20 ft x 10 ft x 2 in
- Cubic feet
- 35
- Estimated tons
- 1.75
- Density used
- 1.35 tons/yd3
Sand density changes with moisture, compaction, and material type. Ask your supplier for a project-specific value.
Sand Calculator
Use this free sand calculator to estimate cubic feet, cubic yards, and tons for paver bedding, leveling sand, sandboxes, and small rectangular sand beds.
Inputs explained Result checks Example values Runs in your browser
Formula steps
- Convert depth from inches to feet.
- Multiply length, width, and depth, then add waste.
- Divide by 27 for cubic yards and multiply by density for tons.
How to use the Sand Calculator
- Enter length, width, depth, tons per cubic yard, and waste percent.
- Press Estimate sand to see cubic yards, cubic feet, and estimated tons.
- Use supplier density when available.
- Moisture, compaction, and material type can change sand tonnage.
What people use it for
Estimate sand for paver bedding or leveling.
Estimate sand volume for a sandbox or small base layer.
Convert cubic yards into estimated tons.
Compare different depth assumptions.
Check whether a bagged-sand order seems close before reading the bag label.
Separate bedding sand from gravel base, joint sand, pool water, and aquarium product limits.
Quick examples
Paver bedding layer
10 ft x 10 ft x 1 in, 10% waste, 1.35 tons/yd30.34 yd3 and 0.46 tons
Leveling sand
20 ft x 10 ft x 2 in, 10% waste, 1.35 tons/yd31.36 yd3 and 1.83 tons
Sandbox
8 ft x 6 ft x 8 in, 5% waste, 1.25 tons/yd31.24 yd3 and 1.56 tons
Path layer
30 ft x 3 ft x 1 in, 5% waste, 1.35 tons/yd30.29 yd3 and 0.39 tons
Bag check
0.46 tons from the paver exampleAbout 19 bags at 50 lb each
Need the guide or a nearby tool?
Need a slower walkthrough, a related calculator, or the full library? These links keep you close to the task you started.
- How to use the Sand Calculator See slower examples, input meanings, formula notes, result limits, and mistakes to avoid.
- Home & Projects Browse related calculators and utilities in the same category.
- Calculator and utility guides Find more guides that use real tool inputs and example numbers.
- All free tools Search every live tool, converter, calculator, AI helper, and browser utility.
Frequently asked questions
Plain-language answers about when to use the tool, what it does with your inputs, what to double-check, and how privacy works.
When should I use the Sand Calculator?
Use it when your task matches one of these common needs: Estimate sand for paver bedding or leveling. Estimate sand volume for a sandbox or small base layer. It works best when you already know the measurements, amounts, units, or options the page asks for.
What is the Sand Calculator doing with my inputs?
In plain language: Cubic feet = length x width x depth inches / 12. Adjusted cubic feet = cubic feet x (1 + waste percent / 100). Cubic yards = adjusted cubic feet / 27. Estimated tons = cubic yards x tons per cubic yard. The examples on the page are there so you can compare your inputs with a worked example before copying the answer.
What do the main Sand Calculator inputs mean?
Length and width: the rectangular project size in feet. Depth: the average sand depth in inches. Tons per cubic yard: the supplier density used to turn volume into weight. Waste percent: extra sand for leveling, spreading loss, compaction, and uneven areas.
How should I read the Sand Calculator answer?
Read the headline estimate first, then check the material, waste, coverage, and unit lines. For project tools, the supporting lines are often the difference between a rough idea and a list you can actually shop from.
What should I double-check before trusting the answer?
Sand density changes with moisture, sand type, compaction, and supplier measurement. This is a rectangular material estimate, not a paver, pool, aquarium, or drainage specification. Also check the unit, scale, mode, and result limit because small input changes can change the answer.
What does the Sand Calculator estimate?
It estimates a rectangular layer of sand in cubic feet, cubic yards, and tons. Enter length, width, depth, density, and waste percent.
Can I use this for paver sand?
Yes for the bedding or leveling sand layer if the area is rectangular. Keep base gravel, edge restraints, slope, compaction, and joint sand as separate checks.
Can I use this for a sandbox?
Yes. Enter the sandbox length and width in feet, then enter the fill depth in inches. Check play-sand bag weight or volume before buying bags.
Does this calculate sand bags?
Not directly. It gives cubic yards and tons. To estimate bags, divide the estimated tons by the bag weight in tons, or compare cubic feet with the bag volume.
Can I use this for pool sand?
Only for a rectangular sand base or filter-sand quantity check when the supplier gives the density. Use the Pool Volume Calculator for water gallons.
Can I use this for aquarium sand?
Only as a rough bed-volume estimate after converting tank length and width to feet. Aquarium sand is usually bought by bag weight, so check the product label.
Why does wet sand change the tons?
Water adds weight and packed sand can settle differently. That is why the tons-per-cubic-yard input matters more than one fixed internet number.
Can this handle a round area?
Not by itself. For a circle, calculate the round area first, then use an equivalent square-foot area or split the project into simpler sections.
Does the site save what I enter?
No. The calculator runs in your browser tab. Your recent answers stay only on the page while you use it, and they are not sent to a server.
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