Sand Calculator
Estimate sand cubic yards, weight, and tons from length, width, depth, and sand type: play, concrete, masonry, or fill.
How to use this sand calculator
Pavers want a 1-inch bedding of concrete sand over compacted gravel. Play sand is washed and finer. Masonry sand is for mortar. This sand calculator converts a rectangle and a depth into yards and tons so you can call the landscape yard once.
Sand is dense. A pickup truck “load” is not a cubic yard if it is heaped wrong — order by the yard or ton from a dealer. For the gravel base under pavers, use the Gravel Calculator, then this tool for the bedding layer only.
Formula
Worked example
A 16×16 sandbox, 2 in of play sand: 16×16×(2/12) ÷ 27 = 1.58 cu yd ≈ 2.13 tons (~4,270 lb).
Related calculators
More home calculators
- Paint Calculator — Calculate how much paint you need from wall size, doors, windows, and coats. Get paintable area, gallons, liters, and how many cans to buy.
- Concrete Calculator — Calculate cubic yards of concrete for slabs, footings, columns, walls, and circular pads. Includes cubic feet, cubic meters, bags, waste, and optional cost.
- Gravel Calculator — Estimate gravel cubic yards and tons from length, width, depth, and rock type. Optional cost per ton for driveways, pads, and paths.
- Flooring Calculator — Add up to four rooms, then calculate flooring square footage, extra material for waste, boxes if you know coverage per box, and optional cost.
- Tile Calculator — Calculate how many tiles you need from room size, tile width and height, grout spacing, and waste. Optional tiles per box and material cost.
- Drywall Calculator — Estimate drywall sheets from room length, width, and height. Subtract doors and windows, add a ceiling, and choose 4×8, 4×10, or 4×12 ft sheets.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
Area × depth in feet ÷ 27 = yards. Two inches over 16×16 ft is about 1.6 cubic yards of play sand.
How much sand under pavers?
Typically 1 inch of concrete sand over a compacted gravel base. Calculate gravel separately.
How many tons in a yard of sand?
About 1.2–1.4 tons. Play and concrete sand are near 1.35 in this tool.
Bags or bulk?
50 lb bags are fine for a tiny patch. Bulk wins past a few dozen bags.
Wet sand weight?
Wet sand is heavier. The tons here are a dry-to-moist planning number, not a scale ticket.
Results are estimates for informational purposes and are not financial, legal, or professional advice. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.