Sand Calculator
Find how many cubic yards, tons or bags of sand you need for a paver base, sandbox, leveling or fill, and estimate the cost.
- Area
- Cubic feet
- Cubic meters
- Weight
- Bags
- Cost
- Add a price to estimate
Project Areas
Areas you add are saved in this browser.
| Area | Size | Depth | Cubic Yards | Tons | Cost | Remove |
|---|
How to Calculate Sand
Measure the area in feet and the depth in inches. Multiply length × width × depth ÷ 12 to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. To convert to tons, multiply by the weight of a cubic yard of sand and divide by 2,000.
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard (3 × 3 × 3). For a circle, the area is 3.1416 × diameter² ÷ 4; for a triangle, base × height ÷ 2.
Worked Example
Sand Weights
| Name | Lb. per Cubic Yard | Tons per Cubic Yard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand, dry | 2,700 | 1.35 | Loose, dry sand |
| Sand, wet | 3,240 | 1.62 | Damp or wet sand weighs more |
| Mason or play sand | 2,700 | 1.35 | Washed fine sand, often sold in bags |
How Far a Cubic Yard Goes
| Depth | One Cubic Yard Covers | Needed per 100 Sq. Ft. |
|---|
Tips for Buying Sand
For pavers, a compacted gravel base does the structural work; the sand layer is only a thin, level bed about 1″ deep. Use coarse concrete sand for bedding, not fine play sand.
Bagged sand is handy for small jobs, but bulk sand by the yard or ton is far cheaper for anything over about half a cubic yard. Wet sand is heavier, so a price per ton buys less volume after rain.