Sand Calculator
Sand is ordered by volume and paid for by weight, so this calculator gives you both: cubic yards for bulk orders, tons for the truck, and bags for small jobs. Runs 100% in your browser.
Sand Calculator
About this sand calculator
Sand math is three steps: cubic feet = length × width × depth in feet, cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27, tons = cubic yards × 1.35 (dry sand runs about 2,700 lb per cubic yard). A 10×10 ft area at 1 inch deep is 8.33 cu ft = 0.31 cu yd, 0.42 tons, and with 10% waste that is 19 bags of 50 lb sand. Our sand guide covers paver bases, sandboxes, and leveling with a depth table.
The waste allowance is doing real work here, not padding: loose sand compacts under a plate compactor and settles after rain, so a paver base spread at 1.2 inches loose finishes at about 1 inch compacted — a 20% allowance for paver bases is standard practice, not generosity. Sandboxes and leveling layers lose less, so 10% is enough there.
Bagged vs bulk flips at about a cubic yard: a 50 lb bag is roughly 0.5 cu ft, so a cubic yard (27 cu ft) is about 54 bags. If your job needs more than about 20 bags, a bulk delivery by the cubic yard is almost always cheaper and far less hauling — and a standard pickup truck safely carries about 1 cubic yard of sand.
How to use
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet.
- Enter the depth in inches — 1 inch for a paver bedding layer, 6–12 inches for a sandbox, 1/4–1/2 inch per pass for lawn leveling.
- Pick a waste/compaction allowance — 20% for paver bases, 10% for most other jobs.
- Choose a bag size if you are buying bagged sand, or read the cubic yards and tons for a bulk order.
- Press Calculate for volume, weight, and bag count.
Good to know
- Rectangular areas only. For round areas (a circular sandbox or fire pit base), use area = 3.14 × radius² and enter a rectangle of the same area, or split irregular areas into rectangles and add them.
- Weight assumes dry sand at about 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Wet sand weighs 20–30% more per yard, so a truck load of wet sand can exceed a pickup's payload even at 1 cubic yard.
- This estimates quantity only — it does not pick the sand type. Paver bases need concrete/sharp sand, sandboxes need washed play sand, and mortar needs masonry sand.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need for a 10x10 area at 1 inch deep?
10 × 10 ft at 1 inch is 8.33 cu ft = 0.31 cubic yards = 0.42 tons. With 10% waste, order 0.34 cubic yards, or 19 bags of 50 lb sand.
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags of 50 lb sand per cubic yard (27 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft per bag). For more than about 20 bags, bulk delivery by the cubic yard is usually cheaper.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
A 4×4 ft sandbox at 8 inches deep needs about 10.67 cu ft = 0.40 cubic yards, or about 22 bags of 50 lb play sand. Use washed play sand, 6–12 inches deep.
How deep should sand be under pavers?
Spread about 1.2 inches loose so it compacts to 1 inch finished, per ICPI guidance, and allow 15–25% extra for compaction. Use concrete or sharp sand, not play or masonry sand.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
About 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) dry. Wet sand weighs 20–30% more, so check your truck's payload before hauling a full yard.