Sand Calculator
Enter your area and depth to get cubic yards, tonnage, and bag counts — for paver bedding, sandboxes, lawn leveling, and fill.
Paver bedding: 1″. Sandbox: 6–8″. Lawn leveling: ¼–½″.
Typical ~50-lb bag at the home center.
How it works
Length × width × depth (converted to feet), divided by 27, gives cubic yards. Dry coarse sand weighs about 1.35 tons per cubic yard, and a typical 50-lb bag holds about half a cubic foot — we show all three so you can order bulk or bagged.
Formula: (Length × Width × Depth÷12) ÷ 27 = cubic yards (× 1.35 = tons)
Good for
- Paver bedding layers (1″ screed)
- Sandboxes and play areas
- Lawn top-dressing and leveling
- Trench and utility fill
Tips
- For paver bedding, use coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33) — not fine play sand.
- Over ~1 cubic yard, bulk delivery beats bags on price by a wide margin.
- Sand compacts little but conforms a lot; screed bedding sand to exactly 1″.
References
Estimates use standard industry volume math. Cross-check your numbers against the pros:
Related calculators
Mulch Calculator
Enter your bed area and depth to see how many cubic yards of mulch you need — and how far it will spread.
Open calculator →Gravel Calculator
Enter your area and depth to get cubic yards and an estimated tonnage for driveways, paths, and drainage rock.
Open calculator →Topsoil Calculator
Enter your bed area and depth to see how many cubic yards of topsoil you need for planting and topdressing.
Open calculator →Sand Calculator FAQ
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
Dry sand runs about 2,600–2,800 lb per cubic yard — roughly 1.35 tons. Wet sand is noticeably heavier, so suppliers may quote by the ton.
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Typical 50-lb bags hold about 0.5 cubic feet, so you'd need roughly 54 bags — bulk delivery is far cheaper at that point.
What sand should I use under pavers?
Coarse, angular concrete sand (ASTM C33). Fine play sand or masonry sand shifts under load and can cause pavers to settle unevenly.