Bedding Sand Calculator
Find out how much bedding sand you need under pavers or flagstone, based on your patio or walkway area and bedding depth.
Measure straight across the widest point.
Adjust depth below if needed.
Covers spillage and compaction. 5–10% is normal.
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Bags or bulk delivery?
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Coverage & weight
Material profile
For a 300 sq ft patio bedded 1 inch deep, you’ll need about 1.02 cubic yards, or roughly 1.37 tons of concrete or mason sand including 10% waste. Use 2 inches of bed depth for flagstone to level out uneven stone thickness.
Bedding sand needed for common project sizes
These estimates use concrete/mason sand at 2,700 lb per cubic yard with a 10% waste allowance built in.
| Project | Depth | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small paver patio, 100 sq ft | 1 in | 0.34 yd³ | 0.46 tons |
| Paver walkway, 120 sq ft | 1 in | 0.41 yd³ | 0.55 tons |
| Medium paver patio, 288 sq ft | 1 in | 0.98 yd³ | 1.32 tons |
| Flagstone patio, 192 sq ft | 2 in | 1.30 yd³ | 1.76 tons |
| Large flagstone patio, 480 sq ft | 2 in | 3.26 yd³ | 4.40 tons |
| Leveling course, 120 sq ft | 1.5 in | 0.61 yd³ | 0.83 tons |
Sand types, density and typical use
| Type | Weight per yd³ | Best for | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete/mason sand | 2,700 lb | Paver & flagstone bedding | Good |
| Screened bedding sand | 2,650 lb | Level bedding under pavers | Good |
| Stone dust bedding | 2,800 lb | Firm bedding under flagstone | Poor |
Figures are for dry material. Wet or freshly delivered material can weigh noticeably more.
How to calculate bedding sand you need
- Measure the paved area length × width of the patio, walkway, or flagstone area.
- Set the bedding depth 1in for pavers, 1.5in for a leveling course, 2in for flagstone.
- Find cubic yards multiply area by depth in feet and divide by 27.
- Add 10% waste covers screeding losses and settling into the base below.
- Convert to tons multiply cubic yards by sand density (2,650-2,800 lb/yd³) and divide by 2,000.
Worked example
Using the calculator’s default 20 ft × 15 ft patio bedded 1 inch deep with concrete/mason sand:
- Area20 ft × 15 ft = 300 sq ft
- Depth in feet1 in ÷ 12 = 0.083 ft
- Volume300 sq ft × 0.083 ft = 25 cu ft
- Raw cubic yards25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 yd³
- Plus 10% waste0.93 × 1.10 = 1.02 yd³
- Weight (concrete/mason sand, 2,700 lb/yd³)1.02 × 2,700 ÷ 2,000 = 1.37 tons
- Order amountRound up to 1.5 tons, or about 55 bags at 50 lb each
Recommended depth by project
| Project | Recommended depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Project type | Depth | Notes |
| Paver bedding | 1 in | Screed flat before laying pavers; polymeric sand fills the joints |
| Leveling course | 1.5 in | Corrects minor grade variation under a slab or pavers |
| Flagstone bedding | 2 in | Deeper bed accommodates irregular stone thickness |
| Stone dust firm-set flagstone | 1-2 in | Stone dust compacts firmer than washed sand for a rigid set |
| Permeable paver bedding | 1.5 in | Use washed, uniform sand so water drains through the joints |
Bags or bulk delivery?
Bagged bedding sand (typically 50 lb bags) costs several times more per ton than bulk delivery, so it’s mainly worth it for small repairs or a single walkway section. Past about half a ton, bulk delivery plus the flat delivery fee is cheaper and saves hauling a large stack of bags.
- Small jobsunder 0.5 ton (about 20 bags), like a walkway or small paver repair — bags avoid a delivery minimum.
- Medium jobs0.5 to 2 tons, like a standard patio — compare total bag cost to bulk plus the delivery fee.
- Large jobsover 2 tons, like a full patio or flagstone terrace — bulk delivery only.
Common mistakes
- Using unwashed sandunwashed sand contains clay and silt that clump and drain poorly under pavers, leading to heaving and settling.
- Screeding too thick or thininconsistent depth causes rocking pavers and an uneven flagstone set — keep the screed level within about 1/8 inch.
- Skipping the compacted base layerbedding sand is not a structural base; it sits on top of a compacted aggregate base, never directly on soil.
- Confusing bedding sand with polymeric jointing sandbedding goes under the pavers, jointing sand goes in the gaps between them — they are different products with different jobs.
- Not accounting for paver thickness variancenatural flagstone varies in thickness, so its bed needs extra depth (2in) to level out, unlike uniform concrete pavers (1in).
- Laying pavers on stone dust in wet climatesstone dust compacts hard but drains poorly, and can trap water under the pavers over time.
What this calculator assumes
Adjust your result if your project differs from these.
- Depth is the loose, screeded bedding-sand thickness, not the compacted base beneath it.
- Sand sits on a properly compacted gravel or aggregate base, not directly on soil.
- Density reflects damp, screeded sand at typical bulk density.
- 10% waste covers screeding losses and minor settling.
- Prices are material only; base aggregate, pavers, and edging are separate.
- Bag coverage assumes standard 50 lb bags.
Common questions
How thick should bedding sand be under pavers?
1 inch compacted, screeded flat and level before laying pavers.
Can I use regular play sand for paver bedding?
No. Play sand is too fine and rounded; use coarse, washed concrete/mason sand or screened bedding sand for proper interlock and drainage.
What's the difference between bedding sand and polymeric sand?
Bedding sand goes underneath the pavers to create a level base. Polymeric sand is swept into the joints between pavers and hardens to lock them in place.
Should I compact the sand before laying pavers?
Screed it flat but don’t compact it first — compact the whole assembly (sand plus pavers) together after the pavers are laid.
Can I use stone dust instead of sand?
Yes, especially for flagstone — stone dust compacts firmer for a rigid set, though it drains more poorly than washed sand.
How much sand do I need for a 10×10 patio?
At 100 sq ft and 1 inch deep, you need about 0.34 cubic yards, or roughly 0.46 tons of bedding sand including waste.
Does bedding sand go directly on soil?
No — it sits on top of a compacted gravel or aggregate base, never directly on soil, or the pavers will settle unevenly.
How many tons of sand are in a cubic yard?
About 1.325 to 1.4 tons, depending on grade — concrete/mason sand is 2,700 lb/yd³, screened sand about 2,650 lb/yd³, and stone dust about 2,800 lb/yd³.
Can I skip bedding sand and set pavers directly on the base?
No — without a bedding layer, pavers sit unevenly on the coarser aggregate below and can’t be leveled or adjusted individually.
How much does bedding sand cost per ton?
This calculator’s default estimate uses about $48 per ton plus a flat delivery fee; bagged sand costs more per ton but avoids a delivery minimum for small jobs.
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Project
| Shape | — |
| Dimensions | — |
| Depth | — |
| Area | — |
| Material | — |
| Waste allowance | — |
Volume & weight (incl. waste)
| Cubic yards | — |
| Cubic feet | — |
| Weight | — |
| Tons (rounded up) | — |
Shopping list
| Bulk order | — |
| Bagged alternative (0.5 cu ft) | — |
| Estimated cost | — |
Notes
Estimate generated by materialcalculate.com. Assumes uniform depth and standard dry material densities. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.