Sand Calculator
Work out how much sand a job really takes with this sand calculator. Pick the shape, type the size and the depth, pick your sand type, and read the full order in one result. The tool shows cubic yards, tons from the type density, and the count of 50 lb bags, with the bag cost when you add a price. It suits sandboxes, pool bases, paver bedding and fill work.
What the result numbers mean
Your volume with the allowance added, when you set one. Yards are the unit bulk yards sell by.
Cubic feet turned into pounds by your sand type, then into tons. A by the ton order starts from this line.
The same weight in 50 lb bags. Sand bags sell by weight, so this page counts them by weight, never by volume.
The bare cubic feet of the shape at your depth, before any extra. The gap to the order is your settling margin.
Add a price per 50 lb bag and the tool prices the bag route on your real job size.
Your type rate restated. Play sand runs about 1.30 tons per yard, standard sand 1.35, and damp sand near 1.59.
How much sand do I need?
Multiply the length by the width by the depth in feet, then divide by 27. A sandbox 5 by 5 feet filled 6 inches deep holds 12.5 cubic feet, so 0.46 cubic yards. In play sand that weighs 1,200 pounds, so 0.60 tons, or 24 bags of 50 lb.
How the math works
Choose a rectangle for boxes, beds and patios. Choose a circle for a round pool base or a round play pit.
Type the length and the width in feet. A round job needs the diameter, straight across the middle.
Depth drives the whole order. Paver bedding screeds at 1 inch. A pool base pads at about 2. A sandbox fills 6 or more.
The tool multiplies length by width by depth for cubic feet, then divides by 27 for cubic yards.
Cubic feet / 27Each sand type packs at its own density in pounds per cubic foot. Play sand runs 96, standard sand 100, damp sand 118.
Cubic feet x Pounds per cu ftThe tool divides the total pounds by 50 for the bag count. A 50 lb bag of standard sand holds about half a cubic foot.
Pounds / 50A sandbox, 5 by 5 feet, filled 6 inches deep with play sand
Here is the sandbox from the quick answer, on a breakdown slip, the way the tool builds it.
Read the slip top to bottom. The volume is the bare box at depth. The weight line turns it into pounds through the play sand rate, and the bag line splits those pounds into the bags on the shelf. The sand calculator above runs your own job the same way.
Shapes and sand types, explained
This sand calculator weighs each type at its own density, because the type changes the weight even when the volume stays the same. Tap a card to load that shape or type in the tool.
Sandboxes, paver patios and fill beds. Measure the length and the width in feet, and set the depth for the job.
Key measure: length and width in feetTap to load in the calculatorRound pool bases and round play pits. Measure straight across the middle. That line is the diameter the formula needs.
Key measure: diameter across the middleTap to load in the calculatorWashed, soft sand for sandboxes and play areas. It runs the lightest here at 96 pounds per cubic foot, about 2,592 pounds per yard.
Key measure: 96 lb per cubic footTap to load in the calculatorConcrete, mason, paver and fill sand share this rate. It runs 100 pounds per cubic foot, about 2,700 pounds or 1.35 tons per yard.
Key measure: 100 lb per cubic footTap to load in the calculatorSand that sits wet weighs far more. At 118 pounds per cubic foot it runs near 1.6 tons per yard, so a damp by the ton load carries less volume than the dry math says.
Key measure: 118 lb per cubic footTap to load in the calculatorPaver bedding screeds at 1 inch. A pool base pads at about 2 inches. A sandbox fills 6 inches or more, so the play stays soft and deep.
Key measure: depth in inchesMeasurements that are not in feet
Measurements that aren't in feet and pounds convert fast. Inches divide by 12 to become feet. A sandbox side of 60 inches is 5 feet. Meters multiply by 3.281. A 2 meter round pool is 6.56 feet across.
Depth stays in inches in the tool, just the way a tape shows it. Convert the length and the width first, then run the job as usual.
Sand numbers, in one place
| Sand type | Pounds per cubic foot | Pounds per cubic yard | Tons per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play sand | 96 | 2,592 | 1.30 |
| Standard sand | 100 | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Damp sand | 118 | 3,186 | 1.59 |
Common mistakes
A by the ton load that arrives damp carries far more weight per yard. At the dry rate the volume lands short. Pick the damp type when the load sits wet.
Paver bedding counts at the standard rate. Run it at the play sand rate and the bag count reads low from the first bag.
Polymeric sand stiffens when wet. As a bed it stops the pavers draining and locks the layer hard. Bedding takes plain standard sand.
Joint sand sits a hair below the paver surface. Fill to the top and the sand grinds across the faces underfoot.
How to buy sand for your job
The result moment is the buying moment. Use the yards, tons and bags from this sand calculator when you call the yard or stand at the shelf. Two routes cover almost every job.
Option A: The bag route
- One standard bag holds 50 lb of sand. The tool counts them by the weight of your job.
- Bags ride in any car and place clean in tight yards.
- The cost per yard climbs fast in bags. Check the count before you commit.
- Play sand for a sandbox comes washed and screened. Check the bag label for that line.
Option B: Bulk by the ton or yard
- Ask if the yard sells by the ton or by the yard, then order in that unit.
- A delivery fee often beats many pickup trips. Ask for the full price.
- Pick the dump spot before the truck rolls, close to the job.
- Screed pipes and a straight board are the tools the bedding job needs next. They set the 1 inch layer true.
For the base layer under the same pavers, the gravel calculator gives yards, tons and bags in the same style. For the beds beside the patio, the stone calculator counts decorative stone from one measure.
Questions, answered
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