Calculators / Sand
Paver, play and fill
Sand calculator
Paver bedding, sandboxes and backfill. Enter the area and depth for yards, tons and the number of 50-pound bags.
How deep, by project
| Project | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paver bedding course | 1 in | Screeded, never compacted before laying. A deeper bed lets pavers rut and settle unevenly. |
| Sandbox | 6–12 in | Washed play sand only. Depth is about digging, not structure. |
| Under an above-ground pool | 1–2 in | Levelled over compacted ground, on top of a protective liner pad. |
| Levelling a shed base | 1–2 in | Over a compacted gravel base. Sand alone under a shed will wash out. |
| Backfill around pipe | 4–6 in bed | Bedding sand protects pipe from stone in the trench spoil. |
Get the paver bedding depth right
One inch. This is the single most common paver mistake — people use sand to fix an uneven base, pile it up to 3 inches in the dips, and the patio ripples within a season.
The base gravel is what gets levelled and compacted. The sand is a thin screeded bedding course that lets the pavers seat. If you are calculating more than an inch of sand for a patio, the problem is underneath.
Sand types are not interchangeable
Coarse concrete sand is the correct bedding material for pavers — it is angular and drains. Fine masonry sand and play sand hold water and shift. Play sand is washed and rounded for safety, which is exactly why it is wrong under stone.
Volume is the same whichever you buy, so use this calculator for any of them. Just make sure you name the right product at the counter.
Bags add up fast
Sand is dense. A cubic yard is 54 of the 50-pound bags — 2,700 pounds, which is more than most cars should carry. Even a modest 200 square foot paver bed at 1 inch is 17 cubic feet, or 34 bags.
Anything past about 15 bags, price a bulk delivery. It will usually be cheaper before you count the loading and unloading.
Common questions
How much sand do I need for pavers?
One inch of bedding sand under the pavers. That is one cubic yard per 324 square feet, or roughly one 50-pound bag per 6 square feet.
How many 50 lb bags of sand in a cubic yard?
Fifty-four. Each bag holds about half a cubic foot and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
About 2,700 pounds dry, more when wet. Sand absorbs and holds water, so a rain-soaked pile is noticeably heavier than the same volume dry.
Can I use play sand under pavers?
No. Play sand is fine and rounded so it stays soft and shifts under load. Use coarse concrete sand, sometimes sold as bedding or C-33 sand.
Other calculators
Mulch · Gravel · Pea gravel · River rock · Topsoil