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

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A ton of sand is about 0.71 cubic yards (19.3 cu ft) — 40 bags of 50 lb, 34 of 60 lb or 29 of 70 lb.

By weight: 2,000 lb ÷ 50 lb = 40 bags. By volume the same ton fills 39 half-cubic-foot bags, because bagged sand is packed a little lighter than a damp bulk yard (1.4 t).
One ton covers about 231 sq ft at 1 in, 116 at 2 in or 58 at 4 in.
Price check: mason sand at $69.95 a ton (Mulch Pros) is about $97.93 a yard; 40 bags at $4.95 cost about $198.
A ton is twice the nominal payload of a half-ton pickup — plan on 2 trips.

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

tons

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

0.71cu yd of all-purpose sand

0.71 cu yd (19.3 cu ft) · 1 ton · or 39 × 50 lb bags

Cubic yards: 0.71cu yd19.3 cu ft
Weight range: 0.9–1.1tonsdry to damp; wet sand weighs more
50 lb bags per ton: 40by weight
Covers at 1 in: 231 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	39	1,950 lb
50 lb	0.5 cu ft	39	1,950 lb
60 lb	0.6 cu ft	33	1,980 lb
70 lb	0.7 cu ft	28	1,960 lb

Bags or bulk?

39 × 50 lb bags

$193

materials, before tax

0.71 cu yd delivered

$124

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Bulk becomes cheaper from about 0.5 tons (21 bags). Your plan: $124.

Getting it home

Total weight: 1 ton · 2,000 lb
Dump truck: 1 single-axle load
Your pickup: 2 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 50% 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

0.72 cu yd All-purpose sand, bulk$49.25
1 load Delivery$75.00

Estimated total$124

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

all-purpose sand, bulk
0.72 cu yd × $
$49.64
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00

Materials total$125

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.

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Compare

What one ton of sand covers

Depth	Sq ft per ton	Tons per 100 sq ft	50 lb bags per 100 sq ft
1 in	231	0.43	17
2 in	116	0.86	34
3 in	77	1.3	50
4 in	58	1.73	67
6 in	39	2.59	100

How this was worked out

1 ton ÷ 1.4 t per yd³ = 0.714 yd³ × 27 = 19.3 cu ft. Spread 1 in deep (1/12 ft), that is 231 sq ft.

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

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

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

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 ton of sand is about 0.71 cubic yards (19.3 cu ft) — 40 bags of 50 lb, 34 of 60 lb or 29 of 70 lb.

By weight: 2,000 lb ÷ 50 lb = 40 bags. By volume the same ton fills 39 half-cubic-foot bags, because bagged sand is packed a little lighter than a damp bulk yard (1.4 t).

One ton covers about 231 sq ft at 1 in, 116 at 2 in or 58 at 4 in.

Price check: mason sand at $69.95 a ton (Mulch Pros) is about $97.93 a yard; 40 bags at $4.95 cost about $198.

A ton is twice the nominal payload of a half-ton pickup — plan on 2 trips.