Sand Calculator

About this calculator

Working out how much sand a project needs starts with volume, length × width × depth of the area to be filled, but because sand is bought by weight or by bag rather than by volume alone, that raw volume then has to be multiplied by the sand's density (which varies noticeably between dry sand, damp sand and compacted sand, roughly 1,400 to 1,700 kg per cubic metre) to get the weight you'll actually need to buy or haul.

This calculation matters for projects like laying a paver or patio base, filling a sandbox or volleyball court, topping up a playground surface, or bedding pipes in a trench, where getting the quantity wrong means either a delayed trip back to the supplier or paying to haul away surplus material. Since sand is commonly sold in standard bags, 25 kg being one widespread size, converting total weight into a bag count is the final practical step.

Enter your area's dimensions, the layer depth and the sand's density, and this calculator returns the volume, the weight, and how many 25 kg bags you'll need.