Sand Calculator
Footprint × depth to cubic feet and cubic yards of sand, with a waste cushion, a whole-yard ordering figure, an optional cost line, and tons only when you supply the density your sand yard actually quotes.
Footprint and depth
Example: a 10 × 10 ft base at 2 in deep is 0.617 cu yd net → with the 5% cushion, order 1 cu yd.
An ordering estimate, not an engineering one — bedding specs, compaction, drainage, and anything structural belongs with a qualified contractor or engineer.
The whole chain, worked once
cu yd = area sq ft × (depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27. The worked base: 100 sq ft
× ⅙ ft = 16.67 cu ft = 0.617 cu yd — the classic 100-square-feet-at-2-inches
case. A 5% cushion for screeding overrun and settling lifts it to 0.648 cu yd, ordered as 1
whole yard with 0.35 cu yd to spare. Every conversion in the chain is a definition
— 12 in/ft, 27 cu ft/cu yd — so the cushion is the only judgment call, and it is yours.
Sold by the yard, weighed by the truck scale
Sand's volume math is exact; its weight is not, because "sand" is a family of products. Washed concrete sand, fine masonry sand, and damp fill dirt-sand blends each land somewhere different on the scale, which is why the tons line stays empty until you type the density from your supplier's quote sheet. Same rule for money: the only cost shown is computed from the price you entered.
One pipeline, three materials
Area × depth → cushion → whole-yard order is the same arithmetic that runs the gravel calculator (base rock under slabs and pavers) and the topsoil calculator (planting beds and grading). If this sand is going under pavers, the paver calculator figures the bedding layer and the paver count together.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need per square foot?
Depth ÷ 12 cubic feet per square foot — pure geometry. At a 2 inch layer that is ⅙ cubic foot per square foot, so 100 square feet takes 16.67 cubic feet, or 0.617 cubic yards. The calculator runs exactly this chain and then rounds the order up to whole yards.
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
It depends on which sand and how wet it is — masonry sand, concrete sand, and fill sand pack differently, and moisture alone can add hundreds of pounds to the identical yard. That is why this page has no built-in density: enter the tons-per-yard figure your supplier quotes and the tool converts with their number, not a made-up one.
Which sand should I buy?
That is a materials-selection question the tool deliberately leaves to your project spec: bedding under pavers typically wants a coarse concrete sand, mortar wants masonry sand, and sandboxes want washed play sand. Whatever you choose, the volume math on this page is identical.
What about bagged sand?
Bag counts are left off on purpose: retail sand is bagged by weight (50 and 60 lb are common) while this tool measures volume, and the volume in a weight-labeled bag varies by product and moisture. Divide the cubic-feet figure by the volume printed on your bag if it states one, and round up.
Why round up to whole cubic yards?
Bulk sand is sold by the yard (or half-yard scoop). The tool shows the exact waste-adjusted volume and the rounded ordering figure side by side, so if your yard sells smaller scoops you can order from the exact number instead.
Nothing you type leaves your device. See how estimates are constructed and tested on the methodology page.