About the Sand Calculator
This sand calculator estimates how much sand to buy for a sandbox, a paver or flagstone bedding layer, pipe bedding, a volleyball court or general fill. Enter the area as a rectangle or a circle, the depth in inches and the type of sand, and it returns the volume in cubic feet and cubic yards, the weight in US tons and pounds, the number of bags and the cost at your price per ton.
Landscape yards sell bulk sand by the ton or cubic yard, while home centers sell bagged play sand and all-purpose sand by weight, so the calculator shows all three. Sand weight changes with grain size and especially moisture: dry sand is roughly 2,600–2,700 lb per cubic yard and damp fill sand can be 3,000 lb or more.
Typical depths are 1 inch of bedding sand under pavers, 6–12 inches for a children’s sandbox and 12 inches or more for a sand volleyball court. Add a few percent extra because sand settles and compacts when it is spread, wetted and tamped.
With the default inputs, the sand needed is 1.21 tons. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the sand calculator
- 1Pick a rectangle or circle and enter its size in feet.
- 2Enter the depth of sand in inches.
- 3Choose the sand type to set its weight per cubic yard.
- 4Keep 5–10% extra for settling and compaction.
- 5Compare the bag count with the bulk tonnage and price.
Formula and method
The area is length × width for a rectangle, or π × (diameter ÷ 2)² for a round sandbox or pit. Multiplying by the depth in feet gives cubic feet, which is increased by the settling allowance and divided by 27 for cubic yards.
Weight is cubic yards × bulk density in US tons per cubic yard. The presets are typical values between about 1.3 t/yd³ for dry play sand and 1.5 t/yd³ for damp fill sand; your supplier can give the exact figure for its product. Bags are found from total pounds divided by the bag weight and rounded up.
- area
- Surface area (sq ft)
- depth
- Sand depth (in)
- density
- US tons per cubic yard
Worked examples
6 × 6 ft sandbox filled 8 in deep with play sand
The sandbox is 36 sq ft; at 8 in deep that is 24 cubic feet, or 25.2 with 5% extra (0.93 yd³). At 1.3 tons per yard that is about 1.21 tons — roughly 2,427 lb, or 49 bags of 50 lb.
1 in paver bedding layer for a 12 × 20 ft patio
240 sq ft at 1 in deep is 20 cubic feet, or 22 with 10% extra. That is 0.81 cubic yards, which at 1.35 tons per yard is 1.1 tons of paver sand, about $38.50 at $35 a ton.
10 ft round sand pit, 10 in deep
A 10 ft circle covers π × 5² = 78.5 sq ft. At 10 in deep that is 65.4 cubic feet, or 2.42 cubic yards, about 3.15 tons of play sand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?+
Dry sand weighs about 2,600–2,700 lb per cubic yard (around 1.3–1.35 US tons). Damp or wet sand is heavier, often 3,000 lb or more per cubic yard, because water fills the gaps between grains.
How many bags of play sand fill a sandbox?+
A 4 × 4 ft sandbox filled 6 in deep holds 8 cubic feet, roughly 800 lb of dry sand, or 16 bags of 50 lb. Use the calculator with your sandbox size and depth for an exact count.
How much sand do I need under pavers?+
Pavers are usually set on a 1 in screeded layer of coarse bedding sand over a compacted gravel base. That is about 1 cubic foot of sand for every 12 square feet of patio.
How many square feet does a ton of sand cover?+
At about 1.35 tons per cubic yard, one ton is 20 cubic feet. That covers roughly 240 sq ft at 1 in deep, 120 sq ft at 2 in or 40 sq ft at 6 in deep.
What is the difference between play sand and masonry sand?+
Play sand is washed and screened to remove fine dust and debris, so it is softer for children. Masonry sand is a fine, uniform sand for mortar and paver joints, while concrete sand is coarser and drains well under pavers.