Sand Calculator
Tons & cubic yards of sand for any project
Setting pavers, filling a sandbox or levelling a base? Enter your dimensions to get the sand needed in cubic yards, tons and 50 lb bags. Below: coverage charts, the bag conversions, sandbox volumes, and why the four kinds of sand on the shelf are not interchangeable.
How much sand do I need?
Sand volume is area × depth, converted at 27 ft³ per cubic yard. The calculator adds 10% by default, because some sand always works down into the base beneath it.
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons | 50 lb bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½ in | 0.17 yd³ | 0.23 | 10 | Levelling dusting |
| 1 in | 0.34 yd³ | 0.46 | 19 | Paver bedding layer |
| 2 in | 0.68 yd³ | 0.92 | 37 | Above-ground pool base |
| 3 in | 1.02 yd³ | 1.38 | 55 | Levelling course |
| 4 in | 1.36 yd³ | 1.83 | 74 | Deeper fill |
The printable material coverage chart carries this table with the equivalents for gravel, topsoil and mulch, which is useful when a paver or pool base needs more than one material.
Bags of sand per cubic yard
Sand coverage per bag is the other half of the question, so both are below.
A standard 50 lb bag of sand holds about 0.5 ft³, which makes the conversions clean:
| Quantity | Equals |
|---|---|
| One 50 lb bag | 0.5 ft³, covers 6 ft² at 1 inch |
| 1 cubic yard | 54 × 50 lb bags, 2,700 lb, 1.35 tons |
| ½ cubic yard | 27 bags, 1,350 lb |
| 1 ton | 0.74 yd³, 40 bags |
| 1 cubic yard at 1 in deep | covers 324 ft² |
| Moving 1 cubic yard | 14 to 18 wheelbarrow loads |
54 bags to the yard is the number that decides bags versus bulk. At $4 to $7 a bag that is $216 to $378 per cubic yard, against roughly $30 to $60 for bulk sand plus delivery. Bags only make sense below about 15 of them — a quarter yard — or where a truck genuinely cannot reach.
Which sand for which job
The four bags on the shelf look similar and behave completely differently. Using the wrong one is the most common and most expensive mistake on this page.
| Sand | Grain | Use it for | Never use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete / bedding sand | Coarse, sharp | Paver bedding, concrete mix | Sandboxes |
| Polymeric sand | Fine + binder | Paver joints only | The bedding layer |
| Play sand | Fine, rounded, washed | Sandboxes | Under pavers |
| Mason sand | Fine, uniform | Mortar, grout | Load-bearing bedding |
| All-purpose sand | Mixed | Filling, traction, weight | Anything structural |
The critical distinction is angular versus rounded. Coarse concrete sand has sharp grains that lock together under load, which is why pavers sit on it. Play sand is washed and rounded specifically so it is soft for children — the same property means it never locks and will rut under a patio within a season. They are not substitutes in either direction.
Paver bedding sand: exactly one inch
Used as a paver sand calculator, set the depth to 1 inch and leave it there. This is a levelling course, not a structural one, and thicker is actively worse: 2 or 3 inches of sand will rut and wave under load no matter how good the compacted stone base beneath it. Screed it flat and do not compact it before laying — the pavers do that as they bed in.
A 12 × 16 ft patio at 1 inch needs about 0.65 cubic yards, 0.88 tons, or 36 bags. The stone base underneath is a separate and much larger order; run it through the paver base calculator.
Joint sand is a different product again. Sweep polymeric sand into the gaps after laying and mist it to set, which locks the field together and keeps weeds and ants out. Putting polymeric sand under pavers instead of in the joints is a genuinely bad outcome.
Sandboxes and pool bases
| Sandbox | Area | Cubic yards | 50 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 ft | 16 ft² | 0.43 yd³ | 24 |
| 5 × 5 ft | 25 ft² | 0.68 yd³ | 37 |
| 6 × 6 ft | 36 ft² | 0.98 yd³ | 53 |
| 8 × 8 ft | 64 ft² | 1.74 yd³ | 94 |
Use washed play sand and nothing else — it is screened for sharp fragments and washed to remove dust. Fill 8 to 12 inches deep so children can actually dig, and cover the box when not in use, because an uncovered sandbox is a litter tray to every cat in the neighbourhood.
For an above-ground pool, a 2-inch levelling bed of sand over compacted, level ground is typical, though many manufacturers now prefer a foam pad or sand held inside a frame so it cannot wash out from under the liner. Check what your pool's instructions require before ordering.
Ordering and handling
- Sand is heavy. A cubic yard is 2,700 lb dry, which exceeds the payload of most pickups. Half a yard is a sensible self-haul limit.
- Wet sand weighs more and does not shrink in volume, so tonnage after rain can run 10 to 20% above the dry figure while the yardage stays the same.
- Cover the pile. Uncovered sand takes on water, grows weeds and gets contaminated fast.
- Order by volume, not weight, where you can. Yardage is the stable number; tonnage moves with moisture.
How this sand calculator works out its numbers
Volume is area × depth at 27 ft³ per cubic yard, with 10% added by default for the sand that migrates into the base below. Bag counts assume a 50 lb bag yielding 0.5 ft³.
- Density is 100 lb/ft³, giving 1.35 tons per cubic yard and 54 bags to the yard. Dry sand ranges 90 to 110 lb/ft³ by type and grain size; saturated sand can reach 120 to 130 without gaining volume, so tonnage moves with moisture while yardage does not.
- The 1 inch paver bedding depth is deliberate, not a default to adjust. Thicker bedding sand is a defect rather than an option, so the figure is not meant to scale for that use.
- Sandbox figures use 8 inches of fill and the same 10% overage.
- Sand types are not interchangeable. Bedding sand is angular and locks; play sand is rounded and does not. The comparison table reflects common trade practice.
- Prices are US planning ranges gathered September 2026.
Reviewed September 2026.
Figures reviewed . Every worked example on this page is checked against the calculator above.
Sand Calculator: frequently asked questions
How many 50 lb bags of sand equal 1 cubic yard?
54 bags. A 50 lb bag holds about 0.5 ft³ and a cubic yard is 27 ft³. Half a yard is 27 bags. At $4 to $7 a bag that is $216 to $378 per yard, against $30 to $60 for bulk.
How much will a 50 lb bag of sand cover?
About 6 ft² at 1 inch deep, 3 ft² at 2 inches, or 12 ft² spread half an inch thick. One bag is roughly half a cubic foot.
How many tons of sand in a cubic yard?
About 1.35 tons dry, at roughly 100 lb per cubic foot. Wet sand is heavier, closer to 1.5 tons, without occupying any more space.
How thick should paver sand be?
Exactly 1 inch, screeded flat over compacted gravel and not compacted before laying. Thicker bedding sand ruts and waves under load, which is one of the most common causes of a failed paver patio.
What's the difference between paver sand and polymeric sand?
Bedding or paver sand is the coarse 1 inch levelling layer the pavers sit on. Polymeric sand is a fine sand with a binder that you sweep into the joints afterwards and mist so it sets hard, locking the field and blocking weeds and ants.
Can I use play sand under pavers?
No. Play sand is washed and rounded so it is soft for children, which means the grains never lock together. Under load it ruts within a season. Use coarse concrete or bedding sand, which is angular and compacts.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
A 4 × 4 ft sandbox filled 8 inches deep takes about 0.43 cubic yards, or 24 fifty-pound bags. A 6 × 6 ft box takes about 53 bags. Use washed play sand and fill 8 to 12 inches so children can dig.
How many wheelbarrows is a yard of sand?
14 to 18 loads depending on barrow size, and at 2,700 lb a yard that is real work. It is also more than most pickup trucks can legally carry, so bulk sand is usually delivered.