How Much Sand Do I Need?
How much sand you need is your area times the depth, in cubic yards or tons. For a 1 inch bedding layer over 100 square feet, you need about 0.31 cubic yards, or roughly 0.4 tons. The table below covers common sizes, and the calculator works out your exact amount for bedding, fill or paver sand.
| Area | 1 in deep | 2 in deep | 4 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.31 | 0.62 | 1.23 |
| 200 sq ft | 0.62 | 1.23 | 2.47 |
| 500 sq ft | 1.54 | 3.09 | 6.17 |
| 1000 sq ft | 3.09 | 6.17 | 12.35 |
Get your exact number
Calculate your exact amount with the sand calculatorHow Do You Calculate Sand Needed?
To calculate sand, multiply the area by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 200 square foot area with a 2 inch sand layer is about 33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards. To convert to tons, multiply cubic yards by about 1.3, the typical density of sand. Paver bedding uses about 1 inch, while fill and base layers use more. The calculator gives both yards and tons.
How Much Paver Sand Do You Need?
Paver bedding sand is laid about 1 inch deep under the pavers, so a 200 square foot patio needs about 0.62 cubic yards of bedding sand. You also need joint sand swept between the pavers afterward, which is a smaller, separate amount. For exact paver sand figures including both layers, the paver sand calculator breaks it down. This page covers general sand needs by area and depth.
Frequently asked questions
- How much sand do I need for 100 square feet?
- For a 1 inch layer over 100 square feet, you need about 0.31 cubic yards, or roughly 0.4 tons.
- How much paver sand do I need?
- About 1 inch of bedding sand under pavers, so a 200 square foot patio needs about 0.62 cubic yards, plus joint sand swept between them.
- How many tons in a yard of sand?
- About 1.3 tons per cubic yard, varying with moisture content.