Enter the length, width, and depth of your area to find how much sand you need in cubic yards, tons, and 50 lb bags.
Updates automatically as you change measurements.
Uses a standard dry sand density of about 100 lb/ft³ (1.35 tons per cubic yard).
Why order extra? The headline number is the exact material your project needs. When you actually order, add about 5–10% on top — the “with 5% waste” figure in the result is a safe starting point. That margin covers what you lose to compaction, cuts around edges and corners, and ordinary spillage during handling. It is cheaper to have a little left over than to stop mid-job and wait on a second delivery.
Order sand in half-yard steps — most yards won't split finer, and a tight order leaves you short once the pile settles. For paver bedding, screed to exactly 1 inch; going deeper feels safer but lets pavers rut under load. Damp sand from the bottom of a pile weighs noticeably more than the 100 lb/ft³ dry figure, so buy by volume, not by the bag weight on the tag.
cubic yards = (length ft × width ft × depth ft) ÷ 27
tons = cubic feet × 100 lb/ft³ ÷ 2000| Material | Density | Per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Dry sand | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 tons |
Sources: Oregon State University Extension (soil and compost volume guidance).
A cubic yard of dry sand weighs approximately 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) at a density of 100 lb/ft³. Wet or compacted sand can weigh 10–20% more.
One cubic yard of sand equals about 54 bags of 50 lb sand, since a 50 lb bag holds roughly 0.5 cubic feet and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
Add this free tool to your own site. Copy the code below — it includes a link back to BuildCalculator.
<iframe src="https://buildcalculator.app/embed/sand/" width="100%" height="520" style="border:1px solid #e5e3dc;border-radius:12px" loading="lazy" title="Sand Calculator by BuildCalculator"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px"><a href="https://buildcalculator.app/sand/">Sand Calculator by BuildCalculator</a></p>