aggregates · sold by the cubic yard and by the ton
Sand Calculator
Pick the sand, type the area and how deep it goes. The result comes back in the two units sand is sold in — cubic yards and tons.
What to order
0.41cubic yards
or0.53tons, loose
10 ft short side12 ft long side
Both figures are for Masonry sand loose, the state it is in when it is delivered and spread.
The formula, written out
(12 ft × 10 ft × 1 in ÷ 12) × (1 + 10% waste) ÷ 27 = 0.41 cubic yards
0.4074 cubic yards × 2600 lb per cubic yard (loose) ÷ 2000 = 0.53 tons
The formula above is the one that produced the numbers: the page asks for both in the same call, so the two cannot drift apart.
A paver bed 12 ft by 10 ft at 1 inch deep is 10 cubic feet of sand. Adding the 10% waste factor makes 11 cubic feet, which is 11 ÷ 27 = 0.41 cubic yards. At 2,600 pounds per cubic yard that is about 1,059 pounds, or 0.53 tons — under half a yard, which most yards will still charge a minimum delivery for.
Masonry sand
measured loose · read 2026-08-15 · next check 2027-08-15
“Weight Per Cubic Yard: +/- 2400 lbs”
Cummin Landscape Supply, Atlanta, masonry sand · read 2026-08-15
“One cubic yard of Masonry Sand weighs approximately 1.2 tons (or 2,400 lbs)”
Golden Landscaping Supply, masonry sand bulk · read 2026-08-15
“There are approximately 22.5 cubic feet per 2000 pounds of mason sand (a ton of mason sand is .83 of a cubic yard).”
Mr. Mulch, Columbus, Ohio, mason sand · read 2026-08-15
“Approx. 2500 lbs. per yard.”
Birch Tree Bark & Stone, mason (mortar) sand · read 2026-08-15
“1 cubic yard of the Masonry Sand weighs approximately 2,600 pounds.”
Sands & Soils, masonry (orange) sand · read 2026-08-15
“~2,700 lbs/yd³ (~1.35 tons)”
Ottr Landscape Supply, Boston, Massachusetts, mason sand · read 2026-08-15
“One cubic yard of mortar sand weighs approximately 2800 pounds.”
Stratford Landscape Supply, mortar sand - by the cubic yard · read 2026-08-15
“Approximately 1.5 tons per cubic yard.”
JK Enterprise Landscape Supply, Maryland, masonry sand · read 2026-08-15
Concrete sand
measured loose · read 2026-08-15 · next check 2027-08-15
“1 cubic yard of the White Coarse Sand weighs approximately 2,600 pounds.”
Sands & Soils, white coarse sand · read 2026-08-15
“~2,700 lbs/yd³ (~1.35 tons)”
Ottr Landscape Supply, Boston, Massachusetts, concrete sand — ASTM C33 spec sand · read 2026-08-15
“a bulk density of approximately 100 pounds per cubic foot”
Fanelli Landscape Supply, concrete sand C-33 · read 2026-08-15
“Approximately 1.4 tons per cubic yard”
Roseville Landscape Supply, concrete sand · read 2026-08-15
“Approximately 1.5 tons per cubic yard”
JK Enterprise Landscape Supply, Maryland, concrete sand · read 2026-08-15
Your supplier has the last word. Aggregates vary by quarry and soil varies by the week it was dug, so the range above is what to expect and not a promise about the load you are buying. The weight on their ticket is the one you pay for.
Wet sand and dry sand are not the same weight, and the numbers above are for sand as it is delivered. A pile that has stood through a wet week weighs noticeably more per cubic yard, which matters if you are buying by the ton and not by the yard.
Masonry sand or concrete sand — which one do I want?
Masonry sand is finer and washed: it is what goes into mortar, into a sandbox and under pavers as a bedding layer. Concrete sand is coarser and sharper, and it is what goes into a concrete mix and into a base that has to drain. If somebody said "bedding sand" or "brick sand" they meant the masonry one; if they said "sharp sand" or "torpedo sand" they meant the concrete one.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
Between 2,400 and 2,800 pounds loose, depending which sand and how wet it is. Wet sand is heavier than dry by a wide margin — around a quarter more — and yards sell it as it sits in the pile, so the ticket weight after a rainy week is not the ticket weight after a dry one.
How deep should the sand under pavers be?
One inch of bedding sand, screeded level, is the usual figure and it is what this page defaults to. Thicker is not better: a deep sand layer keeps settling and the pavers move with it. The compacted base underneath is what carries the load, and that is a different material on a different page.
Why does the answer come in tons as well?
Because plenty of yards sell sand by the ton and plenty sell it by the cubic yard, and which one you get depends on where you are. Both are given so you can order in whichever unit the price you were quoted was in. The conversion between them runs through the weight above.