Sand Calculator

Get tons and cubic yards of sand for a base, box, or fill.

Inputs
ft ×
ft
in
Results update as you type — no submit
ResultsLIVE
Tons to order
0.83 tons
= 0.76 t (metric)
Cubic yards
0.6 cu yd
≈ 0.47 m³
Cubic yards0.6 cu yd
Approx. weight1,667 lb ≈ 0.83 tons
Formula
volume = 10 × 10 × (2÷12) = 16.7 cu ft = 0.6 cu yd
weight = 0.6 cu yd × 1.35 tons/yd³ = 0.83 tons
Dry sand ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³; damp sand weighs more. Sold by the ton in bulk or in bags for small jobs.
Diagram — area planNTS
10′ 0″10′ 0″DEPTH: 2″SAND AREA · DASHED = EDGE

Sand is sold both by the ton in bulk and by the bag for small jobs, and this calculator works in the bulk units of cubic yards and tons. It multiplies length by width for the area, multiplies by depth for the volume, and multiplies that volume by sand's weight per cubic yard to get tons. Depth in inches is divided by twelve so it matches the feet used for the footprint.

The weight uses a dry-sand density of about 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Sand is unusually sensitive to moisture — damp sand can weigh fifteen to twenty percent more than dry — so the ton figure is an estimate to confirm against the delivered load.

Sand jobs are usually shallow: a bedding layer under pavers is about an inch, a play-sandbox is a couple of inches, and leveling fill is a few inches at most. Because the depth drives the total, it is the field to set carefully.

Worked example
Sandbox 10 ft × 10 ft · depth 2″
volume = 10 × 10 × (2 ÷ 12) = 16.7 cu ft = 0.62 cu yd
tons = 0.62 cu yd × 1.35 tons/yd³ = 0.83 tons
About 1.35 tons of dry sand — roughly 2,700 lb — per cubic yard. Damp or wet sand weighs more, so a rain-soaked pile crosses the scale heavier than the dry estimate.
Estimates for planning only — verify before purchase