How Much Sand Do I Need for a Sandbox? Bags and Cubic Yards

An 8 × 8 ft sandbox filled 6 inches deep needs about 1.2 cubic yards of sand (34 ft³), which weighs 1.7 tons and is 68 bags of 50 lb. The charts show other sizes and depths.

Sand for common sandboxes

Dry play sand at 100 lb per cubic foot, 6 inches deep, with 5% extra:

How the depth changes the amount

For an 8 × 8 ft sandbox:

6 inches is a good depth for digging, and a minimum for a sandbox that will be used a lot. Use the sand calculator for your own size.

Bags or bulk?

• A 50 lb bag of play sand holds about half a cubic foot, so 54 bags make a cubic yard.
• Bags are easy to move and keep dry, and sensible for a small box.
• For more than about a third of a cubic yard, bulk sand from a landscape yard costs much less. You need a place for a delivery truck to dump it, and a tarp.

Sand under pavers

Pavers sit on a 1 inch layer of coarse, washed concrete sand over a compacted gravel base. For 100 square feet that is about 0.3 cubic yards. Do not use play sand or stone dust here. See the paver calculator for the pavers and base, and the guide to building a paver patio base.

Choosing the right sand

• Play sand is washed and screened, fine, and safe to touch: use it in a sandbox.
• Concrete (coarse) sand is sharp and gritty, and used under pavers and in mortar and concrete.
• Masonry sand is fine and uniform, and used in mortar and for filling joints.
• Check the label for silica warnings, and wear a dust mask when you handle dry sand in bulk.

Mistakes that cost people money

• Using construction sand in a sandbox. It is dusty, sharp and not meant for play.
• Making the box too shallow, so the sand ends up on the lawn.
• No cover. Cats, rain and leaves foul an open sandbox.
• No drainage: put landscape fabric or drainage holes under the sand.

Frequently asked questions