Sand Calculator

Find the volume, weight, and estimated cost of sand needed to cover an area at a given depth.

⏱ Updated: 18 Sep 2026

Calculator

Free sand calculator: find the volume, weight, and cost of sand needed to cover an area at a given depth.

Cubic Yards
Estimated Weight
tons
Estimated Cost
$

Sand density varies with moisture and compaction — dry loose sand runs lighter, wet or packed sand heavier. The default here (100 lb/ft³) is a commonly published mid-range figure; adjust it to match your supplier's spec sheet, and leave the price field at 0 to see quantity only.

Enter length, width, and depth to calculate sand volume, weight, and cost.

How to Use the Sand Calculator

Enter the area's length, width, and depth, then a density and a price per ton if you want a cost estimate — leave the price at 0 to see quantity only.

Volume comes first: length times width times depth, with depth converted from inches to feet so the units line up.

cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × (depth (in) ÷ 12)
weight = cubic feet × density (lb/ft³)

Sand's weight per cubic foot isn't fixed — dry, loose sand sits lighter than sand that's been rained on or compacted underfoot, sometimes by 15–20 lb/ft³. This Sand Calculator defaults to 100 lb/ft³, a commonly cited mid-range figure, but treats it as an editable input rather than a hidden constant, because the "right" number really is supplier- and condition-specific.

Rounding Up for the Actual Order

Suppliers sell sand by the ton or the cubic yard, not by the exact number a calculator spits out. Round up to the nearest half-ton or full yard your supplier offers, and add a bit extra if the sand is going somewhere with an irregular edge — a play area border or a paver base rarely uses every last cubic foot efficiently.