Paver Sand Calculator
Figure out how much bedding sand a paver patio needs. Enter the patio length and width in feet and the sand depth in inches to get cubic feet, cubic yards, weight in tons, and 50 lb bags — with a waste percentage built in.
Example: with Patio length (ft) 12 · Patio width (ft) 10 · Sand depth (in) 1 · Waste factor (%) 10 → Sand needed: 11 cu ft of sand.
- In cubic yards0.41 cu yd
- 50 lb bags22 bags (50 lb each)
- Weight0.55 tons (1,100 lb)
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Volume = area × depth, plus waste. Weight uses dry sand at about 100 lb per cubic foot, so a 50 lb bag yields roughly half a cubic foot.
How much sand goes under pavers
The industry-standard bedding layer is 1 inch of coarse concrete sand, screeded flat over a compacted gravel base. That inch is deliberate: thicker sand shifts and lets pavers settle unevenly, thinner sand will not let you bed the pavers fully. The sand's job is only to give each paver a uniform seat — the compacted base underneath carries the load.
This calculator multiplies your area by the depth to get volume, then adds waste. Ten percent covers screeding losses and low spots in the base. You will also need joint sand to sweep into the gaps afterward — figure roughly half a cubic foot (one bag) per 100 sq ft for standard joints, more for wide-jointed flagstone patterns.
Buying bags versus bulk
A 50 lb bag of paver or all-purpose sand holds about half a cubic foot, so bag counts climb fast: a 120 sq ft patio at 1 inch needs about 22 bags. Past roughly 40-50 bags (one cubic yard), bulk delivery from a landscape yard is nearly always cheaper — bulk sand sells by the cubic yard or ton, and one cubic yard weighs about 1.35 tons dry.
How it’s calculated
Volume = length × width × (depth ÷ 12) in cubic feet, then × (1 + waste%/100). Cubic yards = cu ft ÷ 27. Weight assumes dry sand at 100 lb/cu ft (≈ 2,700 lb or 1.35 tons per cu yd). Bags = weight ÷ 50 lb, rounded up.
Sand density is approximate — damp sand runs 10-20% heavier, and coarse concrete sand varies by source. Order by volume when you can and treat tonnage as a check.
Sand for 100 sq ft of patio
| Depth | Volume | 50 lb bags |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 in | 4.2 cu ft | 9 bags |
| 1 in (standard bedding) | 8.3 cu ft | 17 bags |
| 1.5 in | 12.5 cu ft | 25 bags |
| 2 in | 16.7 cu ft | 34 bags |
Computed at 100 lb/cu ft with no waste factor; rounded up to whole bags.
Common mistakes
- Bedding pavers in 2-3 inches of sand to avoid base work — thick sand ruts and the pavers wave within a season. Keep the bedding at 1 inch over compacted gravel.
- Using fine play sand. Bedding needs coarse, angular concrete sand that locks in place and drains.
- Forgetting joint sand — the bedding number here does not include the sand swept into the gaps after laying.
- Ordering by weight without asking if the sand is washed and dry; wet sand can weigh 15% more per yard, shorting your volume.
Frequently asked questions
What is the paver sand formula?
Sand volume = patio area × depth, converted to consistent units: length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards, and multiply cubic feet by about 100 lb to estimate weight.
How deep should paver bedding sand be?
One inch, screeded level, is the standard from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. It is a leveling course, not structure — the compacted gravel base below does the load-bearing.
How many 50 lb bags of sand per square foot?
At the standard 1 inch depth, one 50 lb bag (about 0.5 cu ft) covers roughly 6 sq ft. So a 120 sq ft patio needs about 20-22 bags including waste.
Is paver sand the same as joint (polymeric) sand?
No — bedding sand is plain coarse concrete sand under the pavers; joint sand goes between them. Polymeric joint sand has binders that harden after wetting and should never be used as bedding.
When should I buy bulk instead of bags?
Around one cubic yard (roughly 40-50 bags), bulk from a landscape supplier usually costs far less per ton than bagged sand, even with a delivery fee. Below half a yard, bags are easier to handle and store.