Sand Calculator
Sand is sold two completely different ways — by the cubic yard from a landscape yard, and by the bag from a home center — and the price gap between them is enormous. A cubic yard of bulk sand might cost $30–$60 delivered, while the same yard bought as fifty-pound bags can cost five times that. The trick is knowing which side of that line your project falls on, and that starts with an honest volume. This sand calculator takes your area and depth, computes the volume in cubic yards, cubic metres and cubic feet, converts it to tons and tonnes at typical sand density, adds a compaction and waste allowance (sand settles — what you dump is not what stays), and rounds up to whole bags if you are buying bagged. Metric or imperial, bulk or bags, one page.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the area — length times width in feet or metres. For L-shaped or curved areas, split into rectangles and run each through the calculator, then add.
- Enter the sand depth in inches or centimetres. Be honest here: a "2-inch" leveling layer that varies from 1 to 3 inches should be entered as the average, 2.
- Read the bulk volume first (cubic yards / cubic metres). If it is under about half a yard, bags from the home center are usually simpler; over that, call a landscape yard.
- Check the tonnage. Yards price and deliver by the yard, but their scale tickets read in tons — the calculator gives you both so nothing gets lost in translation.
- Add 10% for compaction and spillage (15–20% for deep fills), then read the bag count if you are buying bagged.
- Order the rounded-up amount. Running short mid-job means a second delivery fee or another store trip — sand is cheap, callbacks are not.
Formula
Worked example
A 10×10 ft area to be leveled 2 in deep, buying 50-lb bags with 10% for compaction. Step one — volume: 100 ft² × (2 ÷ 12) ft = 16.67 ft³, which is 16.67 ÷ 27 = 0.62 cubic yards (0.47 m³). Step two — weight: 0.62 yd³ × 2,700 lb/yd³ = 1,667 lb (756 kg). Step three — waste: 1,667 × 1.10 = 1,833 lb (832 kg) to buy, or 0.92 US tons. Step four — bags: 1,833 ÷ 50 = 36.7, rounded up = 37 bags. At this size, compare: 37 bags at roughly $5 each is ~$185, while a yard of bulk sand delivered is often under $75 — the bulk quote wins here.
Metric version: 3×3 m area, 5 cm deep, 20-kg bags, 10% waste. Volume = 9 × 0.05 = 0.45 m³. Weight = 0.45 × 1,602 = 721 kg; +10% = 793 kg (0.79 tonnes). Bags = 793 ÷ 20 = 39.7 → 40 bags.
Sandbox version: an 8×8 ft sandbox filled 6 in deep with 50-lb bags of play sand, 10% waste. Volume = 64 × 0.5 = 32 ft³ = 1.19 yd³. Weight = 1.19 × 2,700 = 3,203 lb; +10% = 3,523 lb → 3,523 ÷ 50 = 70.5 → 71 bags. For a sandbox this size, bulk play sand delivered is dramatically cheaper — always get the bulk quote.
Measurement tips
- Order bulk for anything over about half a cubic yard. The per-ton price of bagged sand is typically 3–5× the bulk price — the bags are paying for packaging and shelf space.
- Match the sand to the job: fill sand for raising grade, concrete/mason sand for paver bedding and mortar, play sand (washed, fine) for sandboxes, coarse washed sand for drainage.
- Damp sand weighs more. If your sand arrives wet after rain, the tonnage on the scale ticket runs high — you are paying for water weight, so confirm the yard's moisture policy on big orders.
- Compact in lifts. For fills deeper than 6 in (15 cm), add sand in 3–4 in layers and compact each one — dumping a foot of sand at once leaves soft spots that settle later.
- Keep a tarp handy. A sudden rain turns a sand pile into a sand pancake that migrates across the yard — cover the pile if the job spans days.
- Measure depth in several spots. "Two inches deep" across a whole patio is rarely exactly two inches — average five or six measurements for an honest number.
- For paver bedding, screed to 1 in (25 mm) uncompacted. The pavers compact it to about 3/4 in — starting thicker leaves the patio proud of its edging.
Common mistakes
- Buying bags for a bulk-size job. Seventy-one bags for a sandbox sounds fine until you carry them — one bulk delivery costs less and saves your back.
- Forgetting compaction. Loose-dumped sand settles 10–15% under rain and foot traffic; a patio base calculated with zero waste ends up low within a season.
- Using play sand structurally. Play sand is fine and soft — great for sandboxes, terrible under pavers, where it shifts. Use concrete or bedding sand there.
- Ignoring the delivery minimum. Most yards have a 1-yard minimum plus a delivery fee — a 0.2-yard job can cost nearly as much delivered as a full yard.
- Mixing sand types mid-job. Fill sand under, mason sand over is fine; but switching types within one layer gives uneven compaction and visible banding.
- Eyeballing depth. "About two inches" estimated by eye is how 0.6-yard jobs become 1-yard jobs — the tape measure is the cheapest tool on site.
Factors that affect accuracy
- Depth: the biggest lever, and it is linear — double the depth, double the sand. Most errors come from depth, not area.
- Area shape: rectangles are exact; curves and kidney shapes need the split-into-rectangles method or a 10–15% shape allowance on top.
- Compaction: loose sand vs compacted sand differ by 10–20%. Deep fills, paver bases and anything driven on need the higher waste figure.
- Moisture: wet sand is denser and heavier per shovel — volume stays roughly the same but the scale ticket (and your back) notice.
- Sand type: fine mason sand packs tighter than coarse concrete sand, so the same volume weighs slightly more — the 1,602 kg/m³ figure is a middle value.
- Bag size: 50-lb bags (US), 40-lb bags, 20-kg and 25-kg bags all exist — the bag count follows whatever your store stocks.
- Delivery vs pickup: a pickup truck bed holds roughly 1–2 cubic yards (check your payload rating — wet sand is heavy); a dump trailer or yard delivery handles the rest.
Sources & assumptions
- Volume = length × width × depth; weight at 1,602 kg/m³ (~2,700 lb/yd³) typical dry-sand density.
- 10% default covers compaction and spillage; use 15–20% for deep fills over 6 in (15 cm).
- Bulk beats bags past ~25 bags: bagged sand typically costs 3–5× more per ton than bulk from a landscape yard.
What this calculator doesn't do
- Sand density is assumed at 1,602 kg/m³ (~2,700 lb/yd³) for typical dry sand. Real sand varies: damp sand can weigh 10–20% more per volume, and coarse washed sand is lighter than fine mason sand.
- The 10% default covers compaction and spillage. Freshly dumped sand settles and compacts under its own weight and rain — for deep fills over 6 in (15 cm), compacted volume can run 15–20% under the loose figure.
- Bag weights are nominal. A '50-lb bag' from the store is close to 50 lb, but moisture absorbed in storage adds weight without adding sand — buy by the calculator's weight, not by trusting every bag to the ounce.
- It doesn't pick your sand type. Fill sand, mason sand, concrete sand, play sand and paver bedding sand have different grain sizes and prices — ask the yard which suits your job.
- Delivery minimums matter: most landscape yards sell bulk sand by the cubic yard with a 1-yard minimum and a delivery fee, so tiny jobs are cheaper in bags despite the higher per-ton price.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic yards of sand do I need?
Multiply length × width × depth (in feet, depth in feet too), then divide by 27. A 10×10 ft area 2 in deep is 16.67 ft³ ÷ 27 ≈ 0.62 cubic yards. Add 10% for compaction. The calculator above does it in any units.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
About 2,700 lb (1.35 US tons / 1.23 tonnes) for typical dry sand. Damp sand can push past 3,000 lb per yard. Landscape yards sell by the yard but weigh in tons, so expect roughly 1.3–1.5 tons per yard on the ticket.
How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54 fifty-pound bags per cubic yard (2,700 ÷ 50), before waste. With 10% waste, plan on ~60 bags per yard. This is why bulk beats bags fast: 60 bags at $5 each is $300 vs ~$40–$75 for a bulk yard.
How deep should sand be under pavers?
Screed bedding sand to 1 in (25 mm) uncompacted — the pavers bed it down to about 3/4 in. Thicker bedding shifts under load; thinner leaves the pavers rocking on the base.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
An 8×8 ft sandbox 6 in deep needs about 1.2 cubic yards — roughly 71 fifty-pound bags of play sand. Get a bulk quote: delivered play sand is usually far cheaper at this size.
What is the difference between fill sand, mason sand and play sand?
Fill sand is coarse and cheap, for raising grade. Mason/concrete sand is washed medium grain, for paver bedding and mortar. Play sand is fine, washed and screened, for sandboxes — too soft for structural use.
Does sand compact, and by how much?
Yes — expect 10–15% settlement for dumped sand under rain and traffic, up to 20% for deep fills that get mechanically compacted. The calculator's default 10% waste covers light jobs; use 15–20% for deep or compacted fills.
Is it cheaper to buy sand in bulk or in bags?
Bulk, almost always, past about half a cubic yard. Bagged sand typically costs 3–5× more per ton — you are paying for the bag, the pallet and the shelf. Bags win only for tiny jobs where delivery fees dominate.
Next step
Take the cubic-yard and ton totals to the landscape yard for a bulk quote — and if the bag count is over 25, get that bulk price before buying a single bag, since bags cost 3–5× more per ton.
Save this estimate: use the Copy link button in the results box above to share these exact inputs, or Print results for a paper copy to take to the store.