Paver sand calculator
Work out how much bedding sand a paver patio needs at the 1 to 2 inch depth Quikrete specifies.
Paver sand calculator
Use your supplier's density
You need
- Volume
- Weight
- Area
| Order by | Exact | Order, rounded up for anything sold in whole bags |
|---|
Enter your measurements to see what to order.
One cubic yard of paver sand weighs about 1.26 US tons and covers about 219 square feet at 1.5 in.
How to work out how much paver sand you need
- Measure the area in feet and multiply length by width.
- Pick a depth in inches and multiply it by the area to get a volume.
- Multiply the volume by the bulk density, 1495 kg per cubic metre for paver sand, to get a weight.
- Divide the weight by your supplier's ton or cubic yard to get what to order, and round up. Suppliers do not sell part bags.
- Add 10 percent. Covers settlement, uneven ground and the material lost around the edges. A second delivery for half a yard costs more than the extra you did not use.
How many tons in a cubic yard of paver sand?
About 1.26 US tons, at 1495 kg per cubic metre. Because published densities run from 1329 to 1661, the honest answer is a range: between 1.12 and 1.4 tons per cubic yard depending on grading and how wet the load is.
How many cubic yards in a ton of paver sand?
About 0.79 cubic yards. One tonne is about 0.67 cubic metres.
How deep should paver sand be laid?
| Use | Depth | What the supplier says |
|---|---|---|
| Paver bedding | 1 in to 2 in | Quikrete: spread Patio Paver Sand to a depth of 1 to 2 inches over the compacted base. |
How much does paver sand weigh?
Between 1329 and 1661 kg per cubic metre, a spread of 25 percent. Bedding sand under pavers. Quoted loose, before screeding and compaction. The calculator above uses 1495, and you can replace it with your own supplier's figure.
4 published figures from 4 suppliers, read 2026-09-20.
| Supplier | Published figure | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Materials, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)international | 2600 lbs (1.3 tons) per cubic yard, loose | LOOSE - explicitly stated |
| Ottr Landscape Supply (Ottr Supply), Boston, MAinternational | ~2,600-2,800 lbs/yd3 (~1.3-1.4 tons) | Unstated |
| Sutherland Landscape Supplies, Chico, CAinternational | Weight/Yard: 2240 lbs | Unstated |
| Big Earth Landscape Supply, Bradenton / Palmetto / Sarasota, FLinternational | roughly 1.3 tons per cubic yard (= 2,600 lb/yd3) | As-stocked, and the page volunteers that it gets 'even heavier after a good... |
What you can order paver sand in
| Pack | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|
| cubic yard | US, CA | 0.765 m3 |
| US ton | US, CA | 907 kg |
| 0.5 cu ft bag | US, CA | 0.014 m3 |