How Much Does a Yard of Sand Weigh? (Dry and Wet)
Short answer: a cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 2,619 lb (1.31 tons), and a cubic yard of wet sand about 3,213 lb (1.61 tons). These come from Engineering ToolBox’s densities of 97 lb per cubic foot dry and 119 lb wet.
To work out tons, yards and bags for your sandbox, paver base or fill, use the sand calculator.
Sand weight per cubic yard
| Sand | lb per cu ft | lb per cu yd | Tons per cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | 97 | 2,619 | 1.31 |
| Wet | 119 | 3,213 | 1.61 |
Multiply pounds per cubic foot by 27 (cubic feet in a yard), then divide by 2,000 for US tons. Wet sand is about 23% heavier because water fills the spaces between the grains.
Weight of common amounts
| Cubic yards | Dry sand | Wet sand | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.31 t (2,619 lb) | 1.61 t (3,213 lb) | 54 |
| 2 | 2.62 t | 3.21 t | 108 |
| 5 | 6.55 t | 8.03 t | 270 |
| 10 | 13.1 t | 16.07 t | 540 |
How much a 100 sq ft area needs
| Depth | Cubic yards | Dry tons | Wet tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in (paver bedding) | 0.31 | 0.40 | 0.50 |
| 2 in | 0.62 | 0.81 | 0.99 |
| 4 in | 1.23 | 1.62 | 1.98 |
| 6 in | 1.85 | 2.43 | 2.98 |
| 12 in (sandbox) | 3.70 | 4.85 | 5.95 |
Buying sand by the ton or the yard
Bulk suppliers usually price sand by the ton and weigh the truck, so wet sand costs more for the same volume. If the pile at the yard is soaked, ask whether they adjust for it, or work out your tons using the wet figure so you don’t come up short.
Bagged sand such as Quikrete All-Purpose Sand comes in 50 lb bags of about 0.5 cu ft, so it takes about 54 bags to make a cubic yard. For a yard or more, bulk delivery is usually easier.
Common questions
How many tons of sand are in a yard?
About 1.31 tons of dry sand, or 1.61 tons of wet sand.
How much does a 5 gallon bucket of sand weigh?
A 5 gallon bucket holds about 0.67 cu ft, so roughly 65 lb of dry sand or 80 lb of wet sand.
How much area does a ton of sand cover?
About 62 sq ft at 4 inches deep, or about 247 sq ft at 1 inch deep (dry sand).
How many bags of sand do I need for a sandbox?
A 6 × 6 ft sandbox filled 12 inches deep holds 36 cu ft, which is 72 bags of 0.5 cu ft. Use the sand calculator for your size.
Sources
- Engineering ToolBox: densities of dirt, sand and gravel: sand 97 lb/ft³ dry, 119 lb/ft³ wet.
- Quikrete All-Purpose Sand (No. 1152): 50 lb bag, about 0.5 cu ft.