How to use this calculator
- Measure the paver area. Length × width of the patio or walkway in feet. The setting bed equals the paver footprint.
- Choose depth (1 in standard). 1 inch is the industry standard for the setting bed. Some old-school installs use 2 in but most pros stick with 1 to reduce settling.
- Get the bag count. A 50 lb bag of paver sand covers about 6 ft² at 1 inch deep. Order 10% more than the calculator number.
- Plan delivery if over 1 ton. Above 30 bags, bulk delivery is usually cheaper.
Formula
Cubic feet of sand = paver area in ft² ÷ 12 (for 1-inch bed)
Worked example
A 12×16 ft paver patio (192 ft²) with a 1-inch setting bed needs 16 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.59 yd³ = ~32 bags of 50 lb. Add 10% waste → 35 bags.
Tips for accurate results
- Use coarse, washed concrete sand — never fine play sand or all-purpose sand.
- Screed the sand level with a 2×4 before placing pavers; uneven bedding causes pavers to rock.
- Polymeric sand for joints is a separate product — calculate it with our polymeric sand calculator.
- Do not skip the 4-inch crushed-stone base — sand alone over soil leads to settling within a year.