# How much sand do I need?

Computes the sand to fill a rectangular or round area to a depth, in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic metres, its weight in tons, the number of 0.5 ft³ bags, and the cost.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/sand-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/sand-calculator.json
- Version: a2d5327c49f4

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Area shape Rectangle, Length 10 ft, Width 10 ft, Depth 2 in, Extra 0%, Weight per cubic yard (tons) 1.35, Bag size (cubic feet) 0.5): You need 0.62 yd³ of sand (16.67 ft³), or 34 bags, about 0.83 tons.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| shape | Area shape | Whether the area to fill is a rectangle or a circle. |
| l | Length | The length of the area to fill. |
| w | Width | The width of the area to fill. |
| d | Diameter | The diameter of a round area, such as a sandbox or a pool base. |
| depth | Depth | How deep the sand layer is. |
| extra | Extra | Sand to add, in percent, for spills, an uneven base or packing down. 0 means none. |
| wt | Weight per cubic yard (tons) | How many US tons one cubic yard of your sand weighs: about 1.3 dry and 1.6 wet. |
| bag | Bag size (cubic feet) | How much sand one bag holds, in cubic feet. A 50 lb bag of all-purpose or play sand holds 0.5 ft³. |
| price | Price per bag | What one bag of sand costs. Leave empty to skip the cost. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| cubicYards | Cubic yards | The sand to order in bulk, in cubic yards (27 cubic feet each). |
| cubicFeet | Cubic feet | The sand to order, in cubic feet. |
| cubicMeters | Cubic metres | The sand to order, in cubic metres. |
| bags | Bags | Cubic feet ÷ the bag size, rounded up to a whole bag. |
| tons | Weight (US tons) | Cubic yards × the weight per cubic yard, in tons of 2,000 lb. |
| tonnes | Weight (tonnes) | The same weight in metric tonnes of 1,000 kg. |
| cost | Cost of the bags | Bags × the price per bag. |

## Method

Volume = length × width × depth (or π × diameter² ÷ 4 × depth) × (1 + extra ÷ 100); cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27; bags = cubic feet ÷ bag size, rounded up; tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard.

## Assumptions

- A bag holds 0.5 ft³ by default (Sakrete Multi-Purpose Sand and Natural Play Sand: 6 ft² at 1 in deep).
- One cubic yard weighs 1.35 US tons by default (100 lb per cubic foot, a 50 lb bag per 0.5 ft³). Engineering ToolBox lists dry sand at 97 lb/ft³ and wet sand at 119 lb/ft³.
- No extra by default; add some for spills, an uneven base or sand that packs down.

## Worked examples

1. shape = rect, l = 0.9144, w = 0.6096, depth = 0.0254, extra = 0%, wt = 1.35, bag = 0.5 gives cubicFeet = 0.5, bags = 1, cubicYards = 0.018519. Source: Sakrete Multi-Purpose Sand (a bag yields 6 ft² at 1 in deep), https://www.sakrete.com/product/multi-purpose-sand/.
2. shape = rect, l = 3.048, w = 3.048, depth = 0.0508, extra = 0%, wt = 1.35, bag = 0.5, price = $6.00 gives cubicFeet = 16.666667, cubicYards = 0.617284, bags = 34, tons = 0.833333, cost = $204.00. Source: Sakrete Natural Play Sand (0.5 ft³ per bag), https://www.sakrete.com/product/natural-play-sand/; NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C (1 yd³ = 27 ft³).
3. shape = rect, l = 4, w = 2.5, depth = 0.05, extra = 10%, wt = 1.35, bag = 0.5 gives cubicMeters = 0.55, cubicYards = 0.719373, bags = 39. Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C (1 yd³ = 0.764554857984 m³; 1 ft = 0.3048 m).
4. shape = circle, d = 2.4384, depth = 0.3048, extra = 0%, wt = 1.35, bag = 0.5 gives cubicFeet = 50.265482, bags = 101. Source: Cylinder volume π × d² ÷ 4 × depth (OpenStax, Prealgebra 2e, §9.6, https://openstax.org/books/prealgebra-2e/pages/9-6-solve-geometry-applications-volume-and-surface-area).

## FAQ

### How do I calculate how much sand I need?

Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 10 × 10 ft area 2 in (1/6 ft) deep needs 100 × 1/6 = 16.67 ft³, or 0.62 yd³.

### How many bags of sand do I need?

Divide the cubic feet by the bag size and round up. A 50 lb bag of all-purpose or play sand holds about 0.5 ft³, enough for 6 ft² at 1 in deep (Sakrete). The 16.67 ft³ above is 33.3 bags, so buy 34.

### How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?

About 1.3 US tons dry and up to about 1.6 tons wet. Engineering ToolBox lists dry sand at 97 lb per cubic foot and wet sand at 119 lb. The calculator uses 1.35 tons (100 lb per cubic foot) by default; type your supplier’s figure.

### How much sand do I need under pavers?

Paver bedding sand is usually a 1 in layer. For a 10 × 12 ft patio that is 120 × 1/12 = 10 ft³, or 20 bags of 0.5 ft³. The paver calculator works out the gravel base and the sand together.

### How much play sand fills a sandbox?

Use the circle shape for a round box. A sandbox 8 ft across filled 1 ft deep holds π × 8² ÷ 4 × 1 = 50.27 ft³, or 101 bags of 0.5 ft³. Most sandboxes are filled 6 to 12 in deep.

### Should I buy extra sand?

The calculator adds nothing by default. Add 5% to 10% if the base is uneven, if you spread the sand by hand, or if you will tamp it down.

## Sources

- Sakrete, Multi-Purpose Sand (60 lb bag; yield 6 ft² at 1 in deep). https://www.sakrete.com/product/multi-purpose-sand/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Sakrete, Natural Play Sand (50 lb and 60 lb bags; yields 0.5 ft³ per bag, 6 ft² at 1 in deep). https://www.sakrete.com/product/natural-play-sand/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Engineering ToolBox, Dirt and Mud - Densities (sand, dry 97 lb/ft³; sand, wet 119 lb/ft³). https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dirt-mud-densities-d_1727.html (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement: 1 yd³ = 27 ft³; 1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 short ton = 2,000 lb; 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- OpenStax, Prealgebra 2e, §9.6 Solve Geometry Applications: Volume and Surface Area (cylinder volume). https://openstax.org/books/prealgebra-2e/pages/9-6-solve-geometry-applications-volume-and-surface-area (retrieved 2026-10-02)