Sand Calculator
| Project | Volume | Weight | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox 6 x 6, 8 in | 0.89 yd³ | 1.2 t | 48 bags |
| Paver bed 20 x 10, 1 in | 0.62 yd³ | 0.9 t | 33 bags |
| Pool base 24 ft round, 2 in | 2.79 yd³ | 3.9 t | 151 bags |
| Play area 10 x 10, 6 in | 1.85 yd³ | 2.5 t | 100 bags |
Sand is the last of the yard-material family to get its own math page, and its twist is that depth comes from the project, not the eye: a sandbox wants 6 to 9 inches for real digging (shallow boxes get dumped and kicked), paver bedding is screeded to exactly one inch - the layer the stones seat into, never compacted - and mason sand under above-ground pools runs 2 inches across the whole footprint. Area times depth gives the volume; the sand type's density turns it into the tons the quarry scale reads.
The weight bridge runs drier and lighter than gravel: dry sand packs about 1.3 to 1.4 tons per cubic yard, and wet sand is a different animal entirely - water fills the gaps between grains and pushes a yard past 1.7 tons, which is why a rain-soaked delivery drops the loader's bucket lower and why suppliers weigh damp sand with a smile. Play sand sold in 50-pound bags works out to about half a cubic foot each, so a sandbox order in bags is a lot of bags: one 6-by-6-foot box at 8 inches deep takes about 45 of them. Federal pricing context: USGS's Mineral Commodity Summaries put construction sand and gravel at an average $14.50 per metric ton for 2025 - roughly a fifth under crushed stone - with metro shortages expected to keep city quotes climbing above that line.
What the numbers cannot pick is the grain: play sand is washed and rounded so it packs soft and dustless, paver bedding is coarse sharp-edged sand that locks under screeding, mason sand is the fine in-between that smooths under pool liners. The calculator keeps the three densities separate because a yard of each is a different weight, and ordering sandbox sand for a paver bed - or the reverse - is the classic one-trip mistake this page exists to prevent.
How to use
- Measure the area in feet and the depth in inches - sandbox 6 to 9 inches, paver bedding exactly 1 inch screeded, pool base about 2 inches.
- Pick the sand type so the density is honest: play sand about 1.35 tons per yard, coarse paver sand 1.4, wet-loaded deliveries past 1.7.
- Check the bag count before deciding on bulk: past roughly 40 bags of 50 pounds, a yard delivery is cheaper and faster than the pallet of bags.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should a sandbox be?
Fill it 6 to 9 inches deep for real digging - shallower boxes turn into kick-boxes within a season. A 6-by-6-foot box at 8 inches takes about 0.9 cubic yards, which is roughly 45 fifty-pound bags or a single half-yard delivery. Leave an inch or two below the rim so covers fit and cats still lose.
How much sand goes under pavers?
Exactly one inch, screeded flat and never compacted - the bedding layer is what the pavers seat into, and thick or loose sand under them is the classic cause of rocking stones a season later. One inch over 200 square feet is about 0.6 cubic yards of coarse sand; the base below it is a separate 4-to-6-inch crushed stone layer with its own tonnage.
How many tons is a yard of sand?
Dry sand runs about 1.3 to 1.4 tons per cubic yard depending on coarseness; damp sand climbs toward 1.6 and a soaked delivery passes 1.7. Weigh-in at the quarry happens at whatever moisture the pile is carrying, so the same "yard" can land a tenth of a ton heavier on a rainy week - one more reason delivery quotes say "approximate".
How many 50-pound bags of sand make a yard?
About 54. A 50-pound bag of dry play sand is roughly half a cubic foot, and a yard is 27 cubic feet. Bag math is honest for sandboxes and small paver corners; past about 40 bags, bulk delivery by the yard usually wins on price and definitely wins on your back.
Is play sand the same as paver sand?
No - and swapping them is the mistake this page watches for. Play sand is washed, rounded and fine so it packs soft; paver bedding is sharp, coarse and angular so it locks when screeded. Mason sand sits between them, fine enough for pool bases and brick joints. Using rounded play sand under pavers lets the stones creep; using sharp bedding sand in a sandbox turns knees into sandpaper.
How do I keep sand in a sandbox from getting hard?
Depth and drainage: sand that packs solid is usually too shallow, sitting on a poorly draining base, or wet - keep 8-plus inches, drill drainage holes if the box has a solid floor, and rake it before each session. A cover keeps rain from cementing the surface between plays, and a periodic rake-and-loosen restores the shift without buying more sand.