Sand Calculator
Find out how many cubic yards — and tons — of sand you need for paver bedding, a sandbox, or a leveling job.
Area dimensions
Results
For a 12 ft × 12 ft area at 1 in deep, you'll need about 0.44 cubic yards of sand — roughly 0.6 tons at your chosen density.
Sand needed
0.44 cubic yards
That's a mid-size amount — typical for bedding sand under a patio or a larger leveling job.
This is usually one bulk delivery. Tell your supplier what the sand is for — bedding sand under pavers should be a washed concrete/bedding sand, not fine mason or play sand, which holds water and shifts under load.
Weight: 0.6 tons
Area covered: 144 sq ft
How this works
The calculator multiplies your area's length by its width, then by the sand depth you choose, to get the volume in cubic yards — the unit landscape yards sell by — and converts that volume to US tons using an adjustable density figure defaulting to 1.35 tons per cubic yard, within the 1.3–1.5 range aggregate suppliers publish for construction and mason sand. Density here is almost entirely a moisture story: the same cubic yard of sand weighs meaningfully more wet than dry, which is why the tool shows both volume (what your project geometrically needs) and weight (what a supplier's truck scale charges you for), and lets you tune the density toward dry or saturated. The default 1 inch depth reflects the tool's most common use — bedding sand under pavers, where the ICPI specification calls for about 1 inch screeded flat and explicitly no more; sandbox fills, leveling passes, and other uses simply enter their own depth. The model assumes a rectangular area at uniform depth: for L-shapes, run it per rectangle and add the results, and for jobs where sand is a fraction of a blend or governed by a mix ratio, see the edge cases above. The unit toggle switches all inputs and results between imperial and metric; internally every calculation runs in canonical units, so toggling never introduces rounding drift Sand density (1.3–1.5 tons per cubic yard): Braen Stone technical guidance.
Worked example
Bedding sand for a 12 ft × 12 ft paver patio at the specified 1 inch depth: the area is 144 sq ft, and 1 inch is 1/12 of a foot, so the volume is 144 × 1/12 = 12 cubic feet — about 0.44 cubic yards. At the default damp-sand density of 1.35 tons per cubic yard, that's 0.44 × 1.35 ≈ 0.6 tons, or about 24 of the standard 50 lb bags. This is the classic borderline order: small enough that bags are workable, large enough that a half-yard bulk pickup from a landscape yard is usually cheaper — price both.
A second example: filling a sandbox
A 6 ft × 6 ft sandbox filled 6 inches deep with play sand: 36 sq ft × 0.5 ft = 18 cubic feet, about 0.67 cubic yards — roughly 0.9 tons at the default density, or 36 bags at 50 lb (½ cu ft) each. Note how differently the two examples use the same math: the patio spread a thin 1 inch layer over a large area, the sandbox fills a small area deep. Depth drives sand volume just as hard as area does, which is why 'a couple bags should do it' fails for sandboxes — they hold far more sand than they look like they should.
Common mistakes
Making the paver bedding layer thicker 'to be safe'
With bedding sand, more is worse. The ICPI specification is about 1 inch, screeded flat — enough for pavers to seat into, thin enough that it can't shift as a layer. Doubling it to 2–3 inches feels generous but produces a patio that ruts under wheelbarrow lines and furniture within a season. If your excavation ended up deep, make up the difference in compacted gravel, never in extra sand.
Ordering the wrong sand type for the job
Each sand product exists for a reason: sharp washed concrete sand locks together for bedding; fine mason sand suits mortar and smooth top layers; washed play sand is safe for sandboxes; polymeric sand binds paver joints. Substituting on price backfires — play sand under pavers shifts like ball bearings, and unwashed fill sand in a sandbox brings dust and debris. Name the use to your supplier, not just 'sand'.
Forgetting that moisture changes the weight, not the volume you need
Your project needs a fixed volume — the area times depth this calculator computes. Moisture changes how much that volume weighs, which matters when the supplier charges by the ton: a per-ton order placed after a wet week delivers noticeably less volume than the same tonnage dry. When rain is in the picture, order by the cubic yard if the yard offers it, or pad a ton-based order using the density field.
Compacting the bedding sand before laying pavers
The gravel base gets compacted; the bedding sand does not. It's screeded loose and flat, pavers are laid directly on it, and the whole surface is compacted once from above (through the pavers) at the end. Pre-compacting the sand defeats the seating function and produces lippage between neighboring pavers. This trips up people who reasonably assume every layer gets the plate compactor.
Skipping edge containment and losing the layer
Sand only stays where gravity and containment hold it. An open patio edge, a sandbox without a rim board, or a leveling layer feathered out to nothing all shed sand steadily with rain and use. Plan the containment — edge restraints, rim boards, or a hard border — as part of the same order; it's the difference between a layer that lasts and one you're topping up every spring.
Using sand as structural fill under slabs and foundations casually
Sand can be an engineered fill in controlled, compacted, confined conditions — but as a casual DIY base under a shed slab or above a trench, loose sand keeps consolidating and washing, and the structure above settles. Residential base work belongs to compacted crushed gravel, whose angular fragments lock together. Reserve sand for bedding, jointing, sandboxes, and blended leveling.
When this calculator's model stops applying
- Sand for mixing concrete or mortar: mix quantities are governed by the mix ratio (e.g., 1:2:3 cement:sand:stone by volume), not by area × depth. Work from the mix design and the finished concrete volume — the Concrete Calculator's territory — not this surface-layer model.
- Volleyball courts and deep athletic sand: regulation courts use 12+ inches of specific double-washed dune or river sand with tight gradation specs. The volume math holds, but the product spec dominates the order — source it as an athletic-sand product, not generic construction sand.
- Sand for winter traction or de-icing blends: quantity is driven by application rate per event and storage, not a one-time filled volume — a different estimating problem entirely.
- Very fine leveling passes (under about a half inch): at skim depths, spreading and screeding technique determines how much you actually use far more than geometry does; expect real usage above the geometric figure.
- Sand blended into soil (rain gardens, turf topdressing mixes): when sand is a percentage of a blend, calculate the blend volume first, then take sand as its specified fraction — entering the whole area and depth here would order the full volume in pure sand.
- Bulk-bag (super-sack) purchases: suppliers sell 1-ton or 1-cubic-yard woven bulk bags whose nominal fill varies by product and moisture; confirm the bag's rated weight versus volume with the supplier rather than assuming a yard per bag.
- Dune, beach, or erosion-control sand placement: coastal and erosion work is permitted and engineered — quantities come from survey cross-sections, and in most jurisdictions taking or placing beach sand is regulated.
- Foundry, filter, or pool-filter sand: these are graded industrial products bought by spec sheet and weight; their bulk densities differ enough from construction sand that this calculator's density range shouldn't be assumed.
FAQ
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
Roughly 1.3 to 1.5 US tons (2,600–3,000 lb), per aggregate-supplier technical data such as Braen Stone's. The spread is mostly moisture: dry loose sand sits near the bottom of the range, damp delivered sand around 1.35 tons, and wet compacted sand at the top. This calculator defaults to 1.35 tons per cubic yard and lets you adjust it, since bulk sand is quoted by the ton at some yards and by the cubic yard at others.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
About 1 inch of screeded bedding sand — that's the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute specification echoed by paver manufacturers, and deliberately not more. The bedding layer's job is to let pavers seat evenly; it is not structural. A thicker sand bed shifts and ruts under load, which is the classic cause of wavy paver patios. The structure comes from the 4–6 inches of compacted gravel underneath, which is a separate calculation.
What kind of sand should I use for paver bedding?
Washed concrete sand (often sold as bedding sand, ASTM C33 gradation) — sharp, angular grains in mixed sizes that lock together when screeded and compacted. Not mason sand, which is finer and holds water; and never play sand, whose rounded uniform grains behave like ball bearings under a paver field. Jointing between pavers is a third product again (polymeric or joint sand), bought separately in bags.
How much sand does a sandbox need?
Measure the box's interior and decide a fill depth — 6 to 8 inches is a comfortable digging depth for most children's sandboxes, filled a few inches below the rim so sand stays in the box. A typical 5 ft × 5 ft sandbox at 6 inches deep needs 12.5 cubic feet, roughly 25 of the standard 50 lb play-sand bags. Buy washed play sand specifically for this use — it's screened and washed for dust and contaminants in a way construction sand isn't.
Should I buy sand in bags or in bulk?
The crossover comes early because sand is heavy and cheap in bulk. A 50 lb bag holds only about half a cubic foot, so a single cubic yard equals roughly 54 bags — a mid-size sandbox already justifies comparing prices. Under a quarter yard, bags win on convenience; beyond half a yard, a bulk delivery or a pickup-truck load from a landscape yard almost always costs less per ton, even after delivery fees.
Why do suppliers sell sand by the ton and this calculator shows both?
Volume is what your project geometrically needs (area × depth), but a loaded truck is weighed, not measured — so bulk yards price by the ton. The calculator computes volume first and converts to tons through the density figure, showing both so you can order in whichever unit your supplier quotes. If your quote is per ton after heavy rain, note that wetter sand means fewer cubic yards per ton delivered.
How much area does a ton of sand cover?
At the default 1.35 tons per cubic yard, one ton is about 0.74 cubic yards, or 20 cubic feet. Spread at a 1 inch paver-bedding depth, that covers roughly 240 sq ft; at 2 inches, about 120 sq ft; at a 6 inch sandbox depth, about 40 sq ft. You can verify any of these by entering the area and depth in the calculator — coverage per ton is just the same volume math run in reverse.
Can I use sand alone as a base for a patio or shed?
No — this is the most consequential misuse of sand in landscaping. Sand doesn't interlock; under repeated load it migrates sideways, washes through joints, and lets the surface above settle unevenly. Structural bases are compacted crushed gravel, with sand only as the thin final bedding layer where pavers need seating. If you're planning a base build-up, size the gravel layer with the Gravel Calculator and keep the sand at 1 inch.
What's the difference between construction sand, mason sand, and play sand?
They differ by gradation and processing, and they're not interchangeable. Concrete/construction sand is coarse and sharp — bedding and concrete work. Mason sand is finer and more uniform — mortar, and smooth-surface uses like volleyball courts. Play sand is washed, screened, and dust-controlled for children's use. Polymeric jointing sand adds binders that harden in paver joints. Ordering 'sand' without the qualifier is how the wrong truckload arrives.
Can I level ground with sand before laying sod or seed?
Sparingly. Pure sand under turf drains fast and holds few nutrients, so deep sand pockets create dry spots in a lawn. Golf-green-style topdressing uses sand blended with soil or compost, and typical lawn-leveling practice mixes sand into topsoil rather than spreading sand alone beyond about a half inch. For lawn leveling by volume, run your numbers in the Topsoil Calculator with a sand-blend product instead.
Does sand settle or compact after spreading like soil does?
Much less than topsoil — sand has little organic matter to decompose, so a screeded sand layer roughly keeps its volume. What it does do is migrate: wash out of open edges, sift into gravel voids below (which a layer of geotextile or a well-choked gravel surface prevents), and rut under point loads. Contain it with edging and it stays put; that's a containment problem, not a quantity problem.
Can I switch between imperial and metric partway through?
Yes — the unit toggle converts every field you've already entered, so you won't lose your measurements. Internally the tool always computes from the same canonical values regardless of which unit is displayed, so switching back and forth doesn't introduce any rounding error into the result.