How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a cubic yard?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A cubic yard of sand weighs about 1.4 tons (2,800 lb) loose and damp — that is 54 bags of 50 lb (0.5 cu ft), 45 of 60 lb or 39 of 70 lb.

Published weights for bulk sand: Vulcan 1.35–1.49, Martin Marietta 1.44–1.47 and Kokosing 1.5 tons per cubic yard; a scale-weighed yard of mason sand at Mulch Pros is 2,600 lb (1.3 t).
Bagged sand holds about 1 cu ft per 100 lb — Sakrete's data sheet gives 0.6 cu ft for a 60 lb bag — so 27 cu ft is 54 half-cubic-foot bags.
One yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 in (a paver bed), 162 sq ft at 2 in or 81 sq ft at 4 in.
Cost: 54 bags at $4.95 is about $267, against $68.95 for a yard of bulk concrete sand (Roseville) or $69.95 a ton for mason sand (Mulch Pros) — plus delivery.
Hauling: 3 trips in a half-ton pickup (1,000 lb payload) per yard; a single-axle dump truck carries about 3.6 yd.

Adjust it to your exact job

What's it for?

Job

The IRC allows a 4 in base of clean graded sand, gravel or crushed stone under slabs.

Size

Shape

Amount you're ordering

cu yd

Measured in

Sand & bags

Sand

Washed coarse sand meeting ASTM C33 (Quikrete No. 1152). Mixing, leveling, under slabs.

Bag

Weight-labelled bags hold about 1 cu ft per 100 lb (Sakrete: a 60 lb bag yields about 0.6 cu ft).

How you'll buy it

You need

1cu yd of all-purpose sand

1 cu yd (27 cu ft) · 1.4 tons · or 54 × 50 lb bags

Cubic yards: 1cu yd27 cu ft
Weight range: 1.3–1.5tonsdry to damp; wet sand weighs more
50 lb bags per ton: 40by weight
Covers at 1 in: 324 sq fta paver bed

Every bag size

Bags needed by bag size
Bag	Yield	Bags	Total weight
0.5 cu ft	0.5 cu ft	54	2,700 lb
50 lb	0.5 cu ft	54	2,700 lb
60 lb	0.6 cu ft	45	2,700 lb
70 lb	0.7 cu ft	39	2,730 lb

Bags or bulk?

54 × 50 lb bags

$267

materials, before tax

1 cu yd delivered

$144

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Bulk becomes cheaper from about 0.5 tons (21 bags). Your plan: $144.

Getting it home

Total weight: 1.4 tons · 2,800 lb
Dump truck: 1 single-axle load
Your pickup: 3 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 36% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Under a slab

The IRC allows a 4 in base of clean graded sand, gravel or crushed stone under slabs on ground. Working out the concrete? Use the slab calculator.

Shopping list

1 cu yd All-purpose sand, bulk$68.95
1 load Delivery$75.00

Estimated total$144

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

all-purpose sand, bulk
1 cu yd × $
$68.95
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00

Materials total$144

Bag prices are retail snapshots; bulk prices from Mulch Pros (GA) and Roseville Rock Supply (CA), Oct 2026. Tap any price to use your store's.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

Sand bags per cubic yard and per ton

Bag	Yield	Bags per cu yd	Bags per ton	Weight of a yard of bags
50 lb	0.5 cu ft	54	40	2,700 lb
60 lb	0.6 cu ft	45	34	2,700 lb
70 lb	0.7 cu ft	39	29	2,730 lb

How this was worked out

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Divide by the bag yield (0.5, 0.6 or 0.7 cu ft) and round up for bags; multiply by the weight per yard for tons. Bags are counted by volume here — 54 bags of 50 lb is 2,700 lb, close to the 2,800 lb a damp bulk yard weighs.

Moisture moves the weight, not the volume: a yard of wet sand from an uncovered pile can weigh noticeably more than the same yard dry, which matters for a pickup's payload but not for how much you spread.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main sand calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

How many bags of sand are in a ton, and how many yards?

Sources

Data behind this answer

Vulcan Materials construction aggregates calculator — screenings 110–124 lb/ft³, sand 100–110 lb/ft³, coarse 90–102 lb/ft³ by geology · checked October 2026
Martin Marietta product calculator — material density table — coarse stone 1.32 t/yd³, base 1.90–1.95 t/yd³ (compacted basis), crushed-concrete base 1.47 · checked October 2026
Kokosing Materials (Ohio) tonnage calculator — factors 1.5 (sand), 1.65 (#57/#8), 1.75 (304/411/screenings) — the high end of published values · checked October 2026
Mulch Pros — material weight & coverage (scale weights) — 2,600–2,900 lb per yd³ of stone; 1 yd³ covers 162 sq ft at 2 in and 108 at 3 in; pine straw bale ≈ 40 sq ft; single-axle ≈ 5 t, tandem up to 18 t · checked October 2026
Mulch Pros price list (October 22, 2026) — bag and bulk prices for mulch, soil, compost, #57, crush & run, pea gravel, sand; delivery $7/mi ($60 min) · checked October 2026
Roseville Rock Supply — aggregates, sands, topsoil & delivery rates — DG $106.95/yd³, concrete sand $68.95/yd³, screened topsoil $51.95/yd³; free delivery from 4 yd within 14 mi · checked October 2026
Sakrete Multi-Purpose Sand technical data sheet — 60 lb bag yields about 0.6 cu ft (~7 sq ft at 1 in) — roughly 100 lb per cu ft · checked October 2026
Quikrete Sand & Gravel products data sheet (Nov 2020) — All-Purpose Sand 50/60/70 lb (56 bags per pallet at 50 lb); Play Sand 50 lb; gravel 3/8 in top size · checked October 2026
Unilock Basic Tech Guide (Jan 2024) — base 6–8 in patios & walks, 6–12 in pool decks, 10–14 in driveways; 1 in bedding; compact in 2–3 in layers; edge restraints spiked into the base · checked October 2026
Quikrete Patio Paver Sands data sheet — spread base sand 1–2 in over the compacted base; edge restraints required · checked October 2026
CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325) — Table 2 depths and fall heights; loose fill compresses at least 25%; 12 in initial fill for 9 in · checked October 2026
International Residential Code 2021 — R506.2.2 base course — 4 in base of clean graded sand, gravel or crushed stone under slabs · checked October 2026

Short answer

A cubic yard of sand weighs about 1.4 tons (2,800 lb) loose and damp — that is 54 bags of 50 lb (0.5 cu ft), 45 of 60 lb or 39 of 70 lb.

Published weights for bulk sand: Vulcan 1.35–1.49, Martin Marietta 1.44–1.47 and Kokosing 1.5 tons per cubic yard; a scale-weighed yard of mason sand at Mulch Pros is 2,600 lb (1.3 t).

Bagged sand holds about 1 cu ft per 100 lb — Sakrete's data sheet gives 0.6 cu ft for a 60 lb bag — so 27 cu ft is 54 half-cubic-foot bags.

One yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 in (a paver bed), 162 sq ft at 2 in or 81 sq ft at 4 in.

Cost: 54 bags at $4.95 is about $267, against $68.95 for a yard of bulk concrete sand (Roseville) or $69.95 a ton for mason sand (Mulch Pros) — plus delivery.

Hauling: 3 trips in a half-ton pickup (1,000 lb payload) per yard; a single-axle dump truck carries about 3.6 yd.

Adjust it to your exact job

What's it for?

Job

The IRC allows a 4 in base of clean graded sand, gravel or crushed stone under slabs.

Size

Shape

Amount you're ordering

cu yd

Measured in

Sand & bags

Sand

Washed coarse sand meeting ASTM C33 (Quikrete No. 1152). Mixing, leveling, under slabs.

Bag

Weight-labelled bags hold about 1 cu ft per 100 lb (Sakrete: a 60 lb bag yields about 0.6 cu ft).

How you'll buy it

You need

1cu yd of all-purpose sand

1 cu yd (27 cu ft) · 1.4 tons · or 54 × 50 lb bags

Cubic yards: 1cu yd27 cu ft
Weight range: 1.3–1.5tonsdry to damp; wet sand weighs more
50 lb bags per ton: 40by weight
Covers at 1 in: 324 sq fta paver bed

Every bag size

Bags needed by bag size
Bag	Yield	Bags	Total weight
0.5 cu ft	0.5 cu ft	54	2,700 lb
50 lb	0.5 cu ft	54	2,700 lb
60 lb	0.6 cu ft	45	2,700 lb
70 lb	0.7 cu ft	39	2,730 lb

Bags or bulk?

54 × 50 lb bags

$267

materials, before tax

1 cu yd delivered

$144

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Bulk becomes cheaper from about 0.5 tons (21 bags). Your plan: $144.

Getting it home

Total weight: 1.4 tons · 2,800 lb
Dump truck: 1 single-axle load
Your pickup: 3 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 36% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Under a slab

The IRC allows a 4 in base of clean graded sand, gravel or crushed stone under slabs on ground. Working out the concrete? Use the slab calculator.

Shopping list

1 cu yd All-purpose sand, bulk$68.95
1 load Delivery$75.00

Estimated total$144

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

all-purpose sand, bulk
1 cu yd × $
$68.95
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00

Materials total$144

Bag prices are retail snapshots; bulk prices from Mulch Pros (GA) and Roseville Rock Supply (CA), Oct 2026. Tap any price to use your store's.

Bag

Yield

Bags per cu yd

Bags per ton

Weight of a yard of bags

50 lb

0.5 cu ft

2,700 lb

60 lb

0.6 cu ft

2,700 lb

70 lb

0.7 cu ft

2,730 lb

How this was worked out

The full method, material data and tips are on the main sand calculator page.