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Construction & Home
Sand Calculator — Cubic Yards, Tons & Bags of Sand You Need
Cubic yards, tons and 50 lb bags of sand for a paver base, sandbox or fill
A sand calculator turns a bed's size and depth into the three numbers that matter when you buy: cubic yards and tons for a bulk load off a truck, and how many 50 lb bags for a smaller job you can carry from the store. Sand is sold both ways, and guessing wrong means either a half-finished paver base or a pile of leftover bags. This tool does the volume math, adds a waste factor, and always rounds up to whole bags — you can't buy half a bag.
It all starts with volume in cubic feet, because you're filling an area to a depth, not just covering a surface. Cubic feet = area (sq ft) × depth (ft). Depth is almost always given in inches, so divide by 12 first: a 1-inch paver-setting layer is 1 ÷ 12 = 0.0833 ft. A 100 sq ft patio base at 1 inch is 100 × 0.0833 = 8.33 cubic feet.
Three numbers come out of that cubic-foot figure:
• Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27. So 8.33 ÷ 27 = 0.31 cubic yards — this is what you tell the dispatcher, since bulk sand is sold by the yard.
• Tons = cubic yards × 1.35. Dry sand weighs about 1.35 tons per cubic yard, so 0.31 × 1.35 ≈ 0.42 tons. Many yards price and load sand by weight, so this is the figure for the scale ticket.
• Bags = cubic feet ÷ 0.5, rounded up. A standard 50 lb bag holds about 0.5 cubic feet, so 8.33 cu ft needs ceil(8.33 ÷ 0.5) = 17 bags.
Depth depends on the job. A paver or flagstone setting bed is usually 1 inch of sand over a compacted gravel base — that's the default here. A sandbox is often 4 to 6 inches deep; leveling or backfill varies with the dip you're filling. Because volume scales directly with depth, doubling the depth doubles the sand and the bill, so set depth carefully before you order.
Sand is not gravel, and it's not mulch. Densities differ: this calculator uses 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry sand, while gravel runs heavier (about 1.4) and mulch is far lighter — never reuse one material's tonnage for another. Sand also packs and washes differently, so use this tool only for masonry, paver, play or fill sand. A waste factor (default 10%) covers spillage, over-dug areas, settling and joints you sweep full, so the load doesn't leave you a bag short. For a paver patio, remember sand is only the thin setting layer — the load-bearing base underneath is gravel, sized with a separate calculation.
📖 See also: How to Calculate a Tip (and Split the Bill)
Calculator
Fill in the fields and click "Calculate" for instant results.
📰 Formula
• Cubic feet = area (sq ft) × depth (ft) • Depth in feet = depth in inches ÷ 12 (1 in = 0.0833 ft) • Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27 • Tons = cubic yards × 1.35 (dry sand ≈ 1.35 ton/cu yd) • Bags = ceil(cubic feet ÷ 0.5) — a 50 lb bag ≈ 0.5 cubic feet • With waste: multiply cubic feet by (1 + waste% ÷ 100) before converting • Material constants: 27 cubic feet per cubic yard · 50 lb bag ≈ 0.5 cu ft · dry sand ≈ 1.35 ton/cu yd · default depth = 1 inch (paver base)
📰 Formula
• Cubic feet = area (sq ft) × depth (ft) • Depth in feet = depth in inches ÷ 12 (1 in = 0.0833 ft) • Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27 • Tons = cubic yards × 1.35 (dry sand ≈ 1.35 ton/cu yd) • Bags = ceil(cubic feet ÷ 0.5) — a 50 lb bag ≈ 0.5 cubic feet • With waste: multiply cubic feet by (1 + waste% ÷ 100) before converting • Material constants: 27 cubic feet per cubic yard · 50 lb bag ≈ 0.5 cu ft · dry sand ≈ 1.35 ton/cu yd · default depth = 1 inch (paver base)
🧪 Worked examples
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Example 2
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Example 3
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Example 4
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Using area (square feet) instead of volume — forgetting to multiply by the depth.
- Leaving depth in inches: 1 in must become 0.0833 ft (÷ 12) before multiplying.
- Dividing cubic feet by the wrong number — it's ÷ 27 for cubic yards and ÷ 0.5 for 50 lb bags.
- Using gravel's or mulch's density for tons — dry sand is about 1.35 tons per cubic yard, not gravel's 1.4.
- Rounding bags down instead of up; you can't buy a fraction of a 50 lb bag.
💡 Tips
- A paver setting bed is just 1 inch of sand — the load-bearing base under it is gravel, sized separately.
- Bulk sand by the cubic yard (or ton) is usually cheaper than bags once you pass about 15–20 bags.
- Sandboxes typically want 4–6 inches; set the depth before you calculate, since volume scales with it.
- Add 5–10% waste for spillage, over-dug areas, settling, and the sand you sweep into paver joints.
- Order by weight when the yard sells by the ton — multiply cubic yards by 1.35 to get the tonnage.
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<iframe src="https://www.calcnimbus.com/embed/sand-calculator" width="100%" height="500" frameborder="0" style="border:1px solid #eee;border-radius:12px"></iframe>
❓ Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need for a paver patio?
A paver setting bed is about 1 inch of sand. For 100 sq ft: 100 × 0.0833 = 8.33 cubic feet, which is 0.31 cubic yards or about 0.42 tons of dry sand, or ceil(8.33 ÷ 0.5) = 17 bags of 50 lb sand. The gravel base underneath is calculated separately.
How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, and a 50 lb bag holds about 0.5 cubic feet, so one cubic yard equals 27 ÷ 0.5 = 54 bags. That is why bulk delivery is usually cheaper once you pass roughly 15 to 20 bags.
How many cubic feet are in a 50 lb bag of sand?
A standard 50 lb bag of sand holds about 0.5 cubic feet. To find bags, take your total cubic feet and divide by 0.5, then round up — for example, 10 cubic feet needs ceil(10 ÷ 0.5) = 20 bags.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
Dry sand weighs about 1.35 tons (around 2,700 lb) per cubic yard. Wet or compacted sand can weigh more, closer to 1.5 tons. Multiply cubic yards by 1.35 to estimate the tonnage when a yard sells sand by weight.
How do I calculate cubic yards of sand?
Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For 200 sq ft at 2 inches (0.1667 ft): 200 × 0.1667 = 33.3 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards.
How deep should the sand layer under pavers be?
Use about 1 inch of sand as the setting bed for pavers or flagstone, screeded level over a compacted gravel base. More than an inch lets pavers sink or shift, so keep the sand thin and put the depth into the gravel base instead.
Is it cheaper to buy sand in bags or in bulk?
Bulk sand by the cubic yard or ton is usually cheaper per cubic foot, but you pay for delivery and need a way to move it. Bags cost more per cubic foot but are easy to handle. Bulk typically wins once you need more than about 15 to 20 bags.
Can I use this calculator for gravel or topsoil?
The volume math (area × depth ÷ 27) is the same, but sand, gravel and topsoil have different densities. This tool uses 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry sand; gravel runs heavier near 1.4 and mulch is far lighter, so use a dedicated gravel or topsoil calculator for those.
Should I add extra sand for waste?
Yes. Add about 5 to 10 percent extra for spillage, over-dug areas, settling, and the sand you sweep into paver joints. It is cheaper to have one spare bag than to come up short and make a second trip.