Sand Calculator
Enter your area and depth. We'll tell you the volume and tonnage by sand type.
Advanced options
- Area
- 0 sq ft
- Volume
- 0 cu ft
- Cubic yards
- 0
- Tons
- 0
- Bags
- 0
- Estimated cost
- —
How the sand calculator works
A 10 × 10-ft area covered 2 inches deep takes 0.65 cubic yards of paver sand — about 0.97 tons, or 39 fifty-pound bags. That's 100 sq ft × 0.167 ft = 16.7 cu ft, or 17.5 cu ft with a 5% waste factor, divided by 27 cu ft per cubic yard; paver/concrete sand weighs about 1.5 tons per cubic yard. At just under a yard, bags and bulk delivery cost about the same.
The math: volume = area × depth with appropriate unit conversions. Mass comes from multiplying volume by the sand type's density. Bag count = total weight / bag weight.
Typical depths by use
- Paver bedding — 1 in / 2.5 cm of coarse paver sand, screeded flat.
- Sandbox — 6 in / 15 cm of washed play sand.
- Beach volleyball court — 12 in / 30 cm of soft play / volleyball sand.
- Mason work — calculate from mortar mix ratio (typically 1 part cement : 2.5–3 parts mason sand).
- Slab base — 2 in / 5 cm of leveling sand on top of compacted gravel.
Sand type — pick by use
- Paver / Concrete sand — coarse, sharp, drains well. For paver bedding, concrete mixes, masonry.
- Mason / All-purpose — finer than paver sand, good for mortar joints and patching.
- Play sand (washed) — fine, washed, dust-free. For sandboxes, kids' play areas. Buy "washed" only — unwashed has dust/silt that's bad to inhale.
- Beach / Builder's sand — varies by region; ask the supplier what's local.
- Fill sand — clean fine sand for grading and base layers.
Common questions
Bagged or bulk?
Under 1 cu yd / 0.8 m³, bags are usually easier — most landscape suppliers have a 1-yard minimum for delivery plus a fee. Above that, bulk delivery is cheaper. A 50-lb (25 kg) bag of sand is roughly 0.5 cu ft (0.014 m³); about 54 bags per cubic yard.
What's "polymeric sand"?
Different product, used between paver joints (not as bedding). Activates with water to bind pavers and resist weeds. See the paver calculator for joint-sand quantities — it's a separate purchase from bedding sand.
Do I need to compact paver bedding sand?
No — paver bedding sand should NOT be compacted. Screed it level and lay pavers directly. The base gravel beneath gets compacted; the sand layer is just a leveling cushion that absorbs minor settling.
For paver projects, see the paver calculator which sizes pavers + bedding + base in one shopping list.
Planning the full project?
These calculators usually get run in the same afternoon.