Calculator · Sand
Sand Calculator: How Much Sand Do I Need for Pavers?
Pick the sand, enter the size of the patio, walkway, sandbox or low spot and the depth, and get cubic yards for the landscape yard, tons for the quarry or 50 lb bags for the store, with the cost of each.
Materials ticket · Concrete or paver sand
Enter your measurements and your shopping list prints here.
How to calculate how much sand you need
- Find the area in square feet. Length × width for a rectangle; 3.14 × radius² for a circle.
- Multiply by the depth. Area × depth in inches ÷ 324 gives cubic yards.
- Convert to what you buy. Multiply the yards by the tons per yard of your sand for a quarry, or by 54 for 50 lb bags.
Check it with a published example: HomeGuide works out a 10 × 10 ft base 2 inches deep as about 0.6 cubic yards, just under a ton. The calculator gives 0.62 yd³ and 0.83 tons.
Sand for common projects
Calculated with the same engine as the calculator, without the waste margin. Bulk prices are the middle of HomeGuide's range for each sand, before delivery.
| Project | Cubic yards | Tons | 50 lb bags | Bulk cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paver patio, 10 × 10 ft, 1 in bedding (concrete or paver sand) | 0.31 | 0.5 | 17 | $25 |
| Paver patio, 12 × 16 ft, 1 in bedding (concrete or paver sand) | 0.59 | 0.9 | 32 | $38 |
| Paver walkway, 3 × 30 ft, 1 in bedding (concrete or paver sand) | 0.28 | 0.4 | 15 | $25 |
| Paver patio, 20 × 20 ft, 2 in bedding (concrete or paver sand) | 2.47 | 3.7 | 134 | $125 |
| Sandbox, 6 × 6 ft, 6 in (play sand) | 0.67 | 0.9 | 36 | $45 |
| Filling a low area, 10 × 20 ft, 4 in (fill sand) | 2.47 | 3.3 | 134 | $94 |
The sandbox depth is an example: pick your own. For pavers, the bedding layer goes on top of a compacted gravel base, below.
Sand and gravel for a paver patio
Quikrete's paver sand instructions: dig out 4–7 inches below the finished grade, sloped away from the house; lay 2–4 inches of gravel or crushed rock and compact it; install edge restraints; then spread 1–2 inches of paver base sand, wet it and screed it level with a 2×4 before laying the pavers. For a 12 × 16 ft patio:
| Layer | Cubic yards | Tons | Bulk cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel base, 4 in compacted (+11%) | 2.63 | 3.4 | $124 |
| Bedding sand, 1 in | 0.59 | 0.9 | $38 |
The gravel line uses crushed stone and the 11% compaction allowance from our gravel calculator. Jointing sand for the gaps between pavers is a separate, finer product sold in bags.
Types of sand: weight and price
Weights from HomeGuide (fill and play sand) and a Tennessee supplier's chart (concrete and mason sand); prices from HomeGuide's 2026 sand guide, before delivery.
| Sand | Used for | Tons per yd³ | Price per yd³ | Price per ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete or paver sand (coarse) | Paver bedding, mixing concrete, drainage layers | 1.5 | $35–$65 | $25–$50 |
| Fill sand | Leveling, backfill, raising a grade | 1.35 | $30–$45 | $15–$30 |
| Mason sand | Mortar, stucco, pool bases | 1.4 | $40–$110 | $30–$85 |
| Play sand | Sandboxes and play areas | 1.35 | $50–$70 | $35–$55 |
- Fill sand is unprocessed and may contain clay or small stones: fine for raising a grade, not for concrete or a sandbox.
- Mason sand is finely screened and washed, for mortar, stucco and pool bases.
- Play sand is washed and screened to remove dust and sharp particles. HomeGuide advises against using mason sand in play areas because of fine silica dust.
Bags or bulk?
A cubic yard is 54 bags of 50 lb: 2,700 lb to load and about $270 at $5 a bag, against $30–$70 a yard in bulk. HomeGuide notes that many suppliers set a minimum order for delivery (often 1 to 3 tons) and give their best price on full truckloads, so bags are for small jobs and bulk for anything past half a yard.
Frequently asked questions
How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
54 bags. A 50 lb bag of sand (Quikrete All-Purpose or Play Sand) holds about 0.5 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. That is 2,700 lb to carry, and about $270 at $5 a bag, so for more than half a yard, bulk is cheaper and easier.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
About 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) for general sand, according to HomeGuide. A Tennessee supplier's chart gives 1.4 tons for mason sand and 1.5 tons for concrete sand. Wet sand weighs more.
How much sand do I need for pavers?
Quikrete's instructions call for 1–2 inches of paver base sand over 2–4 inches of compacted gravel. At 1 inch, a cubic yard of sand covers 324 ft², so a 10 × 10 ft patio takes 0.31 cubic yards, or 17 bags of 50 lb.
What kind of sand goes under pavers?
A coarse, washed sand: concrete sand or a bagged paver base sand. Quikrete sells a Patio Paver Base Sand for the bedding layer and a separate, finer Jointing Sand that you sweep into the gaps between pavers. Its All-Purpose Sand, a coarse sand that meets ASTM C33, is also listed as an underlayment for brick pavers.
How much does sand cost?
HomeGuide puts bulk sand at $15–$50 per ton or $30–$70 per cubic yard, depending on the type, plus a delivery fee of about $50–$150 for a local drop. Fill sand is the cheapest; mason and play sand cost more because they are washed and screened. Bagged play sand runs $4–$6 per 50 lb bag.
How much sand is in a ton?
About 0.74 cubic yards at 1.35 tons per yard, enough to cover about 120 ft² two inches deep.
Sources
- HomeGuide: Sand delivery cost (June 3, 2026)homeguide.com
- HomeGuide: Fill dirt, sand and topsoil cost (September 8, 2023)homeguide.com
- Smoky Mountain Sand & Gravel (Maryville, TN): Aggregate tons vs. cubic yardssmokymountainsg.com
- QUIKRETE Sand & Gravel Products data sheet (November 2020): All-Purpose Sand and Premium Play Sand, 50 lb, approx. 1/2 cu. ft.quikrete.com
- QUIKRETE Patio Paver Sands data sheet (No. 1150-49): installationquikrete.com