Sand Calculator
Sand (yd³) = area × depth ÷ 27. A 10 × 10 ft area 2 in deep needs 0.62 yd³: 1,667 lb of dry sand, or 34 bags of 50 lb. Sand delivered wet weighs 10 % more: 2,970 lb per cubic yard instead of 2,700 (Pacific Topsoils).
Sand needed
0.62 yd³
16.7 ft³ · 1,667 lb (0.83 tons), dry
- Bags
- 34 bags of 50 lb
- Area
- 100 ft²
- Weight
- 0.83 short tons · 0.76 t
Bulk sand is sold by the cubic yard or the ton: ask the yard which, and whether it is weighed dry or wet.
Worked examples
A 10 × 10 ft area, 2 in deep
- 10 × 10 × 2 ÷ 12 = 16.67 ft³
- 16.67 ÷ 27 = 0.62 yd³
- 0.617 × 2,700 = 1,667 lb (0.83 tons)
- 1,667 ÷ 50 = 33.3, so 34 bags
Result: 0.62 yd³ of sand, or 34 bags of 50 lb.
Checked by the automated test “sand — 10 × 10 ft at 2 in → 0.62 yd³, 1,667 lb, 34 bags of 50 lb”.
The same sand delivered wet
- 0.617 × 2,970 = 1,833 lb (0.92 tons)
- 1,833 ÷ 50 = 36.7, so 37 bags
Result: 1,833 lb, or 37 bags of 50 lb.
Checked by the automated test “sand — the same sand delivered wet: 1,833 lb, 37 bags”.
How it works
Volume (ft³) = area × depth in inches ÷ 12
Cubic yards = ft³ ÷ 27
Weight = cubic yards × 2,700 lb (dry) or 2,970 lb (wet)
Bags = weight ÷ bag size, rounded up
Assumptions
- Builders sand: 2,700 lb per cubic yard dry and 2,970 lb wet, the figures Pacific Topsoils uses for hauling. Washed or coarse sand is a little heavier (2,800 dry).
- 1 yd³ = 27 ft³ (NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C).
- Depth is the finished layer; the calculator adds nothing for settling, which no source we read gives as a figure for sand.
Reference table
| Depth | 1 yd³ covers | 50 lb bags per 100 ft² |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 ft² | 17 |
| 2 in | 162 ft² | 34 |
| 3 in | 108 ft² | 50 |
| 4 in | 81 ft² | 67 |
| 5 in | 65 ft² | 84 |
| 6 in | 54 ft² | 100 |
Dry builders sand at 2,700 lb/yd³; wet sand weighs 10 % more.
Before you buy
- Bulk or bags. Yards sell bulk sand by the cubic yard or the ton; ask which, and whether the ton is weighed wet.
- Round areas. Choose Circle for a round sandbox and enter its diameter.
- Pavers. For the bed under pavers, the paver calculator gives the 1 in of sand and the base together.
Common mistakes
- Ordering the dry weight for wet sand Pacific Topsoils weighs wet builders sand at 2,970 lb/yd³ against 2,700 dry: 1,833 lb instead of 1,667 for 0.62 yd³, 37 bags instead of 34.
- Confusing cubic and square yards A cubic yard is 27 ft³: at 2 in deep it covers 162 ft², not 9 ft².
- The wrong sand under pavers Unilock warns against mason's sand for the 1 in bed under pavers: tell the yard what the sand is for.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
Pacific Topsoils weighs a cubic yard of builders sand at 2,700 lb dry and 2,970 lb wet, about 1.35 and 1.49 tons. Coarse washed sand is 2,800 lb dry and 3,080 lb wet.
How much sand do I need?
Area in ft² × depth in inches ÷ 324 gives cubic yards. 10 × 10 ft at 2 in: 100 × 2 ÷ 324 = 0.62 yd³, 1,667 lb dry, 34 bags of 50 lb.
How many cubic feet in a yard of sand?
27: a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 ft (NIST Handbook 44). It covers 162 ft² at 2 in deep and 81 ft² at 4 in.
Sources
Formula, examples and sources checked on by the Yardstick Math team. How we check our formulas.
- Safe hauling of bulk materials (builders sand, lb per cubic yard dry and wet) — Pacific Topsoils, accessed
- Handbook 44, Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), accessed
- How to install a patio on grade (bedding course, materials to avoid) — Unilock Contractors, accessed