Calculate how much sand you need for any construction or landscaping project. Get results in cubic yards, tons, bags, and estimated cost. Supports fill sand, concrete sand, mason sand, paver base sand, and play sand.
Quick reference for common rectangular areas at popular depths.
| Area (sq ft) | 1" deep (yd³) | 1" deep (tons) | 2" deep (yd³) | 2" deep (tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0.15 | 0.21 | 0.31 | 0.42 |
| 100 | 0.31 | 0.42 | 0.62 | 0.83 |
| 200 | 0.62 | 0.83 | 1.23 | 1.67 |
| 500 | 1.54 | 2.08 | 3.09 | 4.17 |
Laying a paver patio base for a 10×10 area at 1 inch of sand? You need about 0.31 cubic yards (0.42 tons), or 17 bags of 50-lb sand. At typical bulk pricing of $25–$50 per ton, budget $11–$21 for materials.
Dry sand weighs approximately 2,700 pounds (1.35 tons) per cubic yard. Wet sand can weigh 3,000–3,400 lbs per yard. This calculator uses dry weight — if your sand is wet, actual weight will be 10–25% higher.
A standard 50-lb bag of sand contains about 0.5 cubic feet. Divide your total cubic feet by 0.5 to get the number of bags. For example, a 10×10 patio base at 1 inch deep needs about 8.33 cubic feet — that’s 17 bags of 50-lb sand.
Use concrete sand or coarse bedding sand for paver base — it compacts well and provides excellent drainage. Apply 1 inch of sand over your compacted gravel base, then screed it level before laying pavers. Mason sand or polymeric sand is used for filling joints between pavers after installation.
The sand bedding layer under pavers should be exactly 1 inch thick after screeding. Too thick (over 1.5 inches) causes pavers to settle unevenly. The sand sits on top of a 4–6 inch compacted gravel base layer.
Concrete sand is coarser with angular grains, used for mixing concrete and as a base material. Mason sand is finer and smoother, used for mortar mix, sand boxes, volleyball courts, and between pavers. Mason sand costs slightly more due to additional processing.
A typical 8×8 foot sandbox filled 12 inches deep needs about 2 cubic yards (2.7 tons) of play sand. Play sand is washed, screened, and tested for safety — don’t use construction sand for play areas.
Need gravel for a base layer? Try our gravel calculator for sub-base and drainage stone estimates.