Paver Sand Calculator
A paver patio needs about a 1-inch bed of coarse concrete sand plus joint sand for the gaps. Enter the patio area, paver and joint sizes, and material details to estimate both layers in bags, cubic yards, pounds, tons, and cost. Measurements stay on this device.
- Pavers
- Joint sand
- Bedding sand
- Compacted gravel base
Measurements and materials
Calculated area
216 ft²
20.07 m²
Sand estimates
| Layer | Volume | Order weight | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedding sand | 18.00 ft³ 0.67 yd³ / 0.51 m³ | 2,079 lb 943 kg / 1.04 US tons | 42 |
| Joint sand | 2.12 ft³ 0.08 yd³ / 0.06 m³ | 233 lb 106 kg / 0.12 US tons | 6 |
| Combined | 20.12 ft³ 0.75 yd³ / 0.57 m³ | 2,312 lb 1,049 kg / 1.16 US tons | 48 |
How the calculation works
Area uses length × width for a rectangle, π × (diameter ÷ 2)² for a circle, or your measured custom area. Bedding volume is area × compacted bedding depth.
Pavers and joints use a rectangular repeating grid: one cell is (paver length + joint width) × (paver width + joint width). Pavers are area ÷ cell area, rounded up. Joint fraction is 1 − paver face area ÷ cell area; joint volume is area × joint fraction × joint depth.
Weight, bags, and cost are calculated separately for bedding and joint sand. Raw volume × that product's density × (1 + allowance ÷ 100) gives order weight. Each bag count is its order weight ÷ its bag weight, rounded up; cost uses those rounded counts and their separate prices. The allowance is applied once.
The grid approximation is intended for rectangular pavers in straight, uniform joints. It does not model running-bond edges, irregular or mixed-size pavers, cut waste, slope, moisture, or a manufacturer's product-specific coverage. For polymeric sand, confirm the bag's coverage and permitted joint dimensions.
Field notes
How much sand do you need for pavers?
Plan on a compacted bedding layer of about 1 inch of coarse concrete sand under the pavers, plus a smaller amount of joint sand for the gaps between them. Multiply your area by the bedding depth to get volume, then convert to the units your supplier sells — bags, cubic yards, or tons.
- Measure the length and width in feet and multiply them for the area in square feet.
- Multiply the area by the bedding depth in feet — 1 inch is 1/12 of a foot — for the volume in cubic feet.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards, or multiply by the sand's density (dry sand runs near 100 lb per cubic foot) for pounds and tons.
- Add a waste and compaction allowance, typically 10–20%.
Worked example: a 10 × 16 ft patio is 160 sq ft. At 1 inch deep that is 160 ÷ 12 ≈ 13.3 cubic feet, or about 0.49 cubic yards — roughly 1,330 lb (0.67 US tons), or about 27 fifty-pound bags before the waste allowance. The calculator above runs the same math and adds joint sand, bag counts, and cost.
The three layers under a paver surface
A paver installation is a stack: a compacted gravel base for structure, a thin sand bed for leveling, and joint sand to lock the pavers together. This calculator estimates the two sand layers; base gravel is a separate order, sized the same way (area × depth) plus about 20% for compaction.
| Layer | What it does | Typical depth |
|---|---|---|
| Compacted gravel base | Carries the load and drains water — crushed stone, quarry process, or dense-graded aggregate | 4–6 in for patios and walkways; 6–8 in for driveways |
| Bedding sand | A screeded leveling bed the pavers sit on — not a structural layer | About 1 in |
| Joint sand | Fills the gaps so pavers interlock instead of shifting | Full paver depth, in the joints only |
Which sand should you use?
Use coarse, angular concrete sand (ASTM C33) for the bedding layer, and plain or polymeric joint sand between the pavers. Fine or dusty materials cause the failures — washout, trapped water, and frost heave — that make patios wavy.
| Material | Verdict for bedding |
|---|---|
| Concrete sand (ASTM C33) | Recommended. Coarse and angular; drains well and stays in place once compacted. |
| Mason sand | Avoid. Too fine — it holds water and washes out from under the pavers. |
| Stone dust / limestone screenings | Avoid. Packs hard but traps water; freeze–thaw cycles can heave the pavers. |
| Polymeric sand | Joints only, never bedding. Its binders harden after misting; check the bag's joint-width range and coverage before ordering. |
Cubic feet, cubic yards, and tons
Landscape yards sell sand by the cubic yard or the ton; big-box stores sell it by the bag. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Dry sand weighs roughly 1.3–1.5 US tons per cubic yard depending on moisture and packing — the calculator uses the density you enter, so its pounds and tons figures are the numbers to bring to a supplier.
Bedding sand for common patio sizes
At the standard 1-inch bedding depth, every 12 square feet of patio needs about 1 cubic foot of sand. Typical amounts:
| Patio size | Bedding sand volume | Cubic yards | Approx. 50 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 4.2 cu ft | 0.15 cu yd | 9 |
| 100 sq ft | 8.3 cu ft | 0.31 cu yd | 17 |
| 150 sq ft | 12.5 cu ft | 0.46 cu yd | 25 |
| 200 sq ft | 16.7 cu ft | 0.62 cu yd | 34 |
| 300 sq ft | 25.0 cu ft | 0.93 cu yd | 50 |
| 400 sq ft | 33.3 cu ft | 1.23 cu yd | 67 |
| 500 sq ft | 41.7 cu ft | 1.54 cu yd | 84 |
Assumes a 1-inch bedding depth and dry sand near 100 lb per cubic foot, before any waste allowance. Joint sand is extra — usually a few bags; use the calculator for your paver and joint sizes.
Frequently asked questions
How thick should the sand layer under pavers be?
About 1 inch of compacted coarse concrete sand. A thicker sand bed does not add strength — it lets pavers rut and settle unevenly. The structural depth comes from the compacted gravel base underneath, not the sand.
Do you compact bedding sand before laying pavers?
No. Screed the bedding sand smooth and lay the pavers directly on the loose, screeded surface without walking on it. The sand is compacted afterward, when a plate compactor is run over the laid pavers to seat them.
Can you lay pavers directly on dirt or on sand alone?
No. Soil and unsupported sand shift with moisture and frost, so pavers laid on them sink and heave within seasons. Pavers need a compacted gravel base — commonly 4–6 inches for patios and walkways, 6–8 inches for driveways — with about 1 inch of bedding sand on top.
How many tons is a cubic yard of sand?
Dry sand weighs roughly 1.3–1.5 US tons per cubic yard, depending on moisture and how it packs. This calculator multiplies your volume by the density you enter, so its pounds and tons figures reflect your actual product rather than a generic average.
What is the difference between joint sand and polymeric sand?
Plain joint sand is loose fill that can wash out of the joints and lets weeds seed in. Polymeric sand contains binders that harden after the joints are filled and misted with water, resisting washout, insects, and weeds. Polymeric products have joint-width limits and coverage rates that vary by bag, so confirm the manufacturer's numbers before ordering.