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Paver Sand Calculator

Calculate bedding sand for under pavers and polymeric joint sand for paver joints. Enter your patio or walkway dimensions to get cubic yards, tons, and bag count with 10% settling.

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Enter your supplier's quote for an exact cost estimate.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your patio or walkway length and width in feet. Set depth to 1 inch for the bedding layer; this is the industry standard for paver installation and should not be increased. Select "Paver / Bedding Sand" or "Concrete Sand (Sharp)" as the material type; both are correct for the bedding layer. The result shows cubic yards for bulk ordering and the equivalent bag count for 50-pound bags.

Calculate bedding sand and polymeric joint sand as two separate inputs. Run the calculator at 1-inch depth for the bedding sand amount. For joint sand, use the coverage chart on the polymeric sand bag: typically 25 to 50 square feet per 40-pound bag depending on joint width and paver thickness. Enter your total patio area into that formula separately and add the bag counts to your shopping list.

How to Calculate Paver Sand

Bedding sand formula: cubic yards = (length × width × 1 inch ÷ 12) ÷ 27. At exactly 1 inch depth, this simplifies to: area in sq ft ÷ 324. Example: a 20×20 patio = 400 sq ft ÷ 324 = 1.23 cubic yards raw, or 1.36 cubic yards with 10% settling.

Polymeric joint sand formula: bags = patio area in sq ft ÷ coverage per bag. Coverage per bag is printed on the package and varies by brand, joint width, and paver thickness. A typical 40-pound bag of polymeric sand covers 25 to 50 square feet. For a 20×20 patio (400 sq ft): 400 ÷ 40 sq ft per bag = 10 bags at minimum coverage; 400 ÷ 50 sq ft per bag = 8 bags at maximum coverage. Budget 9 to 10 bags and buy one extra.

Patio size Bedding sand (bags) Bedding (cu yd) Joint sand (bags)
10×10 (100 sq ft)190.342–4
12×16 (192 sq ft)350.654–8
20×20 (400 sq ft)741.368–16
4×40 walkway (160 sq ft)290.543–6

Joint sand bags based on 25–50 sq ft per 40-lb bag coverage range. Check your specific brand's coverage chart.

Paver Sand Tips

Do not over-screed the bedding layer. The most common paver installation mistake is applying 2 to 3 inches of bedding sand instead of 1 inch. A thick sand bed allows pavers to flex, tip, and settle unevenly under load. One inch is the correct depth: enough for fine leveling, not enough to act as a structural base. The compacted aggregate base (typically 4 inches of compacted crushed stone) handles the structural load.

Use polymeric sand for joints, not regular sand. Standard joint sand washes out over time and allows weeds to germinate in the gaps. Polymeric sand contains binders that harden when activated with water, locking the sand in the joints for five or more years. Apply it dry, sweep it into joints with a broom, compact the paver surface with a plate compactor over a protective pad, then activate with a fine mist, not a flood. A flood washes binders from the surface before they set.

Order bulk bedding sand for any patio over 150 square feet. A 150 sq ft patio at 1 inch needs about 0.5 cubic yards of bedding sand, the approximate break-even point between bags and bulk delivery. For larger patios, call a masonry or landscape supply yard and ask for "concrete sand" or "bedding sand" by the cubic yard. Prices run $20 to $35 per cubic yard, far below the per-bag cost at hardware stores.

What to Buy

For paver bedding: coarse concrete sand (also called sharp sand or washed concrete sand) from a masonry or landscape supply yard. Ask for "bedding sand" or "concrete sand" by the cubic yard. Avoid play sand and fine sand for this application. Bulk pricing runs $20 to $35 per cubic yard. For patios under 150 square feet, 50-pound bags of coarse sand from a hardware store work fine.

For paver joints: polymeric sand in 40 to 50-pound bags. Popular brands include Alliance Gator, Techniseal, and Sakrete PermaSand. Coverage is printed on each bag; verify before purchasing. The color options (tan, grey, charcoal) affect the appearance of the finished patio; choose based on your paver color. Buy one extra bag beyond your estimate; unused dry polymeric sand stores indefinitely.

Do not skip the plate compactor. After sweeping polymeric sand into joints, run a plate compactor fitted with a rubber pad over the entire paver surface. This seats the pavers evenly and helps the sand settle fully into the joints before activation. A compactor rents for $40 to $80 per day. Skipping this step leads to uneven joint fill and premature washing-out of the binders.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much bedding sand do I need for a paver patio? +
A 1-inch layer of bedding sand is the standard for paver installation. For a 10×10 patio: 10 × 10 × (1 ÷ 12) = 8.33 cubic feet × 1.10 settling = 9.17 cubic feet. At 0.5 cubic feet per 50-pound bag, that is 19 bags. For a 20×20 patio: 74 bags. For any project over 0.75 cubic yards, bulk concrete sand from a landscape or masonry supplier costs far less than bags.
How much polymeric sand do I need for paver joints? +
A standard 40-pound bag of polymeric sand covers approximately 25 to 50 square feet at a 3/8-inch joint width, depending on paver thickness and joint depth. For a 100 sq ft patio with standard 3/8-inch joints: 2 to 4 bags. For a 200 sq ft patio: 4 to 8 bags. Always buy one extra bag; polymeric sand cannot be reused once the binder activates with water, but it stores indefinitely dry in a sealed bag.
What is the correct sand depth for a paver base? +
Industry paver installation guidelines specify a 1-inch bedding sand layer over a properly compacted aggregate base. This is a firm maximum, not a range: paver failures most commonly result from over-thick sand beds (2 to 3 inches) that allow pavers to flex and sink unevenly. The compacted aggregate base does the structural work; the sand layer provides final fine leveling only. Screed the sand to exactly 1 inch using two 1-inch conduit pipes as a guide.
What type of sand should I use under pavers? +
Use coarse concrete sand, also called sharp sand or washed concrete sand. It has angular particles that compact well and lock in place under paver load. Do not use play sand, fine sand, or beach sand; they have rounded particles that shift under weight, causing paver movement and joint failure. Do not use polymeric sand for the bedding layer; it is formulated for joints only. Your local masonry or landscape supply yard will know exactly what you need if you ask for "paver bedding sand" or "concrete sand."
Can I use regular sand instead of polymeric sand for paver joints? +
You can use regular joint sand, but polymeric sand lasts much longer and is worth the extra cost. Regular joint sand washes out in heavy rain, creating gaps where weeds take root. Re-sanding paver joints every one to two years adds up to more work than the initial cost of polymeric sand. Polymeric sand contains binders that harden when wet, locking the sand in place for five or more years before it needs replacing. For any exposed patio or walkway, polymeric is the right choice.
Do I need to calculate bedding sand and joint sand separately? +
Yes. Bedding sand goes down first in a 1-inch layer over the compacted base before the pavers are laid. Joint sand (polymeric) goes in last after all pavers are in place, swept into the joints, and activated with water. Calculate them separately: use this calculator at 1-inch depth for bedding sand quantity (select paver sand type), and follow the polymeric sand bag coverage chart (25 to 50 sq ft per bag) for joint sand. Add the two amounts to your final order list.
How do I screed sand to exactly 1 inch under pavers? +
Place two 1-inch diameter conduit pipes or screed rails on your compacted aggregate base, parallel to each other and about 6 to 8 feet apart. Pour concrete sand between them to slightly above their height, then drag a straight board (a 2×4 works well) along the tops of the pipes to screed the sand level. Lift the pipes out carefully, fill the voids with sand by hand, and start laying pavers immediately from one corner. Avoid walking on the screeded sand before pavers are placed; footprints create high spots under pavers.

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