How Much Sand for 600 Square Feet

"Sand Calculator" Calculator

Area

at a depth of

in

How much sand do I need for 600 square feet?

Answer

600 square feet covered 1 inch deep takes
1.85 cubic yards

That is 50 cubic feet, and it weighs roughly 5,180–6,290 lbs (2.59–3.15 tons) when dry.

At 1 inch deep one cubic yard of sand covers 324 square feet, so 600 square feet takes 1.85 cubic yards. The same patch under topsoil comes out quite differently — topsoil is lighter and normally goes down several times thicker.

How the Volume Is Calculated

Cubic yards = ft² × inches ÷ 324

The 324 is not a fudge factor. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, and a foot is 12 inches, so a cubic yard spread one inch deep covers 27 × 12 = 324 square feet.

600 square feet × 1 inch ÷ 324

=

1.85 cubic yards

(50 cubic feet)

The depth is our assumption, not a recommendation. 1 inch is about what a bedding course under pavers comes to, but we have no published source for it — a play area or a base layer is far deeper. Type your own depth into the form above, or read it off the table below.

600 Square Feet at Other Depths

Depth scales the answer in a straight line, so the whole range fits in one table. Type any depth into the form above to work it out in full. The last column is the coverage of a single unit of volume, which is the number to keep in mind when a supplier quotes by the cubic yard.

Depth Sand needed One cubic yard covers
0.5 inches0.93 cubic yards648 square feet
1 inch1.85 cubic yards324 square feet
1.5 inches2.78 cubic yards216 square feet
2 inches3.7 cubic yards162 square feet
3 inches5.56 cubic yards108 square feet
4 inches7.41 cubic yards81 square feet

What It Weighs and What to Order

Volume is the exact half of this page; weight is the approximate half. Only the top of the band has a source: the WSDOT Design Manual puts material that is essentially all sand at 3,400 lbs per cubic yard compacted. Loose sand, which is how it arrives on a truck, is lighter — and WSDOT publishes no truck-measure figure for sand, so 2,800 lbs is our own allowance rather than a quoted number.

Volume 1.85 cubic yards
In cubic feet50 cubic feet
Weight, dry 5,180–6,290 lbs
In tons 2.59–3.15 tons
Order with 10% for waste 2.04 cubic yards

The 10% is quoted, not invented: the WSDOT Design Manual tells estimators to increase required quantities by 10% to allow for waste when material is stockpiled. A screeded sand bed also loses depth once it is compacted. Bagged sand is usually sold by weight, so divide the 5,180–6,290 lbs by the weight printed on the bag — and remember that band is wide, so it gives you a range of bag counts, not one number.

Every weight here is dry weight. WSDOT states it plainly: weights shown are dry weights and corrections are required for water contents. Damp sand off a yard can be noticeably heavier.

Related Calculations

See Also

About "Sand Calculator" Calculator

This calculator works out how much sand an area needs: the volume in cubic yards and cubic feet, what it weighs in pounds and tons, and how much one cubic yard covers. For example, it can help you find out how much sand do I need for 600 square feet? (The answer is: 1.85 cubic yards). Enter the area (e.g. 600 square feet), choose the unit; the answer assumes a layer 1 inch deep and the depth table covers the rest.

"Sand Calculator" Calculator

Area

at a depth of

in

Sand Needed at 1 inch Deep

AreaVolumeWeight
30 square feet0.0926 cubic yards259–315 lbs
50 square feet0.15 cubic yards420–510 lbs
60 square feet0.19 cubic yards532–646 lbs
80 square feet0.25 cubic yards700–850 lbs
100 square feet0.31 cubic yards868–1,054 lbs
120 square feet0.37 cubic yards1,036–1,258 lbs
150 square feet0.46 cubic yards1,288–1,564 lbs
160 square feet0.49 cubic yards1,372–1,666 lbs
200 square feet0.62 cubic yards1,736–2,108 lbs
250 square feet0.77 cubic yards2,156–2,618 lbs
300 square feet0.93 cubic yards2,604–3,162 lbs
400 square feet1.23 cubic yards3,444–4,182 lbs
500 square feet1.54 cubic yards4,312–5,236 lbs
600 square feet1.85 cubic yards5,180–6,290 lbs
800 square feet2.47 cubic yards6,916–8,398 lbs
900 square feet2.78 cubic yards7,784–9,452 lbs
1,000 square feet3.09 cubic yards8,652–10,506 lbs
1,200 square feet3.7 cubic yards10,360–12,580 lbs
1,500 square feet4.63 cubic yards12,964–15,742 lbs
2,000 square feet6.17 cubic yards17,276–20,978 lbs

FAQ

How much sand do I need for 600 square feet?

600 square feet covered 1 inch deep takes 1.85 cubic yardsThat is 50 cubic feet, and it weighs roughly 5,180–6,290 lbs (2.59–3.15 tons) when dry.

How many cubic yards of sand is 600 square feet?

1.85 cubic yards, at 1 inch deep. The arithmetic is exact: 600 × 1 ÷ 324 = 1.85. One cubic yard spread an inch deep covers 324 square feet, which is where the 324 comes from.

How much does 600 square feet of sand weigh?

Roughly 5,180–6,290 lbs, or 2.59–3.15 tons, dry. The top of that band comes from the WSDOT Design Manual, which puts essentially-all-sand material at 3,400 lbs per cubic yard compacted; the bottom is our own allowance for loose sand as delivered, since no truck-measure weight is published for sand. Wet sand is heavier again.

How much sand for 600 square feet at 4 inches?

7.41 cubic yards. Depth scales the answer straight up and down: at 4 inches one cubic yard covers 81 square feet, against 324 square feet at 1 inch.

How much sand should I order for 600 square feet?

2.04 cubic yards — the calculated 1.85 cubic yards plus 10%, rounded up. The WSDOT Design Manual tells estimators to increase required quantities by 10% to allow for waste when material is stockpiled, and a sand bed loses depth once it is screeded and compacted.

See Also