Sand Calculator

How to use this calculator

Measure the length and width of the area you're covering and decide how deep the sand layer needs to be. Enter those three numbers and you'll get the weight in tons — how bulk sand is sold and delivered — plus cubic yards, cubic feet, and bags if you're buying by the bag. Doing a patio and a walkway at once? Add a row for each and they're totaled together.

Two optional fields. Density defaults to 1.35 tons per cubic yard, which suits dry sand; damp or compacted sand runs a little heavier. Bag size is optional and starts blank — type your bag's size in cubic feet to get a bag count (roughly 0.5 cu ft for a 50 lb bag), or leave it empty if you're buying in bulk.

The formula, explained

Like gravel, sand is a two-step calculation: find the volume, then convert it to weight, because volume is what fills your space but weight is what the supplier charges for.

Length (ft) × Width (ft) × (Depth in ÷ 12) = cubic feet
Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards
Cubic yards × density = tons

The 27 is because a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. For bags, divide the cubic feet by the bag's yield instead — a 50 lb bag of sand holds roughly 0.5 cubic feet.

Worked example: a 20 ft × 10 ft paver patio, 1 inch of bedding

1. Area: 20 × 10 = 200 square feet
2. Convert the depth: 1 ÷ 12 = 0.083 ft
3. Volume: 200 × 0.083 = 16.7 cubic feet
4. Cubic yards: 16.7 ÷ 27 = 0.62 cubic yards
5. Tons: 0.62 × 1.35 = 0.83 tons
6. Add 10% for screeding losses: about 0.92 tons, or 37 bags

Note the depth: one inch, not two or three. Bedding sand is a levelling course, and going deeper is one of the most common ways to end up with a patio that ruts and dips.

How deep should the sand layer be?

Sand depth is dictated by its job. For pavers it's a thin, precise levelling course; for a sandbox it's a play depth; for a pool base it's a cushion.

Use	Typical depth	Notes
Paver bedding	1 inch	Screeded, never compacted before laying
Paver joints	Filled to the surface	Use polymeric sand, not bedding sand
Above-ground pool base	1–2 inches	Levelled and lightly compacted
Artificial turf levelling	1–2 inches	Over a compacted stone base
Sandbox	6–12 inches	Play sand only
Pipe & utility bedding	4–6 inches	Coarse sand, all round the pipe

Our guide on how much sand you need for pavers covers screeding technique and joint filling in detail.

How much area does a ton of sand cover?

Handy when a supplier quotes by the ton. At 1.35 tons per cubic yard, one ton is about 20 cubic feet of loose sand:

Depth	Coverage per ton
1 inch	about 240 sq ft
2 inches	about 120 sq ft
3 inches	about 80 sq ft
6 inches	about 40 sq ft

Bedding sand by patio size

All figures at a 1-inch bedding depth, with no waste allowance — add about 10% for screeding losses.

Patio area	Cubic yards	Tons	50 lb bags
100 sq ft	0.31	0.42	17
200 sq ft	0.62	0.83	34
300 sq ft	0.93	1.25	50
400 sq ft	1.23	1.67	67
500 sq ft	1.54	2.08	84

How much sand for other common projects

Project	Size & depth	Cubic yards	Tons
Walkway bedding	3 × 20 ft @ 1 in	0.19	0.25
Sandbox	5 × 5 ft @ 6 in	0.46	0.62
Sandbox (large)	6 × 6 ft @ 8 in	0.89	1.20
Artificial turf base	200 sq ft @ 1.5 in	0.93	1.25
Pool base (15 ft round)	177 sq ft @ 2 in	1.09	1.48

Step by step: how to measure

1. Measure the finished surface area — the area the pavers or sand will actually cover, in two or three places.
2. Split odd shapes into rectangles and enter each as its own row rather than averaging them.
3. For a circular area such as a round pool, use π × radius². A 15 ft round pool is about 177 sq ft, so enter it as 15 × 11.8.
4. Use the target depth, not the excavation depth. For pavers that's 1 inch of bedding — the gravel base underneath is a separate calculation, which the gravel calculator handles.
5. Add your waste allowance last, once the total is known.

Choosing the right sand

Sand type matters more than quantity, and the wrong choice is the most expensive mistake on this page. The distinction that counts is angular vs. rounded. Coarse concrete sand has sharp, irregular grains that lock together under load. Play sand is washed and screened into fine, rounded grains that shift under weight and wash out of joints.

Type	What it is	Use it for
Concrete sand (ASTM C33)	Coarse, angular, well-graded	Paver bedding, mixing concrete
Mason sand	Finer, uniform grains	Mortar, some joint work
Play sand	Washed, screened, fine, rounded	Sandboxes only — never pavers
Polymeric sand	Fine sand with binding polymers	Paver joints — sets when wetted
Fill sand	Coarse, unwashed, cheap	Bulk fill and backfill

For paver bedding, ask for concrete sand or bedding sand and check it meets ASTM C33. If the yard offers you "paver sand," ask what it actually is — the name is used loosely and sometimes means polymeric jointing sand instead. Our comparison in the paver sand guide spells out the difference.

Why density matters

You order by weight, so moisture changes your bill. The same 0.62 cubic yard bedding layer takes:

Condition	Density	Tons needed
Dry sand	1.35 t/cu yd	0.83
Damp sand	1.45 t/cu yd	0.90
Wet or compacted	1.60 t/cu yd	0.99

Sand delivered after rain weighs noticeably more for the same volume. If your supplier quotes a density for the material as loaded, use it in the density field.

What will it cost?

• Bulk concrete / bedding sand: roughly $25–$40 per ton
• Delivery: $50–$150 locally, often with a minimum load
• 50 lb bag: roughly $4–$6
• Polymeric sand: roughly $25–$40 per 50 lb bag (covers far less — check the bag's chart)

Worked cost: bedding a 200 sq ft patio

That's 0.83 tons, or about 0.92 tons with 10% added — roughly 37 bags.

• Bulk: 0.92 × $25–$40 = $23–$37, plus $50–$150 delivery → roughly $73–$187
• Bags: 37 × $4–$6 = $148–$222

This is the one material where bags often make sense. Sand jobs are small by weight, delivery is a fixed cost, and many suppliers won't drop less than a full ton — so for a single patio you may be paying to deliver more sand than you need. Above roughly 2 tons, bulk wins clearly.

Common sand mistakes

• Using sand as the base. Sand is a levelling course, not a foundation. Load-bearing support comes from compacted gravel underneath — see the gravel base guide.
• Using play sand under pavers. The grains are rounded and fine, so they shift under load and wash out of joints. Use coarse concrete sand.
• Making the bedding layer too thick. One inch. More sand means more room for the pavers to rut and settle unevenly.
• Compacting the sand before laying pavers. Screed it, lay the pavers, then compact through the pavers. Compacting bare bedding sand defeats the point of screeding it flat.
• Filling joints with bedding sand. Regular sand washes out and lets weeds through. Joints need polymeric sand, which binds when wetted.
• Ordering exactly what you calculated. Screeding pushes a surprising amount of sand ahead of the board and off the edges. Add 10%.

Pro tips for a flat, lasting bed

• Use 1-inch conduit or pipe as screed rails. Lay them parallel on the compacted base, fill between them, and drag a straight 2×4 across — you get a consistent inch without guessing.
• Don't walk on screeded sand. A single footprint is a low spot you'll see in the finished surface. Work backwards out of the area.
• Compact through the pavers, with a mat. A protective pad on the plate compactor prevents chipping and scuffing.
• Fill joints with dry sand on a dry day. Polymeric sand needs to be swept into completely dry joints before you activate it with water — damp sand leaves a haze on the paver faces.
• Ask when the sand was loaded. Sand delivered straight after rain weighs more per cubic yard, so you get less volume for the same tonnage.

A note on accuracy

This calculator gives you a clean figure from your measurements and the density you choose. Real deliveries vary with moisture, how much you lose while screeding, and how level your base is, so treat the result as a close planning number and round up. Suppliers usually have a minimum load, so it's worth a quick call before you book.

Frequently asked questions

How much sand do I need for a 200 sq ft paver patio?

About 16.7 cubic feet for a 1-inch bedding layer — roughly 0.62 cubic yards, or 0.83 tons at dry sand density. Add about 10% for screeding losses, which brings it to roughly 0.92 tons, or about 37 bags of 50 lb sand.

How thick should bedding sand be under pavers?

One inch. It's a levelling course, not a base — the structural support comes from the compacted gravel underneath. Going thicker gives the pavers room to rut and settle unevenly, which is one of the most common causes of a wavy patio.

Can I use play sand under pavers?

No. Play sand is washed and screened into fine, rounded grains that shift under load and wash straight out of the joints. Paver bedding needs coarse, angular concrete sand meeting ASTM C33, where the sharp grains lock together.

How much area does a ton of sand cover?

At dry sand density, one ton is about 20 cubic feet. That covers roughly 240 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 120 sq ft at 2 inches, 80 sq ft at 3 inches, or 40 sq ft at 6 inches.

Should I buy sand in bulk or bags?

Sand is the one material where bags often win. Most sand jobs are under a ton, delivery is close to a fixed cost, and many suppliers have a one-ton minimum — so you can end up paying to deliver more than you need. Above roughly 2 tons, bulk is clearly cheaper.

What's the difference between bedding sand and polymeric sand?

Bedding sand is coarse concrete sand that goes underneath the pavers as a 1-inch levelling layer. Polymeric sand is a fine sand with binding polymers that goes into the joints between pavers and hardens when you wet it, locking the pavers together and keeping weeds out.

Should I compact the sand before laying pavers?

No. Screed the sand flat, lay the pavers on it, then run a plate compactor over the finished pavers with a protective mat. Compacting bare bedding sand undoes the flat surface you just screeded and makes the pavers harder to set level.

How much does sand cost?

Bulk concrete or bedding sand runs roughly $25–$40 per ton, plus $50–$150 delivery. Bagged sand is about $4–$6 per 50 lb bag. Polymeric jointing sand is much more, roughly $25–$40 a bag, and covers far less area. Prices vary by region.