BuildMath

Sand calculator

A 4 × 4 ft sandbox at 6 inches is 0.30 cubic yards of sand, about 0.41 tons, or 16 bags of 50 lb.

Length
Width
Depth
Material

You need 0.30 cubic yards (8.00 cubic feet, about 0.41 tons at 1.40 tons per cubic yard).

Order about 0.30 cubic yards (0.41 tons at 1.40 tons per cubic yard), or 16 bags (50 lb (0.5 cu ft)).

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4 ft4 ft6 in deep
How we calculated this

4 ft × 4 ft × 6 in (0.500 ft) = 8.00 cubic feet. Divided by 27, that is 0.30 cubic yards.

We used all-purpose sand at 1.40 tons per cubic yard, which gives 0.41 tons.

No extra was added for waste. You can add some under More options if your ground is uneven.

All-purpose, play, paver, mason, and concrete sand use the same dry density, 1.40 tons per cubic yard, from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency stormwater manual (clean sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard; weight varies with moisture). Published dry figures also run about 1.35 tons per cubic yard (Engineering Toolbox, 100 lb per cubic foot). The type only names the product. Wet sand uses 1.62 tons per cubic yard (Engineering Toolbox, 120 lb per cubic foot). Bags use 0.5 cubic feet per 50 lb bag (QUIKRETE).

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Sources

Dry sand defaults to 1.40 short tons per cubic yard from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (state agency) (opens in a new tab) stormwater manual, clean sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard (varies with moisture; accessed October 24, 2026). Engineering ToolBox (engineering reference, 2008) (opens in a new tab) lists dry sand at 100 lb per cubic foot, or 1.35 tons per cubic yard, and wet sand at 120 lb per cubic foot, or 1.62. All-purpose, play, paver, mason, and concrete sand share the 1.40 dry figure. A 50 lb bag holds about ½ cubic foot (QUIKRETE Play Sand product data sheet (manufacturer) (opens in a new tab); QUIKRETE Mason Sand product data sheet (manufacturer) (opens in a new tab)). We do not show a typical price until we have a cited national range.

Sand calculator

A 4 × 4 ft sandbox at 6 inches deep needs 0.30 cubic yards of sand, about 0.41 tons, or 16 bags of 50 lb.

Volume is length × width × depth. Dry sand defaults to 1.40 tons per cubic yard. A 50 lb bag that holds 0.5 cubic feet is counted by volume, not by that bulk density. Pick the sand you are buying so the result names it. All-purpose, play, paver, mason, and concrete sand share that dry weight. Wet sand uses 1.62 tons per cubic yard.

  1. Enter length and width in feet. For a round sandbox, open More options, choose Circle, and enter the diameter.
  2. Set depth in inches. Six inches is a common sandbox fill. Paver bedding is usually about 1 inch on a compacted base.
  3. Choose all-purpose/fill, play, paver/leveling, mason, concrete, or wet sand.
  4. Leave the bag on 50 lb (0.5 cu ft) unless your bag lists a different yield. The count rounds up.
  5. Order 0.30 cubic yards (0.41 tons), or 16 bags, for the default 4 × 4 ft box at 6 inches.

Length × width × (inches ÷ 12) gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply the unrounded yards by 1.40 for tons of dry sand. Bags = cubic feet ÷ 0.5, rounded up. One cubic yard is 54 of those bags.

How much sand do I need?

Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27. A 4 × 4 ft sandbox at 6 inches is 16 × 0.5 ÷ 27 = 0.30 cubic yards. At 1.40 tons per cubic yard that is 0.41 tons, or 16 bags of 50 lb (0.5 cubic feet each). Cubic yards = length × width × (inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27; tons = cubic yards × 1.40 for dry sand; bags = cubic feet ÷ 0.5, rounded up.

Worked example: 4 × 4 sandbox at 6 inches

Worked example

A square 4 by 4 ft sandbox, 6 inches of sand, density 1.40, no waste, 50 lb bags at 0.5 cubic feet.

4 × 4 = 16 square feet. Six inches is 0.5 feet. 16 × 0.5 = 8 cubic feet. 8 ÷ 27 = 0.30 cubic yards. (8 ÷ 27) × 1.40 = 0.41 tons. 8 ÷ 0.5 = 16 bags.

Those are the default numbers on this calculator. A 10 × 10 ft patio with 1 inch of bedding sand is 100 × (1 ÷ 12) = 8.33 cubic feet. 8.33 ÷ 27 = 0.31 cubic yards. (100 ÷ 12 ÷ 27) × 1.40 = 0.43 tons, or 17 bags.

Polymeric sand only fills the joints between pavers. It is sold by the coverage printed on the bag, not by the cubic yard, so do not use this page to count joint sand.

Sand coverage at common depths

DepthSquare feet one cubic yard covers
1 in324 sq ft
2 in162 sq ft
4 in81 sq ft
6 in54 sq ft

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so coverage is 27 ÷ (depth in feet). At 6 inches a 4 × 4 ft box (16 square feet) is 8 cubic feet: 16 bags of 50 lb, or 0.30 cubic yards.

Questions

How many bags of sand are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. At 0.5 cubic feet per bag, that is 54 bags. QUIKRETE lists about ½ cubic foot in a 50 lb bag of play sand and of mason sand, which is the default yield here.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?
A 4 × 4 ft box filled 6 inches deep is 8 cubic feet, or 0.30 cubic yards. At 1.40 tons per cubic yard that is 0.41 tons, or 16 bags of 50 lb.
What type of sand is best for a sandbox?
Washed play sand, screened for sandboxes. Mason sand is a mortar aggregate (ASTM C144) and concrete sand is a coarser concrete aggregate (ASTM C33). Neither is sold as play sand.
What is play sand?
Play sand is washed, screened sand for sandboxes and play areas. A QUIKRETE 50 lb bag holds about ½ cubic foot. Bag count is cubic feet ÷ 0.5, rounded up, not a conversion from the bulk tons figure.
How much paver sand do I need?
Plan on about 1 inch of paver or concrete sand under the pavers, over a compacted base. A 10 × 10 ft patio at 1 inch is 0.31 cubic yards, about 0.43 tons, or 17 bags at 0.5 cubic feet. Polymeric sand is only for the joints; use the coverage on that bag.
How many tons of sand are in a cubic yard?
This calculator defaults to 1.40 short tons per cubic yard of dry sand (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, clean sand). Engineering Toolbox lists dry sand at 100 lb per cubic foot, or 1.35 tons per cubic yard, and wet sand at 120 lb per cubic foot, or 1.62. Ordinary damp sand at 115 lb per cubic foot is about 1.55.

Written by The BuildMath team. Formulas tested against worked examples. Updated October 23, 2026.