Sand & Base Calculators
Sand by the ton or bag, plus the gravel-and-sand base you need under pavers.
Sand is the one material almost every hardscape project needs – as a 1″ bedding layer under pavers, a 6–12″ fill for a sandbox, a leveling layer under a pool, or mixed with cement for mortar. These calculators give you tons, cubic yards and the number of bags, and the paver base calculator works out the gravel and sand layers together.
On this page
Which sand do I need?
| Sand type | Also called | Use it for | Approx. weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete sand | Sharp sand, coarse sand, C-33 | Paver bedding (the correct choice), concrete mixes, drainage | 105 lb/ft³ · 1.4 t/yd³ |
| Masonry sand | Mortar sand, brick sand | Mortar, stucco, joint sand, play areas | 100 lb/ft³ · 1.35 t/yd³ |
| Paver / leveling sand | All-purpose sand | Bedding under pavers and stepping stones, under pools | 100 lb/ft³ · 1.35 t/yd³ |
| Polymeric sand | Joint sand | Sweeping into paver joints – hardens with water (bags only) | n/a (by bag) |
| Play sand | Washed sand | Sandboxes, play areas – washed and screened | 95 lb/ft³ · 1.3 t/yd³ |
| Fill sand | Utility sand | Backfill, under slabs, trench bedding | 105 lb/ft³ · 1.4 t/yd³ |
Bags or bulk?
A 50 lb bag of sand is about half a cubic foot, so a cubic yard is 54 bags. For a small sandbox or a 100 sq ft patio (which needs about 0.3 yd³ of bedding sand) bags are the easy option. Beyond roughly half a yard, bulk sand delivered by the ton is far cheaper – even with the delivery fee. Both calculators show bag counts next to the bulk tonnage so you can compare.
Paver base: how thick should each layer be?
| Project | Compacted gravel base | Bedding sand |
|---|---|---|
| Patio or walkway (foot traffic) | 4–6″ | 1″ |
| Patio on clay or poorly drained soil | 6–8″ | 1″ |
| Driveway (cars) | 8–12″ | 1″ |
| Permeable pavers | 6–12″ open-graded (#57 over #2) | 2″ of 1/4″ chip |
Bedding sand is always about 1″ – never thicker. A thick sand layer shifts and leaves pavers rocking and uneven. Depth that needs filling belongs in the compacted gravel base, not the sand.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need for pavers?
Plan on 1 inch of bedding sand. That is 0.0031 cubic yards per square foot – so a 10 ft × 12 ft patio (120 sq ft) needs about 0.37 cubic yards, or roughly half a ton, or 21 bags of 50 lb. The paver base calculator works this out alongside the gravel base.
How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags. A 50 lb bag holds roughly 0.5 cubic feet of dry sand and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
Dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) per cubic yard. Wet sand is heavier – 3,200 lb or more – which is why sand bought after rain can push a pickup over its payload limit.
