As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Cubic yards, tons, and 50 lb bags of fill, mason, concrete, or play sand for any area.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Sand needed | 1.1 tons |
| Volume | 0.81 yd³ |
| 50 lb bags | 44 bags |
| Bulk cost | $17 – $35 |
| Sand type | Fill sand |
| Best for | Backfill, grading, and filling low spots. Cheapest, least uniform. |
| Area | 120 sq ft |
| Depth | 2 in |
| Volume | 0.81 yd³ (22 cu ft) |
| Weight | 1.1 tons (2,200 lb) |
| Density used | 1.35 tons per yd³ |
| Price used | $15 – $32 per ton |
Forty-plus bags is well past the point where a bulk delivery is cheaper. Most yards deliver sand by the ton with a $50–$150 haul fee.
Sand is quoted by the ton but measured by volume. This sand calculator converts your area and depth into cubic yards, tons, and 50 lb bags for the type of sand you need, and estimates the bulk cost — so you can compare a supplier quote against the bags at the store.
Dry sand weighs about 2,600 to 2,800 pounds per cubic yard, or 1.3 to 1.4 tons. Wet sand can reach 3,000 pounds. For ordering, use 1.35 tons per cubic yard unless your supplier quotes a different figure for their material.
About 54 bags. A 50 lb bag holds roughly half a cubic foot, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. That is why bagged sand stops making sense above about half a yard.
Coarse washed concrete sand — ASTM C33 — screeded to one inch. Do not use mason sand or play sand as a bedding course; the fine rounded grains hold water and let pavers shift. Joints are filled separately with polymeric or fine joint sand.
A ton of sand is about 0.74 cubic yards, which covers roughly 240 square feet at 1 inch deep, 120 square feet at 2 inches, or 80 square feet at 3 inches.
Fill sand costs $15 to $32 per ton, concrete and mason sand $25 to $55 per ton, and bagged play sand $5 to $9 per 50 lb bag. Delivery adds $50 to $150 per load depending on distance.
Need the whole roof at once? The free roofing calculator works out roof area, squares, shingle bundles, underlayment, drip edge, ridge cap and installed cost from one set of measurements.