Material calculator
Sand calculator
Enter the area you are covering and how deep the sand goes, pick the sand type, and get the volume in cubic yards, the delivered weight in tons, the bag count and a cost estimate.
Your project
Type changes the density, which changes tons per cubic yard.
Paver bedding is exactly 1". Sandboxes and volleyball courts are 12" or more.
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Delivered bulk sand typically runs $20-$55 per ton.
Sand needed
2.1
US tons of concrete / bedding sand (coarse) · includes 5% waste
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 1.56 cu yd
- Volume (cubic feet)
- 42 cu ft
- Total weight
- 4,200 lb
- 50 lb bags
- 84 bags
- Density used
- 100 lb per cu ft
- Estimated bulk cost
- $67
Bagged sand only makes sense under about half a cubic yard — roughly 27 bags. Past that, bulk delivery is cheaper per ton even after the haul fee.
How to calculate how much sand you need
Sand quantity is volume first, weight second. Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 100 sq ft patio with a 1 inch bedding layer needs 8.33 cubic feet, or 0.31 cubic yards.
Suppliers sell by the ton, so the volume has to be converted with a density. Damp concrete sand weighs roughly 100 lb per cubic foot, which works out to about 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Fine masonry sand is slightly lighter, play sand lighter still.
Add a waste allowance. Sand settles into the subgrade, blows off the truck bed and gets lost in screed passes — 5% is standard on a clean base and 10% over anything rutted or soft.
Choosing the right sand
Concrete or bedding sand is coarse and angular, which is why it locks up under pavers and does not migrate. Never substitute fine masonry or play sand under pavers — it holds water and the surface will rut within a season.
Masonry sand is screened fine for mortar joints. Play sand is washed and screened for safety, not for structure. Fill sand is the cheapest option and is fine for backfill, pipe bedding and raising grade.
Polymeric sand goes in the joints only, after the pavers are laid. One 50 lb bag covers roughly 75 sq ft of narrow joints, far less on wide or irregular flagstone joints.
Sand density and coverage
Tons per cubic yard at typical delivered moisture content.
| Sand type | lb / cu ft | Tons / cu yd | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete / bedding sand (coarse) | 100 | 1.35 | under pavers, in concrete mixes |
| Masonry sand (fine) | 95 | 1.28 | mortar, brick and block work |
| Play sand (washed, screened) | 95 | 1.28 | sandboxes and play areas |
| Fill sand | 100 | 1.35 | backfill, grading and pipe bedding |
| Beach / volleyball sand | 90 | 1.22 | volleyball courts and beach areas |
| Polymeric joint sand | 105 | 1.42 | paver joints |
Sand needed per 100 square feet
Using concrete sand at 100 lb per cubic foot, before waste.
| Depth | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Tons | 50 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5" | 4.2 | 0.15 | 0.21 | 9 |
| 1" | 8.3 | 0.31 | 0.42 | 17 |
| 2" | 16.7 | 0.62 | 0.83 | 34 |
| 3" | 25 | 0.93 | 1.25 | 50 |
| 4" | 33.3 | 1.23 | 1.67 | 67 |
| 6" | 50 | 1.85 | 2.5 | 100 |
| 12" | 100 | 3.7 | 5 | 200 |
Frequently asked questions
+How many tons of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 1.35 tons for damp concrete or fill sand at 100 lb per cubic foot. Fine masonry and play sand come in closer to 1.25-1.3 tons per cubic yard, and dry sand is lighter than wet by up to 15%.
+How much area does a ton of sand cover?
A ton of concrete sand is about 20 cubic feet, so it covers roughly 240 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 120 sq ft at 2 inches, 80 sq ft at 3 inches and 20 sq ft at 12 inches.
+How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags. Each 50 lb bag of sand holds roughly half a cubic foot, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Bulk delivery is almost always cheaper past about 25 bags.
+How deep should sand be under pavers?
Exactly 1 inch of screeded bedding sand over compacted base — never more. Thicker bedding sand cannot be compacted to the same density as the base beneath it, which is the most common cause of paver rutting and settlement.
+How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
Multiply the sandbox area by the fill depth. A 4 ft x 4 ft box filled 12 inches deep needs 16 cubic feet — about 0.6 cubic yards, 1,520 lb, or 31 bags of 50 lb play sand.
+How much does sand cost?
Bulk delivered sand runs $20 – $55 per ton depending on type, distance from the pit and load size. Bagged sand works out to roughly $100-$180 per ton equivalent, which is why bulk wins on anything larger than a small repair.