How much sand do I need for 100 square feet?
A 1 inch layer over 100 square feet, the standard paver bedding depth, takes 0.32 cubic yards of sand, about 0.45 tons or 18 bags of 50 lb. At 2 inches, for under a pool or play set, it is 0.65 cubic yards (36 bags), and a 6 inch sandbox fill is 1.94 cubic yards.
Sand for 100 square feet by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards (5% extra) | Tons | 50 lb bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.32 | 0.45 | 18 | paver bedding layer |
| 2 in | 0.65 | 0.91 | 36 | under a pool or play set |
| 3 in | 0.97 | 1.36 | 53 | leveling, fill under a slab |
| 4 in | 1.30 | 1.81 | 71 | sand pit, volleyball base |
| 6 in | 1.94 | 2.72 | 105 | sandbox, horseshoe pit |
Coarse concrete sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Play sand is a little lighter; wet sand is heavier.
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Bags or bulk for 100 square feet?
At 1 inch deep this is 18 bags, which is a reasonable carry at about $5 a bag, or $90 total. Bulk sand costs $30 to $50 a ton from a landscape yard, so 0.45 tons is $15 to $25 before delivery. Delivery fees of $50 to $100 make bags the practical choice at this quantity unless you can haul it yourself in a pickup (half a yard per trip). For a sandbox at 6 inches, the 105 bags of play sand needed cost about $630, and bulk play sand is often not available, so plan on bags for that.
Using sand on 100 square feet
- Paver bedding: exactly 1 inch of coarse concrete sand, screeded with a straightedge over pipes, never compacted. The paver calculator adds the base and joint sand.
- Under a pool: 2 inches of masonry sand, leveled and tamped, with the ground dead level first; sand does not fix a slope.
- Lawn leveling: a 50/50 mix of sand and compost no more than 1/2 inch at a time; pure sand over clay makes a hardpan.
- Sandbox: washed play sand 6 to 8 inches deep over landscape fabric with drainage underneath. 100 square feet at 6 inches weighs about 2.5 tons.
- Fill: use fill sand or crushed stone, compacted in 4 inch lifts, and see the gravel calculator for the stone layer.
Common questions
How many bags of sand for 100 square feet?
18 bags of 50 lb at 1 inch deep, 36 at 2 inches, or 105 at 6 inches. A 50 lb bag is about half a cubic foot and covers 6 square feet at 1 inch.
How many tons of sand for 100 square feet?
0.45 tons at 1 inch, 0.91 at 2 inches, 1.81 at 4 inches, or 2.72 tons at 6 inches, using 1.4 tons per cubic yard with 5 percent extra.
How many yards of sand for 100 square feet?
0.32 cubic yards at 1 inch deep. Multiply 100 square feet by the depth in feet (1 inch is 0.083 ft), divide by 27, and add 5 percent for settling. At 3 inches it is 0.97 yards.