Example 1
- 6 × 4 × 0.05 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +5% waste
1.26 m³ · 2.02 t
How much sand for a 6×4×0.05 m bed? ×5% at 1600 kg/m³ → 1.26 m³ (2.02 t).
Sand Calculator
Enter length, width, and bed thickness. The calculator multiplies the three sizes, adds waste, and a mass from density. A 6×4 m bed 5 cm thick at 1600 kg/m³ and 5% is 1.26 m³ and 2.02 t. A thinner 10×5 m layer 3 cm at 1750 kg/m³ and 8% is 1.62 m³ and 2.84 t.
Results
Enter length, width, depth or thickness, and waste. The result shows up here.
The calculator estimates sand volume and tonnes. Moisture changes mass a lot. Related: gravel, cement in mortar.
How results are calculated
L×W×D6×4×0.05
Waste5%
ρ1600
V1.26 m³
The sand calculator finds volume and tonnes. The formula is length × width × thickness × (1 + waste/100). Mass is V × density. Bulk bags and small bags round up when you fill those fields.
A paver bed 6×4 m and 5 cm at 1600 kg/m³ and 5% is 1.26 m³ and 2.02 t. A thin 10×5 m layer 3 cm at 1750 kg/m³ and 8% is 1.62 m³ and 2.84 t. A 3×2 m sandbox 10 cm at 1600 kg/m³ and 5% is 0.63 m³ and 1.01 t.
Enter length, width, and thickness in the header unit. Five centimeters is 0.05, not 5. Waste, density preset, custom density, bulk bag, small bag, and price are optional. A comma in 0.05 works the same as a period.
Gravel and topsoil use the same field layout with different typical densities. Cement in mortar is calculated on a separate page. A 6×4 m floor is 24 m²; here you multiply it by bed thickness.
Wet sand weighs more at the same volume. The mass result is an estimate: 2.02 t at 1600 kg/m³ can drop or rise after rain. Bags round up.
Enter 6 m, 4 m, and 0.05 m at 1600 kg/m³ and 5%: 1.26 m³ and 2.02 t. Then 3 m, 2 m, and 0.1 m: 0.63 m³ and 1.01 t.
How to use this calculator
- Enter length, width, and thickness in the header unit. A 5 cm bed is 0.05, not 5.
- Set waste, usually 5–8%, and density from a preset or your own kg/m³, for example 1600.
- Optionally enter bulk-bag volume and bag size if you buy in packs.
- Click Calculate. 6×4×0.05 m, 1600 kg/m³, and 5% give 1.26 m³ and 2.02 t.
- Use the related calculators for gravel and topsoil. This page calculates sand only.
Formula
V = length × width × thickness × (1 + waste/100)
mass = V × density
6×4×0.05 m at 5% and 1600 kg/m³: V = 1.26 m³, mass = 2.02 t. A 10×5×0.03 m layer at 1750 and 8% is 1.62 m³ and 2.84 t.
Bed and density
Volume is three sizes × (1 + waste), and mass comes from density. A 6×4 m bed 5 cm thick at 1600 kg/m³ and 5% is 1.26 m³ and 2.02 t.
- m³
- Volume. 6 × 4 × 0.05 × 1.05 = 1.26. A 10×5×0.03 m layer at 1750 and 8% is 1.62 m³.
- kg/m³
- Density. 1600 on 1.26 m³ is 2.02 t. Moist 1750 on 1.62 m³ is 2.84 t.
- t
- Tonnes = V × density ÷ 1000. 1.26 × 1600 = 2.02 t.
- 0.05
- 5 cm in meters. Entering 5 instead of 0.05 overstates the result a hundred times.
Practical tips
- Paving bed: often about 30-50 mm over a compacted base.
- Moisture: if you buy by the tonne, match the preset to what the yard delivers.
- Small jobs: 25 kg bags can be easier than a loose load.
Usage examples
Example 2
- 10 × 5 × 0.03 m
- 1750 kg/m³
- +8% waste
1.62 m³ · 2.84 t
A 10×5×0.03 m layer ×8% at 1750 kg/m³ → 1.62 m³ (2.84 t).
Example 3
- 3 × 2 × 0.1 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +5% waste
0.63 m³ · 1.01 t
3×2×0.10 m ×5% at 1600 kg/m³ → 0.63 m³ (1.01 t).
Example 4
- 4 × 3 × 0.20 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +5% waste
2.52 m³ · 4.03 t
4 × 3 × 0.20 × 1.05 = 2.52. That is 4.03 t.
Example 5
- 8 × 5 × 0.04 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +8% waste
1.73 m³ · 2.76 t
8 × 5 × 0.04 × 1.08 = 1.728 → 1.73 m³. That is 2.76 t.
Example 6
- 2.5 × 2.5 × 0.25 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +5% waste
1.64 m³ · 2.63 t
2.5 × 2.5 × 0.25 × 1.05 = 1.64. That is 2.63 t.
Example 7
- 12 × 6 × 0.03 m
- 1750 kg/m³
- +10% waste
2.38 m³ · 4.16 t
12 × 6 × 0.03 × 1.10 = 2.376 → 2.38 m³. That is 4.16 t.
Example 8
- 15 × 1.2 × 0.05 m
- 1600 kg/m³
- +5% waste
0.945 m³ · 1.51 t
15 × 1.2 × 0.05 × 1.05 = 0.945. That is 1.51 t.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sand from length, width, and depth?
Multiply the three sizes in meters, add waste, then multiply by density. 6×4×0.05 × 1.05 → 1.26 m³; at 1600 kg/m³ that is 2.02 t.
How many m³ and tons for a 6×4×0.05 m bed at 1600 kg/m³ and 5%?
1.26 m³ and 2.02 t. A 10×5×0.03 m layer at 1750 kg/m³ and 8% is 1.62 m³ and 2.84 t.
How is sand different from gravel or soil fill?
The L×W×depth formula is the same, but default density and the page are separate. Gravel and soil have their own cards — do not mix results when ordering.
Does the result replace a datasheet or a weighbridge?
No. It is an estimate from volume and density. Wet sand weighs more at the same volume.
Is this a free sand calculator?
Yes. Enter bed sizes and density and you see m³ and tons at once. No account required.
How is sand volume calculated?
The calculator multiplies length, width, and thickness, then by (1 + waste/100). 6×4×0.05 m at 5% is 1.26 m³. Mass at 1600 kg/m³ is 2.02 t.
Which unit should I use for a 5 cm bed?
Enter 0.05 m in metric. Entering 5 instead of 0.05 would inflate the result a hundredfold.
What waste should I add?
Usually 5–8% for spill and compaction. At 6×4×0.05 m, 5% waste lifts volume from 1.20 m³ to 1.26 m³.
What does the density preset do?
It sets kg/m³: dry ≈ 1600, moist ≈ 1750, wet ≈ 1900. A custom density overrides the preset. Volume stays; mass changes.
How is this different from gravel?
The V formula is the same; the material is not. Gravel on 10×3×0.1 m at 1600 kg/m³ and 5% is 3.15 m³ on the gravel page. Here you count sand.
Does wet sand change 2.02 t?
Volume stays. Mass rises with moisture. 1600 kg/m³ is a dry-sand order of magnitude, not the weight after rain.
How are bulk bags and small bags counted?
Bulk bags: round up V ÷ bulk-bag volume. Bags: mass ÷ bag size, rounded up. Empty fields leave volume and tonnes only.
Does a comma in 0.05 work?
Yes. A comma and a period are the same thickness. At 6×4×0.05 m, 1600 kg/m³, and 5% the result stays 1.26 m³.
What is the primary result?
Volume with waste, for example 1.26 m³. Tonnes and mass appear beside it after density. Bulk bags, bags, and cost are optional.
Does the result replace a datasheet?
No. The calculator is a purchase estimate. Moisture and compaction on site may need an adjustment.
Knowledge sources
Bed volume is three sizes × (1 + waste). Density comes from a preset or the supplier data. Units below come from NIST.
Page updated October 12, 2026.