How much sand do I need for a sandbox?

A typical 5x5 ft sandbox with 1 foot of sand needs about 0.93 cubic yards (25 cubic feet) of play sand, which weighs approximately 1.25 tons dry. For a smaller sandbox (4x4 ft, 6 inches deep): 4 x 4 x 0.5 = 8 ft3 / 27 = 0.30 cubic yards. Most sandbox sand is sold in 50 lb bags - a 5x5 sandbox with 1 ft depth needs roughly 50 bags.

How many cubic yards of sand do I need?

Calculate cubic yards by multiplying length x width x depth (all in feet) then dividing by 27. Example: a 20x10 ft area at 3 inches deep = 20 x 10 x 0.25 = 50 ft3 / 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. Add 10% for compaction. One cubic yard of dry sand weighs approximately 1.35 tons (2,700 lb).

How much does a ton of sand cover?

One ton of dry sand covers approximately 70-80 square feet at 2 inches deep, or 35-40 square feet at 4 inches deep. At 1 inch deep, one ton covers roughly 140-160 square feet.

How deep should sand be under pavers?

The sand bedding layer under pavers should be 1 inch (25 mm) thick. Below that, you need 4-6 inches of compacted gravel base for stability and drainage. Total excavation is typically 5-7 inches for a standard patio or walkway.

How many bags of sand do I need?

50 lb bags of sand contain roughly 0.5 cubic feet each. Divide your total cubic feet by 0.5 to get bag count. For a 10x10 ft patio at 1 inch deep: 10 x 10 x (1/12) = 8.33 ft3 / 0.5 = 17 bags. For larger projects, bulk delivery by the cubic yard or ton is more economical than bags.

Sand Calculator – Tons, Cubic Yards & How Much Sand Do I Need

Unit system

Project type

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Depth (inches)

Paver bedding: 1 in · Patio base: 2–4 in · Sandbox: 12 in

Sand type

Bulk delivered sand is typically damp. Bagged play sand is dry.

Sand Calculator — Tons, Cubic Yards & Coverage Guide

This calculator estimates sand volume and weight for common home projects such as patios, sandboxes, paver bases, pool installations, and foundations. Enter your dimensions and sand type to get cubic yards or cubic metres, weight in tons or tonnes, and bag counts.

Sand Coverage Quick Reference

Depth	1 ton covers	1 cubic yard covers	Per 50 lb bag
1 inch	~140–160 ft²	~324 ft²	~1.6 ft²
2 inches	~70–80 ft²	~162 ft²	~0.8 ft²
3 inches	~47–53 ft²	~108 ft²	~0.54 ft²
4 inches	~35–40 ft²	~81 ft²	~0.4 ft²
6 inches	~23–27 ft²	~54 ft²	~0.27 ft²
12 inches	~12–13 ft²	~27 ft²	~0.13 ft²

Based on dry sand (~100 lb/ft³). Damp/wet sand is heavier — covers slightly less area per ton. 2-inch depth highlighted as most common for patio and paver projects.

Sand Quantity by Project Type

Project	Typical depth	10×10 ft area	20×20 ft area
Paver bedding layer	1 inch	0.31 cu yd / 0.42 ton	1.23 cu yd / 1.67 ton
Patio base (sand only)	2 inches	0.62 cu yd / 0.84 ton	2.47 cu yd / 3.33 ton
Sandbox (shallow)	6 inches	1.85 cu yd / 2.5 ton	7.41 cu yd / 10 ton
Sandbox (deep)	12 inches	3.70 cu yd / 5.0 ton	14.81 cu yd / 20 ton
Pool base	3–4 inches	0.93–1.23 cu yd	3.70–4.94 cu yd

Based on dry sand, no waste factor applied. Add 10% for compaction and spillage.

Sand Density Reference

Sand type	lb/ft³	kg/m³	Ton per cubic yard	When to use
Dry sand	100	1,602	1.35 t/yd³	Bagged play sand, stored sand
Damp sand	111	1,778	1.50 t/yd³	Bulk delivered sand (most common)
Wet sand	120	1,922	1.62 t/yd³	Saturated or recently rained on

How to calculate how much sand you need

Imperial: Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in ÷ 12) = cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply cubic feet × density (lb/ft³) ÷ 2,000 for tons.

Metric: Length (m) × Width (m) × Depth (cm ÷ 100) = cubic metres. Multiply by density (kg/m³) ÷ 1,000 for tonnes.

Add 10% for compaction, uneven ground, and spillage. For paver projects, the sand bedding layer should be exactly 1 inch — thicker beds allow pavers to shift and settle unevenly over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply length × width × depth to get volume. For a 10×10 ft patio at 2 inches deep: 10 × 10 × (2÷12) = 16.67 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.62 cubic yards, or about 0.84 tons of dry sand. Enter your dimensions above for an instant result including bag count.

A 5×5 ft sandbox with 1 foot of sand needs about 0.93 cubic yards (~1.25 tons dry). A smaller 4×4 ft box at 6 inches: 4 × 4 × 0.5 = 8 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.30 cubic yards. Most sandbox sand is sold in 50 lb bags — a 5×5 sandbox with 1 ft depth needs roughly 50 bags. Bulk delivery is more economical for anything over 0.5 yards.

Multiply length × width × depth (all in feet) then divide by 27. A 20×10 ft area at 3 inches deep: 20 × 10 × 0.25 = 50 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. Add 10% for compaction = 2 cubic yards to order. One cubic yard of dry sand weighs approximately 1.35 tons.

One ton of dry sand covers approximately 70–80 sq ft at 2 inches deep, or 140–160 sq ft at 1 inch. At 4 inches: about 35–40 sq ft per ton. Wet sand is heavier so covers less area per ton. See the coverage table above for a full reference by depth.

The sand bedding layer under pavers should be exactly 1 inch (25 mm) — this is the screeded levelling layer only. Below that you need 4–6 inches of compacted gravel base for drainage and stability. Total excavation depth for a standard patio is 5–7 inches. Use the gravel calculator for the base layer quantity.

50 lb bags contain roughly 0.5 cubic feet each. Divide total cubic feet by 0.5. A 10×10 ft area at 1 inch deep = 8.33 ft³ ÷ 0.5 = 17 bags. For projects over 0.5 cubic yards, bulk delivery by the yard or ton is significantly more economical than bags.

Dry sand weighs ~100 lb/ft³. Damp (bulk delivered) sand weighs ~111 lb/ft³. Wet (saturated) sand weighs ~120 lb/ft³. The difference matters when your supplier prices by weight but you calculated by volume. Bulk delivered sand is almost always damp — use the damp setting for most bulk orders.

Sand & Aggregate Planning Checklist

Covers excavation depth, compaction, drainage slope, base layer sequencing, and delivery logistics before ordering aggregate.

Download Checklist (PDF)

Planning reference only. See Methodology and Data Sources. View all project checklists →

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Disclaimer: These are general planning estimates only. Actual quantities vary based on compaction, moisture content, ground conditions, and supplier-specific densities. Always add 10% and confirm with your supplier.

See Methodology and Data Sources for details.