Sand calculator for Utah
Calculate mason or washed sand amounts in tons and cubic yards, with depth tips for different jobs.
Enter your project dimensions
A cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb, or 1.35 tons. After rain, wet sand may reach 3,200 lb, making it harder to move even though the ordered quantity stays the same. This calculator turns area and depth into yards and tons. Depth matters: use a 1-inch paver bed, while a sandbox needs 6-inch.
Sand calculations
- Record the area in feet. For round pools and fire pits, enter the diameter, then let circle mode do the calculation.
- Match the depth to the application. Find the depth list in the next section.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply yards by 1.35 to estimate dry-sand tons.
Sand depth for each job
- Use 1 inch of screeded coarse sand for paver bedding, and do not go deeper. Added depth can lead to paver movement. See the Paver Sand Calculator for the layer details.
- For sandboxes, use 6 inches of washed sand. A 8 x 8 box needs about 1.2 yards or 1.6 tons.
- Place 2 inches of mason sand below an above-ground pool. Screed it level and keep stones off the liner.
- For lawn leveling, mix a quarter to a half inch of sand into the soil. Over Wasatch Front clay, a separate sand layer can block root growth.
- For common mortar and concrete mixes, allow a ton of sand for 7 to 8 bags of cement, then follow the required mix ratio.
Sand coverage and weight
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft | ≈ 240 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | ≈ 120 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | ≈ 80 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | ≈ 40 sq ft |
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paver bedding layer | 20 x 15 ft patio | 1" | 0.9 yd³ | 1.3 tons |
| Kids' sandbox | 8 x 8 ft | 6" | 1.2 yd³ | 1.6 tons |
| Above-ground pool base | 15 ft round | 2" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.5 tons |
| Volleyball court refresh | 30 x 60 ft | 2" | 11.1 yd³ | 15 tons |
| Lawn leveling blend | ≈ 500 sq ft | 0.5" | 0.8 yd³ | 1 tons |
Choosing mason sand or washed sand
Mason sand has a finer, more even texture for mortar, paver joints, pool bases, and jobs that need a smooth finish. Washed sand has clay and silt rinsed away, making it useful for bedding, sandboxes, and general mixes. Since both weigh the same per yard, the calculator result stays the same. Select based on the work at hand.
Bag comparison math
A 50 lb bag contains about half a cubic foot, and a cubic yard comes to 54 bags. At 1 inch deep, each bag covers roughly 6 square feet. For a 300-square-foot bedding area, that is 25 bags from the store or one tipped ton delivered free. Tarp sand stored on site. Once wet, it is harder to screed and can weigh a fifth more per shovel.
Sand for mortar and concrete
For site mixing, a 3:2:1 concrete blend of stone, sand, and cement uses about a ton of sand per 7 to 8 bags of cement. Mortar for a 100-block wall uses roughly a third of a ton of mason sand. Use washed sand in concrete and mason sand in mortar. For structural pours larger than a yard or two, check ready-mix pricing against the DIY calculation before committing your weekend.
Common sand quantity questions
How much sand is required?
What does a yard of sand weigh?
How many 50 lb sand bags make a yard?
How much sand belongs in a sandbox?
Which sand should go beneath an above-ground pool?
Which sand works for paver bedding and joints?
Do you sell sand by ton or by yard?
Other calculators
Mason and washed sand
Mason and washed sand sold by the ton, with free delivery across Utah.
