How much sand do I need?
Area times depth times density, like any aggregate. The number that surprises people is the weight: dry sand runs about 100 lb per cubic foot, so a modest 10 x 10 ft sandbox filled 8 inches deep needs 66.7 cubic feet, which is 6,670 lb, over 3.3 tons of sand. Wet sand is heavier still at roughly 120 lb per cubic foot, which matters if your supplier weighs trucks after rain.
Paver bedding: the 1 inch rule
Bedding sand under pavers should be a screeded 1 inch layer, never more. Thicker sand layers shift under point loads and let pavers settle unevenly. Use concrete sand (coarse, angular) rather than fine play sand, which stays soft. For the compacted gravel layer that goes underneath the sand, use our paver base calculator, which computes both layers of the sandwich in one go.
Types of sand and when each one is right
Concrete sand: coarse and angular, the default for paver bedding and concrete mixing. Mason sand: finer and screened tighter, for mortar and smooth finishes. Play sand: washed and finest, for sandboxes where texture and cleanliness matter more than structure. Polymeric sand: a jointing product for locking paver joints, sold in bags and calculated by joint area rather than bed depth, so do not use this page for it. Fill sand: unscreened and cheapest, fine for burying pipe and bulk filling.
Bags or bulk?
A 50 lb bag holds about half a cubic foot of sand. A cubic yard needs 54 of those bags, which is why bulk delivery wins for anything bigger than a small sandbox. As a rule of thumb, if the calculator shows more than 15 bags, price a bulk half yard before you start loading a cart.