Sand Calculator
Cubic yards, tons or bags of sand for paver bedding, pool bases, sandboxes and fill.
This sand calculator converts an area and depth into the cubic yards, tons or bags of sand you need — for a paver base, a pool or trampoline pad, a sandbox, or pipe bedding in a trench.
Bagged sand comes in 0.5 cubic foot bags (about 50 lb). For paver joint sand and polymeric sand specifically, use the paver sand calculator, which uses joint-based coverage rates.
How much sand for a paver base?
A screeded bedding-sand layer under pavers is 1 inch thick — no more, or the pavers rut. One cubic yard of sand covers about 320 square feet at 1 inch deep. A 10 ft × 12 ft patio needs roughly 0.37 cubic yards, about 20 bags, for the bedding layer alone.
That bedding layer sits on 4 to 6 inches of compacted road base or crushed stone, not on bare soil. The sand levels the pavers; the stone carries the load.
Pool and sandbox depths
Above-ground pools take a 2-inch levelled sand base — about one cubic yard per 160 square feet. A backyard sandbox is usually filled 6 to 12 inches deep with washed play sand. For a 5 ft × 5 ft box at 10 inches, that is about 0.77 cubic yards.
How sand is sold
Landscape yards sell sand by the ton or the cubic yard; a cubic yard weighs about 1.35 tons dry and more when wet. Bagged sand is convenient for small jobs but works out expensive past about 15 bags. Order 10% extra — sand settles and spreads unevenly, and some is always lost screeding.
Common sand mistakes
Using the sand layer to level. Bedding sand is a uniform 1-inch course — the compacted base does the levelling, or the pavers rut.
Fine mason or play sand under pavers. It holds water and washes out; use coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33).
Compacting the bedding sand before laying. Screed it loose, set the pavers, then compact through the pavers.
Confusing bedding sand with joint sand. They are different products doing different jobs.
| Material | lb / ft³ | tons / yd³ | Sold by | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete / bedding sand (coarse) | 100–105 | 1.35 | ton or yd³ | Paver bedding, mixing concrete |
| Mason sand (fine) | 95–100 | 1.30 | ton or yd³ | Mortar, brick laying, sandboxes |
| Play sand (washed, screened) | 95–100 | 1.30 | bag or yd³ | Sandboxes, volleyball courts |
| Pool filter sand | 95–100 | 1.30 | bag | Sand filters, above-ground pool base |
| Polymeric joint sand | n/a | n/a | bag (50 lb) | Swept into paver joints, then misted |
Every material calculator
Each of these uses the same measured-drawing tool with the right density and bag sizes built in: gravel calculator , mulch calculator , concrete calculator , concrete slab calculator , topsoil calculator , paver sand calculator , crushed stone calculator , sonotube concrete calculator , pea gravel calculator , river rock calculator , decomposed granite calculator , road base calculator . Or start from the material calculator homepage and pick a material there.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need for pavers?
A 1-inch bedding layer needs about one cubic yard per 320 square feet, plus joint sand on top. A 120 square foot patio needs roughly 0.37 cubic yards, about 20 bags, for bedding.
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags of 0.5 cubic foot (50 lb) sand, since a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
About 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) dry. Wet or compacted sand can reach 1.6 tons per cubic yard.
How deep should the sand base for a pool be?
Two inches of levelled, screeded sand for an above-ground pool — about one cubic yard covers 160 square feet at that depth.
How thick should paver bedding sand be?
Exactly 1 inch, screeded flat. A thicker sand layer lets pavers sink and rut under traffic.
What kind of sand goes under pavers?
Coarse concrete or bedding sand (ASTM C33) for the 1-inch base. Fine mason sand holds water and washes out. Joint sand is a separate product swept into the gaps.
How much sand for a sandbox?
A 5 ft × 5 ft box filled 10 inches deep needs about 0.77 cubic yards, roughly 40 bags of play sand.
How much extra sand should I order?
About 10%. Sand spreads unevenly, settles into the base below, and some is lost when screeding.
How much sand do I need for a 15x15 patio?
A 1-inch bedding layer for 225 square feet is about 0.7 cubic yards, or roughly 38 bags. Joint sand is separate — about one 50 lb bag per 100 square feet.
How many 50 lb bags of sand in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags. Each 50 lb bag of dry sand holds roughly 0.5 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
What is the best sand for a sandbox?
Washed and screened play sand that meets a safety standard for silica and trace metals. Avoid construction or fill sand, which can contain fine dust and stones.
How deep should sand be under an above-ground pool?
Two inches of levelled, screeded mason or bedding sand over firm, level ground — about one cubic yard per 160 square feet.
Does sand compact?
Yes — dry sand settles roughly 10% and wet sand more. That is why the calculator adds an allowance and why a pool base is screeded rather than compacted hard.