Work out how much sand you need in cubic yards, cubic feet and tons — for paver bases, sandboxes and leveling.
What this calculator does
Enter your area and depth and this sand calculator returns the volume in cubic yards and cubic feet, plus the weight in tons. Sand is common under pavers, in sandboxes and for leveling, and is usually sold by the ton or cubic yard.
Add a bag size for a bag count on smaller jobs, or a bulk price to estimate the cost of a load.
Getting your answer
- Enter the area and choose rectangular or round.
- Set the depth — about 1 inch of bedding sand under pavers is typical.
- Read cubic yards and tons, and add a price to estimate cost.
The maths behind it
volume (ft³) = length × width × depth
cubic yards = ft³ ÷ 27
tons ≈ cubic yards × 1.35 (≈2,700 lb per yd³)
A worked example
As an example, with a length of 10, width of 10, diameter of 10, the calculator returns a material needed of 0.62. Underneath, Cubic yards comes out at 0.62 and Cubic feet at 16.7. Change any field and every figure updates as you type.
Questions people ask about this
How much sand under pavers?
Around 1 inch of bedding sand over a compacted gravel base is standard for patios and walkways.
How many tons in a yard of sand?
Roughly 1.3–1.4 US tons per cubic yard, heavier when wet.
What sand for a sandbox?
Use washed play sand rather than sharp masonry sand, and figure a depth of around 6 inches for comfortable play.