PCC Pavers (SP-150900) and the UC Pavement Research Center’s Interlocking Concrete Pavement Guide Specification. Play area depths are from NDSU Extension’s Is Your Playground Safe for Kids? (FN1374), and the volleyball court depth is from the FIVB’s Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2009 to 2012. For how we source and check the numbers on every calculator, see our methodology page, and for the full topic see the complete guide to lawn and landscaping.
