Sand for pavers
Pavers sit on 1 inch of bedding sand over 4 to 6 inches of compacted gravel base. One cubic yard of sand covers about 324 sq ft at 1 inch. A 10 × 10 ft patio needs about 0.34 cubic yards, roughly half a ton with extra.
Tons = length × width × depth (ft) ÷ 27 × tons per yard
Which sand?
| Sand | Use |
|---|---|
| Concrete (coarse) sand | Paver bedding, concrete mix |
| Mason sand | Mortar, smooth play areas |
| Play sand | Sandboxes (washed and screened) |
| Fill sand | Backfill, raising grade |
| Polymeric sand | Paver joints only, sold in bags |
Typical depths and coverage for sand
How deep to lay sand depends on the job, so treat these depths as common starting points and defer to your plans or the product label. Coverage is how much ground one cubic yard of sand, or one ton, spreads at that depth.
| Project | Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawn top dressing | 0.5 in | 648 sq ft | 480 sq ft |
| Paver bedding layer | 1 in | 324 sq ft | 240 sq ft |
| Under a pool liner or base | 2 in | 162 sq ft | 120 sq ft |
| Horse arena or volleyball court | 4 in | 81 sq ft | 60 sq ft |
| Sandbox | 8 in | 40 sq ft | 30 sq ft |
Three worked sand jobs
Each job below adds 10% to the sand volume for settling and spills, and converts to tons at 1.35 tons per cubic yard.
| Job | Size | Cubic yards | With 10% extra | Tons to order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paver patio bedding | 12 × 12 ft at 1 in | 0.44 | 0.49 | 0.7 |
| Sandbox | 6 × 6 ft at 8 in | 0.89 | 0.98 | 1.3 |
| Volleyball court | 30 × 60 ft at 12 in | 66.67 | 73.33 | 99.0 |
Before you order sand
- Sand is sold by the ton or the cubic yard. Check which one the quote uses before you compare prices.
- Wet sand weighs more. A load delivered after rain gives you fewer yards per ton than dry sand.
- Concrete or paver sand, mason sand and play sand are different products. Ask for the one that fits the job.
- For play areas, ask for washed, screened sand that is labeled for it.
How many bags of sand are in a yard?
54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet make one cubic yard. Many 50 lb bags of sand hold about 0.5 cubic feet, so a yard is roughly 54 of those bags, about 1.35 tons in all.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of sand weigh?
About 1.3 to 1.4 tons dry, more when wet.
How many bags of play sand fill a sandbox?
A 5 × 5 ft box 6 inches deep holds 12.5 cubic feet, about 25 bags of 0.5 cubic feet.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
1 inch, which is about 1 cubic yard per 324 sq ft.
How do I calculate yards of sand?
Length times width times depth in feet, divided by 27. A 10 by 10 ft area 2 inches deep is 0.62 cubic yards, or 0.68 yards with 10% extra.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
Fill it 6 to 12 inches deep. A 6 by 6 ft box 8 inches deep takes 0.89 cubic yards, or about 1.2 tons at 1.35 tons per yard.
Reference charts
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