How many tons of sand are in a cubic yard?

1.34 tons loose (2,673 lb) and 1.57 tons compacted (3,132 lb), using the FHWA dry unit weights for well-graded sand. If a supplier quotes you by the ton and you worked out your job in yards, that ratio is where the two quotes reconcile.

Should I use the loose or the compacted density?

Loose if the sand is spread and left as it lands; compacted if it will be vibrated or rolled and has to hold its depth. The cubic yards are identical either way — only the weight changes, by about 17%. Buying by volume, the distinction costs you nothing; buying by the ton, it is the whole difference.

How much sand do I need for a sandbox?

An 8 × 8 ft box filled 12 inches deep takes 64 ft³, which is 2.37 cubic yards or 3.17 tons of loose sand. Halve the depth and you halve the sand. Measure inside the frame, because the timbers can easily eat 6 inches off each dimension.

How much sand do I need under pavers?

The hardscapes association — CMHA, formerly the ICPI — specifies bedding sand screeded to an uncompacted nominal 1 inch, which works out to 0.31 cubic yards or 0.41 tons per 100 ft². The word uncompacted is theirs: that layer is deliberately left loose before the pavers go down. Our paver base calculator does this alongside the gravel base.

Sand Calculator

Sand is delivered by the cubic yard and weighed by the ton, and the same sand weighs 17% more once it is compacted in place. This calculator gives the volume for your area and depth, and the tonnage for whichever state the sand will be in.

How it works

Multiply length by width by depth in inches, divide by 12 for cubic feet, then by 27 for cubic yards. That volume is the space you are filling, and it does not change with the state of the sand.

The tonnage does. The FHWA's Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements reference manual gives well-graded sand a dry unit weight of 99 lb/ft³ loose and 116 lb/ft³ dense. These are not two products — they are the same sand at two densities, one as it is tipped off the truck and spread, the other after it has been vibrated or rolled into place.

Pick loose when the sand is being spread and left, such as a play area, a bedding course or backfill you will not compact. Pick compacted when the layer will be plate-compacted and has to hold that depth: the space is the same, but it takes more sand by weight to fill it, so the tonnage to buy is higher.

Formula: Cubic yards = (length ft × width ft × depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 · Tons = cubic feet × density (99 lb/ft³ loose, 116 lb/ft³ compacted) ÷ 2,000

Measuring on site

Measure the void you are filling at its finished depth, not the loose depth you tip in. A 12 inch sandbox fill means 12 inches of sand once it has been raked level.
For a sandbox or a trench, the inside dimensions are what count — measure inside the frame, not the outside of the timbers.
Split irregular areas into rectangles and add them. Sand is cheap by the yard and expensive by the extra delivery, so round the area up rather than down.

Waste and what it covers

Sand settles. It settles under compaction, under traffic and under rain, and the volume you order loose is not the volume you have in place a month later. No DOT specification, NRCS document or extension bulletin we searched publishes a compaction or waste percentage for ordering bulk sand — the '10 to 25% extra' repeated across calculator sites has no primary source behind it. The waste factor here is therefore a field you set, not a number we quietly add. If you want the in-place tonnage of a layer you intend to compact, use the compacted density instead of guessing at a percentage.

Sand by area and depth, loose and compacted
Area and depth	Cubic yards	Tons loose	Tons compacted
100 ft² × 1 in	0.31	0.41	0.48
100 ft² × 2 in	0.62	0.83	0.97
100 ft² × 4 in	1.23	1.65	1.93
500 ft² × 2 in	3.09	4.13	4.83
8 × 8 ft sandbox, 12 in	2.37	3.17	3.71

Questions

How many tons of sand are in a cubic yard?: 1.34 tons loose (2,673 lb) and 1.57 tons compacted (3,132 lb), using the FHWA dry unit weights for well-graded sand. If a supplier quotes you by the ton and you worked out your job in yards, that ratio is where the two quotes reconcile.
Should I use the loose or the compacted density?: Loose if the sand is spread and left as it lands; compacted if it will be vibrated or rolled and has to hold its depth. The cubic yards are identical either way — only the weight changes, by about 17%. Buying by volume, the distinction costs you nothing; buying by the ton, it is the whole difference.
How much sand do I need for a sandbox?: An 8 × 8 ft box filled 12 inches deep takes 64 ft³, which is 2.37 cubic yards or 3.17 tons of loose sand. Halve the depth and you halve the sand. Measure inside the frame, because the timbers can easily eat 6 inches off each dimension.
How much sand do I need under pavers?: The hardscapes association — CMHA, formerly the ICPI — specifies bedding sand screeded to an uncompacted nominal 1 inch, which works out to 0.31 cubic yards or 0.41 tons per 100 ft². The word uncompacted is theirs: that layer is deliberately left loose before the pavers go down. Our paver base calculator does this alongside the gravel base.

Sources

Federal Highway Administration — Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements Reference Manual (NHI-05-037), Chapter 5, Table 5-9“Table 5-9. Typical porosity, void ratio, and unit weight values for soils in their natural state (after Peck, Hanson, and Thornburn, 1974). [Columns: Porosity n · Void Ratio e · Water Content w · Unit Weight kN/m³ γd γsat · lb/cu ft γd γsat] Well-graded sand (loose) 0.40 0.67 25% 15.6 19.5 99 124 · Well-graded sand (dense) 0.30 0.43 16% 18.2 21.2 116 135”
Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (formerly ICPI) — PAV-TEC-002-22 — Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements“Sidewalks, patios and pedestrian areas should have a minimum base thickness (after compaction) of 4 in. (100 mm) over well-drained soils. Residential driveways on well-drained soils should be at least 6 in. (150 mm) thick. ... Bedding sand should be spread and screeded to an uncompacted nominal 1 in. (25 mm) thickness.”

Figures and sources last checked by The BuilderTally Team in August 2026.