This sand calculator works out tons for bulk delivery or the number of 50 lb bags — for sandboxes, paver bedding, under pools and general filling. No sign-up. The working is shown under every number.
Quick example: a 10 × 10 ft area covered 2 in deep needs 1.0 ton of sand in bulk ($45.00) or 37 × 50 lb bags ($166.50) at the example prices.
| Item | Buy | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated total | $0.00 |
The two lines are alternatives — buy one or the other, not both. One cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) and fills 54 × 50 lb bags.
Estimate only — not a guarantee. Mistakes are possible, so always check the quantities with your supplier or a builder before you buy or build.
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft and a 50 lb bag of sand holds about 0.5 cu ft, so one cubic yard is 54 × 50 lb bags. That is the standard figure sand calculators use — and why bulk delivery wins quickly: the 10 × 10 ft, 2 in example above is 37 bags but only about a $45 bulk ton.
Dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb per cubic yard — 1.35 tons. Wet sand can reach 1.6 tons per yard. This calculator uses 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry sand, the figure most suppliers quote, so you can judge delivery and trailer loads.
Bedding sand goes down as a 1 in layer over the compacted gravel base. A 12 × 12 ft patio needs 12 cu ft of sand — 0.49 cubic yards with a 10% allowance, about 27 × 50 lb bags, or 1.0 ton ordered in bulk (bulk is sold in half-ton steps). Our patio paver calculator includes the bedding sand in its list automatically; use this page when you only need the sand.
4 to 6 in is the comfortable range — deep enough to dig and mould, shallow enough to rake and keep clean. An 8 × 8 ft sandbox at 6 in takes 32 cu ft of play sand: about 71 × 50 lb bags with a small spare allowance, or 2.0 tons bulk. Play sand is washed and screened — do not substitute sharp builder's sand for a children's sandbox.
| Job | Cubic yards | Tons to order | 50 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox 8 × 8 ft, 6 in deep | 1.30 cu yd | 2.0 tons | 71 |
| Patio bedding 12 × 12 ft, 1 in deep | 0.49 cu yd | 1.0 tons | 27 |
| General cover 10 × 10 ft, 2 in deep | 0.68 cu yd | 1.0 tons | 37 |
Tons and bags are alternatives — buy one or the other, not both. Bulk tons are rounded up to the nearest 0.5 ton; weights use 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry sand.
These figures are planning estimates only — not a guarantee and not professional advice. Mistakes are possible, including through an error in this calculator. Always check the quantities, sizes, spacings and depths with your supplier, a licensed builder, and your local building code before you buy materials or start work. The owner of this site accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, cost, damage, injury, wasted material or failed inspection that results from using these estimates. Prices are examples to start from, not live prices or quotes.