Sand for an area, by depth
Sand Calculator
120 sq ft of sand 2 in deep takes 0.74 cubic yards, about 1.07 tons at 1.44 tons per cu yd, or 40 bags of 0.5 cu ft. Choose the area and depth below.
Sources checked
Your estimate
0.74 cu yd
20 cu ft of sand over 120 sq ft at 2 in deep.
- Tons to order0.74 cu yd × 1.44 tons per cu yd1.07 tons
- Across the printed weights1.43 to 1.44 tons per cu yd1.06–1.07 tons
- Bags instead20 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft per bag, rounded up40 bags
Tons use the weight in the box. Sand weighs more when wet; the ticket from the yard decides the bill.
How much sand an area needs
- Measure the area. The example is 12 ft × 10 ft, which is 120 sq ft. An irregular area is split into rectangles, and the areas added.
- Multiply the area by the depth in inches and divide by 12: 120 × 2 ÷ 12 = 20 cu ft.
- Divide by 27 for cubic yards: 20 ÷ 27 = 0.74 cu yd.
- Multiply by the weight of a cubic yard for tons: 0.74 × 1.44 = 1.07 tons.
- Divide the cubic feet by the bag’s volume and round up: 20 ÷ 0.5 = 40, so 40 bags.
Cubic yards come from the area and the depth. Tons come from the weight of a loose cubic yard of sand, which our data prints for fine sand and gravel. The bag is the QUIKRETE Mason Sand bag, the one sand bag with a printed volume in our data.
- Weight of a cubic yard of sand, loose
- 1.44 tons per cu ydMartin Marietta aggregates calculator
- Weight of a cubic yard, Vulcan sand
- 1.431 tons per cu ydVulcan Materials aggregate tonnage estimator
- One 50 lb bag of mason sand
- 0.5 cu ftQUIKRETE Mason Sand data sheet (Oct 2023)
- Depth in the example
- 2 in, an exampleOur default; change it above
Cubic yards and tons per 100 sq ft, by depth
| Depth | Cu yd per 100 sq ft | Tons per 100 sq ft | Bags per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.31 | 0.44 | 17 |
| 2 in | 0.62 | 0.89 | 34 |
| 3 in | 0.93 | 1.33 | 50 |
| 4 in | 1.23 | 1.78 | 67 |
Across the two printed weights, a cubic yard of sand runs from 1.06 to 1.07 tons at the example volume. The form starts from the first figure.
Bags of sand and what they cover
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so it takes 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft. Play sand and all-purpose sand come in bags of other volumes that our data does not print; read the bag and type its volume in the form. A bed of a cubic yard or more is usually quicker and cheaper bought loose. QUIKRETE Mason Sand data sheet (Oct 2023)
Where sources disagree
Weight of a cubic yard of sand
- 1.44 tons per cu yd, Martin Marietta fine sand and gravelMartin Marietta aggregates calculator
- 1.431 tons per cu yd, Vulcan sand (limestone)Vulcan Materials aggregate tonnage estimator
The form uses Martin Marietta’s fine sand and gravel, 1.44 tons. Vulcan prints 1.431. Both are loose, quarry sand; moisture and the sand’s grade move the weight, so type the figure on your ticket when you have it.
Volume of a bag of sand
- 0.5 cu ft per 50 lb bag, QUIKRETE Mason SandQUIKRETE Mason Sand data sheet (Oct 2023)
The form uses the one bag our data prints a volume for. Play sand and all-purpose sand bags are not in our data; read the volume on the bag and type it.
Before you order sand
Sand laid under pavers is a bedding course, and sand swept into the joints is jointing sand. The paver sand calculator sizes the bedding; the polymeric sand calculator counts the bags for joints.
Sand is ordered by the yard or the ton. Check the yard’s price list, since a ticket weighed on the scale decides the bill.
Sand questions
How many cubic yards of sand do I need for 120 square feet?
120 sq ft at 2 in deep is 0.74 cubic yards. That is about 1.07 tons of sand, or 40 bags of 0.5 cu ft.
How many tons of sand is a cubic yard?
About 1.44 tons for fine sand and gravel from Martin Marietta, and 1.43 tons for Vulcan’s sand. Our data has no weight for play sand, so type the weight on your ticket for that.
How many cubic yards of sand for 100 square feet?
At 1 in deep it is 0.31 cu yd, about 0.44 tons. At 2 in it is twice that. The depth table above has 1 to 4 in.
How many bags of sand make a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft, the QUIKRETE Mason Sand bag our data prints. A play sand or all-purpose sand bag can hold a different volume, so read the bag and type it in the form.
How deep should sand be?
Our data has no depth for sand by use. The form starts at 2 in as an example, not a recommendation. For sand under pavers, the bedding course is a separate job; see the paver sand calculator.
Is sand the same weight as gravel?
No. Fine sand and gravel weighs about 1.44 tons per cubic yard in our data, and crushed stone for a base weighs more. The gravel calculator uses the stone weights.
A planning aid, not an engineering calculation: your local code and building inspector have the final word. Terms