How Much Sand Do I Need? Calculator & Guide
Sand is sold by the cubic yard, and most people who call us aren’t sure how many yards their project takes. Fair enough – nobody orders sand often enough to remember. Here’s the math we run at the yard, whether it’s a sandbox, a paver patio, or leveling out a lawn.
The sand formula: square feet to cubic yards
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Measure the area in square feet, decide how deep the sand needs to be in inches, and run this:
A 12-by-14-foot patio (168 square feet) with a 1-inch sand bed works out to 168 × 1 ÷ 324 ≈ 0.5 – half a cubic yard. If you’d rather not do it by hand, our material yardage calculator runs the same numbers for you.
Skip the math
Get your cubic-yard total in seconds
Enter your length, width, and depth – the calculator does the rest. Works for sand, gravel, crushed rock, bark, and topsoil.
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Quick reference: what one cubic yard of sand covers
| Depth | One cubic yard covers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ½ inch | About 648 sq ft | Top-dressing and leveling a lawn |
| 1 inch | About 324 sq ft | Bedding layer under pavers |
| 3 inches | About 108 sq ft | Filling low spots, utility fill |
| 6 inches | About 54 sq ft | Sandboxes and play areas |
How deep should the sand be?
It comes down to the project. A paver patio or walkway sits on about an inch of sand, screeded flat over a compacted gravel base. A sandbox wants around 6 inches so kids can actually dig. Leveling a bumpy lawn takes a light half-inch pass, worked in so the grass still shows through. Fill jobs – low spots, trenches, backfill – go by whatever the hole takes, so measure the deepest point and work from there.
The type of sand matters as much as the amount. We carry utility, mason, plaster, and sandbox sand, and they aren’t interchangeable. Our guide to sand types sorts out which one a job calls for.
A worked example: the sandbox
Say you’re building an 8-by-8-foot sandbox. Here is the math, line by line:
The area: 8 ft × 8 ft = 64 sq ft
The depth: 6 inches of sandbox sand
The math: 64 × 6 ÷ 324 ≈ 1.2 cubic yards
Order a yard and a half. Play sand gets tracked out, packed down, and carried off in pockets, so the extra won’t sit around long.
Cubic yards vs. tons
Sand is heavier than it looks. A cubic yard runs somewhere around 1.3 to 1.5 tons, and wet sand sits at the top of that range. That’s more than a half-ton pickup should carry in one load, which is the main reason most sand orders go out on a delivery truck.
Pro tip
Sand settles once it’s wetted and walked on. For anything you’re leveling or compacting, add about 10% to the number the formula gives you. Running a little over costs less than a second delivery.
Common questions
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Utility, mason, plaster, and sandbox sand, delivered across Seattle, Bellevue & Snohomish County for 60+ years.