How much sand do I need for 200 square feet?
A 1 inch layer over 200 square feet, the standard paver bedding depth, takes 0.65 cubic yards of sand, about 0.91 tons or 36 bags of 50 lb. At 2 inches, for under a pool or play set, it is 1.30 cubic yards (71 bags), and a 6 inch sandbox fill is 3.89 cubic yards.
Sand for 200 square feet by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards (5% extra) | Tons | 50 lb bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.65 | 0.91 | 36 | paver bedding layer |
| 2 in | 1.30 | 1.81 | 71 | under a pool or play set |
| 3 in | 1.94 | 2.72 | 105 | leveling, fill under a slab |
| 4 in | 2.59 | 3.63 | 141 | sand pit, volleyball base |
| 6 in | 3.89 | 5.44 | 210 | sandbox, horseshoe pit |
Coarse concrete sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Play sand is a little lighter; wet sand is heavier.
Change the numbers
The calculator below is preset for this size. Adjust anything and the results update instantly.
Bags or bulk for 200 square feet?
At 1 inch deep this is 36 bags, which costs about $180 at $5 a bag and is a lot of lifting. Bulk sand costs $30 to $50 a ton from a landscape yard, so 0.91 tons is $27 to $45 before delivery. Delivery fees of $50 to $100 make bags the practical choice at this quantity unless you can haul it yourself in a pickup (half a yard per trip). For a sandbox at 6 inches, the 210 bags of play sand needed cost about $1,260, and bulk play sand is often not available, so plan on bags for that.
Using sand on 200 square feet
- Paver bedding: exactly 1 inch of coarse concrete sand, screeded with a straightedge over pipes, never compacted. The paver calculator adds the base and joint sand.
- Under a pool: 2 inches of masonry sand, leveled and tamped, with the ground dead level first; sand does not fix a slope.
- Lawn leveling: a 50/50 mix of sand and compost no more than 1/2 inch at a time; pure sand over clay makes a hardpan.
- Sandbox: washed play sand 6 to 8 inches deep over landscape fabric with drainage underneath. 200 square feet at 6 inches weighs about 5.1 tons.
- Fill: use fill sand or crushed stone, compacted in 4 inch lifts, and see the gravel calculator for the stone layer.
Common questions
How many bags of sand for 200 square feet?
36 bags of 50 lb at 1 inch deep, 71 at 2 inches, or 210 at 6 inches. A 50 lb bag is about half a cubic foot and covers 6 square feet at 1 inch.
How many tons of sand for 200 square feet?
0.91 tons at 1 inch, 1.81 at 2 inches, 3.63 at 4 inches, or 5.44 tons at 6 inches, using 1.4 tons per cubic yard with 5 percent extra.
How many yards of sand for 200 square feet?
0.65 cubic yards at 1 inch deep. Multiply 200 square feet by the depth in feet (1 inch is 0.083 ft), divide by 27, and add 5 percent for settling. At 3 inches it is 1.94 yards.