How much sand do I need for 300 square feet?
A 1 inch layer over 300 square feet, the standard paver bedding depth, takes 0.97 cubic yards of sand, about 1.36 tons or 53 bags of 50 lb. At 2 inches, for under a pool or play set, it is 1.94 cubic yards (105 bags), and a 6 inch sandbox fill is 5.83 cubic yards.
Sand for 300 square feet by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards (5% extra) | Tons | 50 lb bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.97 | 1.36 | 53 | paver bedding layer |
| 2 in | 1.94 | 2.72 | 105 | under a pool or play set |
| 3 in | 2.92 | 4.08 | 158 | leveling, fill under a slab |
| 4 in | 3.89 | 5.44 | 210 | sand pit, volleyball base |
| 6 in | 5.83 | 8.17 | 315 | sandbox, horseshoe pit |
Coarse concrete sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Play sand is a little lighter; wet sand is heavier.
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Bags or bulk for 300 square feet?
At 1 inch deep this is 53 bags, which costs about $265 at $5 a bag and is a lot of lifting. Bulk sand costs $30 to $50 a ton from a landscape yard, so 1.36 tons is $41 to $68 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 315 bags of play sand needed cost about $1,890, and bulk play sand is often not available, so plan on bags for that.
Using sand on 300 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. 300 square feet at 6 inches weighs about 7.6 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 300 square feet?
53 bags of 50 lb at 1 inch deep, 105 at 2 inches, or 315 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 300 square feet?
1.36 tons at 1 inch, 2.72 at 2 inches, 5.44 at 4 inches, or 8.17 tons at 6 inches, using 1.4 tons per cubic yard with 5 percent extra.
How many yards of sand for 300 square feet?
0.97 cubic yards at 1 inch deep. Multiply 300 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 2.92 yards.