Know which sand you need
For paver bedding, coarse or 'concrete' sand in a 1-inch screeded layer is the standard. Play sand is washed and fine — sold bagged, not by the ton. Fill sand is cheap and uncompacted; use it to fill low spots, never under pavers. Each behaves differently under load, so match the type to the job before you calculate the tonnage.
The 1-inch bedding rule
A common beginner mistake is building a thick sand layer under pavers — sand shifts, and a 2-inch bed will develop low spots the first season. The industry standard is 1 inch of screeded sand over 4–6 inches of compacted gravel. The sand layer is for setting the pavers level, not for structure.
Wet sand weighs more
The calculator uses about 1.5 tons per cubic yard for dry sand. If a rain soaked the pile at the yard, wet sand can approach 1.7 tons per yard — one more reason to let the quarry tell you their conversion when ordering by weight.
Sources and standards
Where these figures come from
Every formula on this page is implemented from the published reference material below. Where a value depends on a regional code, the calculator lets you override it rather than assuming one jurisdiction.
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — soil texture, bulk density and seeding rate guidance.
- US Geological Survey — mineral commodity data and aggregate density references.
- National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association — aggregate grading and product specification references.
Figures, formulas and reference tables last verified: 19 September 2026.