Sand Calculator
Work out how much sand you need for a paver base, bedding layer, sandbox or fill. Enter the area and depth to get cubic yards and tons of sand, with a waste allowance.
Sand needed
Assumes ~1.35 tons per cubic yard (dry). A 50 lb bag holds about 0.5 ft³.
How to calculate sand
Sand is estimated from the area and the depth of the layer. Find the area in square feet (length times width, or π times radius squared for a circle), multiply by the depth in feet (depth in inches ÷ 12), and divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. The formula is cubic yards = area (ft²) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27. The calculator above does the arithmetic and converts the volume to weight.
Dry construction sand weighs about 1.35 US tons per cubic yard (around 2,700 pounds). Wet sand weighs more because of the water it holds, so if you are buying damp sand by weight expect the tonnage to run higher than the dry figure.
Sand under pavers
The most common reason to size sand is a paver installation. The standard build-up is a compacted gravel base, then a 1-inch bedding layer of coarse sand that the pavers are set into, then jointing sand swept between them. Size the 1-inch bedding layer here by entering your paver area at a 1-inch depth, then use the gravel calculator for the base course underneath. Keeping the bedding layer at a consistent 1 inch is what gives a flat, stable surface.
Depth guide and coverage
Depth depends on the job: about 1 inch for paver bedding, 2 to 3 inches for a play sandbox, and whatever the design calls for when using sand as fill to build up levels. Because coverage halves as depth doubles, one ton covers roughly 200 square feet at 1 inch but only about 100 square feet at 2 inches. Always calculate from your real depth rather than a single coverage number.
Ordering and waste
Suppliers sell sand by the cubic yard and by the ton, and the calculator gives both so you can match whichever unit your yard quotes. For small jobs, bagged sand comes in roughly 0.5 ft³ (about 50 lb) bags. Add about 5 percent for spillage and uneven spreading. If your project also needs a slab or a landscaping layer, the concrete calculator and topsoil calculator handle those from the same kind of measurements.