How Much Does a Yard of Sand Weigh?
By Nick · Updated
A cubic yard of dry, loose sand weighs 2,400 to 2,960 pounds, or 1.2 to 1.48 tons. Compacted sand weighs 2,830 to 3,180 pounds a yard. A ton of loose sand is about 0.68 to 0.83 cubic yards.
Work out how much sand you needKey figures
- Dry, loose sand: 2,400 to 2,960 lb per cubic yard.
Source: Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
- Compacted sand: 2,830 to 3,180 lb per cubic yard.
Source: Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
- A 50 lb bag of sand holds about 0.5 cubic feet, so 54 bags make a yard.
Source: Quikrete play sand (0.5 cu ft, 50 lb)
How much does sand weigh loose and compacted?
Weight per cubic yard, dry:
| Material | Lb per cubic yard | Tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand, loose | 2,400 to 2,960 | 1.2 to 1.48 | 0.68 to 0.83 |
| Sand, compacted | 2,830 to 3,180 | 1.42 to 1.59 | 0.63 to 0.71 |
Source: Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
How many yards of sand are in a ton?
About 0.68 to 0.83 cubic yards of dry, loose sand.
Divide 2,000 lb by the weight of a cubic yard. Damp sand weighs more, so a ton of it covers less.
Source: Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
How much does a load of sand weigh?
Multiply the cubic yards by the weight per yard. For dry, loose sand:
- 1 cubic yard: 2,400 to 2,960 lb (1.2 to 1.5 tons)
- 3 cubic yards: 7,200 to 8,880 lb (3.6 to 4.4 tons)
- 5 cubic yards: 12,000 to 14,800 lb (6 to 7.4 tons)
- 10 cubic yards: 24,000 to 29,600 lb (12 to 14.8 tons)
Source: Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
How many bags of sand make a yard?
54 bags of 50 lb. Each bag holds about 0.5 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
That works out to 2,700 lb a yard, which sits inside the published range for loose sand.
Source: Quikrete play sand (0.5 cu ft, 50 lb); Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
Other questions
Is a yard of sand a ton?
More than a ton: 1.2 to 1.48 tons when dry and loose.
Source: Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014); Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
How much sand goes under pavers?
A layer about 1 inch thick, screeded flat and left uncompacted.
Source: ICPI Tech Spec 2 (rev. Feb 2020)
How we worked this out
Weights are from the California and Missouri transportation departments' published tables. The bag figure is from Quikrete's 50 lb play sand. Tons and yards per ton use exact NIST factors.
Sources
- Caltrans Maintenance Manual, Appendix (2014)
- Missouri DOT, Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors
- Quikrete play sand (0.5 cu ft, 50 lb)
- ICPI Tech Spec 2 (rev. Feb 2020)
- NIST Handbook 44 (2024), Appendix C