Sand Calculator
Find how much sand you need for a sandbox, under pavers, or to level the ground, by volume and by weight, and how many bags to buy. Enter each area's shape, size, and depth. For gravel or crushed stone, use the Gravel Calculator.
Add more areas, or subtract areas that need no sand, such as a planter.
- Choose US or Metric. This also sets the units of the results and the bag sizes: 70, 60, and 50 lb bags for US, and 800 kg bulk bags and 22.5 and 20 kg bags for Metric.
- Pick the shape of the area and enter its dimensions and Depth. For a round sandbox, choose the circle. For a shape that is not listed, choose Known area and enter the area directly.
- Use Add section for each extra area. Set a section to Subtract for parts that do not need sand, such as a planter inside a sandy area.
- The Density field shows a typical density for sand. If your supplier gives a density, enter it in any of the units listed. The reset link under the field brings back the typical value.
- Keep the 5% waste allowance or change it. If you change it, Reset to 5% brings it back.
- If your bag is not listed, enter the weight or volume printed on the bag in Custom bag size to add it to the results.
- Optionally, enter a price per US ton, tonne, cubic yard, cubic foot, cubic meter, or bag to estimate the cost.
The dimension and depth fields accept whole numbers, decimals, fractions,
and mixed numbers, such as 12, 10.5,
3/4, or 2 1/2. Choose ft + in
as the unit to enter a length such as 12 ft 6 in in two fields.
How much sand you need
The volume of a layer of sand of even depth is:
Volume = area × depth
Convert every dimension to the same unit before you multiply. With dimensions in feet, divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. The waste allowance is added after subtracting any sections: total = net volume × (1 + waste % ÷ 100). The volume is for loose sand, as it is poured and spread, not compacted.
Sand is often sold by weight, which is:
Weight = total volume × density
The calculator uses a typical density of 100 lb/ft³, 1.35 US tons/yd³, 1.602 t/m³. That's the yield Sakrete gives for its play sand: a 50 lb bag fills 6 ft² at 1 in deep, or 0.5 ft³. Holcim UK uses about the same value, 1.6 t/m³, for several of its sands.
Sand varies more than one typical value suggests, from about 1.4 to 2.0 t/m³. Holcim UK uses 1.39 t/m³ for pavior sand, 1.5 t/m³ for sharp sand, and 1.6 t/m³ for mortar sand. UK bulk bags of building and sharp sand work out to about 1.5 to 2.0 t/m³ from their stated weight and coverage. Vulcan Materials, a major US producer, estimates 100 to 110 lb/ft³ (about 1.6 to 1.76 t/m³) depending on the rock. Sand bought by the ton that is 10% heavier than the typical value covers about 9% less. If you buy by weight, ask your supplier for their density and enter it.
The number of bags is:
Bags = total weight ÷ weight per bag, rounded up
Bags of sand are labeled by weight, in the US as well as in metric countries, so the calculator counts them by weight. That's why bag counts need a density. The calculator shows these bag sizes:
| Bag | Examples |
|---|---|
| 70 lb | Quikrete All-Purpose Sand |
| 60 lb | Quikrete All-Purpose Sand and Sakrete Natural Play Sand |
| 50 lb | Quikrete All-Purpose Sand and Premium Play Sand, and Sakrete Natural Play Sand |
| 800 kg bulk | Wickes and Travis Perkins (UK) |
| 22.5 kg | Wickes (UK) |
| 20 kg | Play sand from Wickes (UK) and King (Canada) |
The calculator counts an 800 kg bulk bag as 800 kg, the weight the sellers state. The actual weight can be about 5% more or less, partly because of moisture, so a bag may cover a little less than the calculator assumes.
The 5% waste allowance follows the margin Holcim UK suggests in its sand calculator. Increase it if the ground is uneven, or if the sand will settle after you spread it and leave the layer short.
Examples
A sandy area in feet
A 10 ft × 10 ft area, 2 in deep, is 16.67 ft³. With a 5% waste allowance, the total is 17.5 ft³, or 0.65 yd³ (0.50 m³). At 100 lb/ft³, that weighs 0.88 US tons (1,750 lb). That's 25 bags of 70 lb, 30 bags of 60 lb, or 35 bags of 50 lb. At $40 per US ton, the cost is $35.00.
Metric dimensions
A 5 m × 4 m area, 50 mm deep, is 1 m³. With 5% added, the total is 1.05 m³. At 1.602 t/m³, that weighs 1.68 tonnes (1,682 kg). That's 3 bulk bags of 800 kg, 75 bags of 22.5 kg, or 85 bags of 20 kg. At £50 per tonne, the cost is £84.10.
FAQ
About 1.35 US tons at 100 lb/ft³: a cubic yard is 27 ft³, and 27 × 100 = 2,700 lb. A cubic meter of the same sand weighs about 1.6 tonnes. Wet or denser sand weighs more.
A US ton of sand at 100 lb/ft³ is 20 ft³, which covers about 240 ft² at 1 in deep, or 120 ft² at 2 in deep. A tonne is about 0.62 m³, which covers about 12.5 m² at 50 mm deep.
About 11 bags of 50 lb for a 4 ft × 4 ft sandbox filled 4 in deep. The sandbox holds 5.33 ft³, which weighs about 533 lb at 100 lb/ft³, and 533 ÷ 50 = 10.67, rounded up. Enter your sandbox's size and depth to see the count for other bag sizes.
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