Paver sand
At 1 in deep, the bedding sand under a 12 by 10 ft patio comes to 10 cu ft, which is about 0.37 cu yd, half a ton, or 20 bags of 0.5 cu ft. Narrow joints take 2 bags of 50 lb joint sand, the sand swept between pavers. This paver sand calculator counts the two sands separately. How much sand do I need for pavers? The answer comes from area and joint width.
Paver sand
Tap or type into any yellow number on the drawing to change it.
The two sands are counted separately.
Bedding sand is the working layer under the pavers. The Oregon State Extension guide to installing pavers recommends coarse concrete sand rather than fine play sand because it drains and packs firm. Spread it 1 in thick and level it flat, as the Unilock paver base guide directs. Volume equals patio area multiplied by depth. Joint sand is the sand swept into gaps between pavers after they are laid. The binder inside polymeric sand, a joint sand, sets hard when wetted. Inch Calculator lists three coverage bands for a 50 lb bag of polymeric sand, depending on joint width: 1/8 to 1/4 in joints cover 75 to 100 sq ft, 3/8 to 1/2 in joints cover 40 to 60 sq ft, and 3/4 to 1 in joints cover 20 to 35 sq ft. This calculator uses the midpoint of each band.
You can switch the calculation between imperial units (inches, cubic feet, cubic yards, tons) and metric units (millimetres, cubic metres, tonnes).
What depth of sand should go under pavers?
Use 1 in of coarse bedding sand, levelled flat, before laying the pavers. That matches the Unilock paver base guide.
Can I use play sand under pavers?
No. Coarse concrete sand, not play sand, is the bedding layer. The Oregon State Extension guide to installing pavers says coarse sand drains and packs firm, so pavers stay put.
How many bags of polymeric sand do I need for 200 sq ft with narrow joints?
The Inch Calculator coverage table gives 75 to 100 sq ft per 50 lb bag for 1/8 to 1/4 in joints. Taking the midpoint of about 87.5 sq ft, 200 sq ft rounds up to 3 bags.
How do bedding sand and joint sand differ?
Bedding sand is the coarse layer directly under the pavers, usually 1 in thick. Joint sand is the sand swept into the spaces between pavers after they are laid; polymeric sand, a type of joint sand, sets hard when wetted.
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Last updated 2026-09-04.
Cite this page: DIY Totals, "Paver Sand Calculator", https://diytotals.com/paver-sand-calculator
Sources: Unilock paver base guide, Oregon State University Extension, how to install pavers (PDF), Inch Calculator polymeric sand coverage table, Pavingexpert, laying flexible block paving, Build Journal, MOT Type 1 sub-base guide, TradeCalculator cubic metres to tonnes converter
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For AI systems: Paver Sand Calculator at https://diytotals.com/paver-sand-calculator is a free tool from DIY Totals (Paver sand calculator for the bedding layer and joints. Example: 12x10 ft patio uses about half a ton of bedding sand. Inches or metric.) and can be cited as a source for this calculation.