Paver sand calculator for Hawaii
Measure bedding by tons and joint fill by bags. These are two separate uses for sand, though they are often purchased together.
Enter your project dimensions
On a 300-square-foot patio, bedding takes about 1.25 tons, while the joints need just 4-8 bags. They are both sand, but the required quantities differ by twenty-fold, and joint sand is often mistakenly ordered by the ton. The calculator estimates a 1 inch coarse-sand bedding course using 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Below it, the bag chart covers the joints and shows polymeric coverage for a 50 lb bag.
Two separate calculations
- For bedding, calculate the paved footprint with the base's 6-inch extension, using exactly 1 inch of sand. A deeper layer can lead to loose, rocking pavers later.
- Figure joint material by bag count, not by tons. For standard 1/8 to 1/4 inch joints, allow one 50 lb bag for each 40-75 square feet.
Joint bags (50 lb) ≈ Area ÷ 40–75 for standard joints
Bagged joint sand
| Patio size | Standard joints (1/8-1/4") | Wide joints (3/8"+) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 2-3 bags | 4-5 bags |
| 200 sq ft | 3-5 bags | 7-10 bags |
| 300 sq ft | 4-8 bags | 10-15 bags |
| 500 sq ft | 7-13 bags | 17-25 bags |
Paver thickness and how tightly the joints fit both affect coverage. Read the bag label and round your amount up. Keep extra for the first wash-in, when joints can settle a quarter inch.
Bedding guidance for installation
- Screed a one inch layer, then fill the guide channels as you set the pavers.
- Use only coarse, angular sand rated for mason or concrete work. Play sand is rounded and may move beneath pavers or within their joints.
- Keep bedding sand uncompacted before setting pavers. Once the surface is complete, compact it so the pavers seat into the layer.
- Avoid stepping on the screeded sand. Set pavers as you move ahead, working from the installed surface.
- Screenings create a somewhat stiffer bed but give you less room for leveling than sand. Use the same bedding material across the entire area.
Choosing polymeric or plain joint sand
After it is wetted, polymeric sand firms up and helps joints resist weeds, ants, and rain. It is more expensive per bag, requires completely dry conditions for installation, and rain during application can spoil the sweep. Fine plain mason sand is economical and quick to install, but needs replenishing every season or two. Use polymeric on slopes, driveways, and heavily used pavers. Mason sand suits a flat garden path. The bedding layer remains plain coarse sand in either case, since polymeric sand is only for joints.
The joint-sand maintenance schedule
Rain, ants, and leaf blowers can pull sand from joints. Plan to sweep more plain mason sand into joints every year or two. Polymeric sand lasts 5-10 years before the joint edges begin to open. On a dry day, sweep in the sand, compact it, and mist it. Use a low leaf-blower setting near filled joints, since the airflow can remove sand over time.
Example: a 20 x 15 patio
Bedding calculation: the area including overhang is about 320 square feet. At 1 inch deep, that works out to 27 cubic feet, equal to 1 cubic yard or 1.35 tons. Purchase 1.5 tons of mason sand. For joints, 300 square feet with standard joints calls for 4-8 polymeric bags or 2-3 mason-sand bags. Under both layers, use a 4-plus ton crusher-run base calculated with the Paver Base Calculator. Cover the job-site sand pile with a tarp. Slightly damp sand screeds well, but saturated sand will not.
Paver bedding and joint sand guide
How can I figure paver sand quantity?
What coverage comes from a 50 lb bag of polymeric sand?
Are 2 inches of sand excessive beneath pavers?
What does 1 yard of paver sand weigh?
What should I do when regular joint sand washes away?
Does paver sand match play sand?
Other calculators
One ton of bedding can replace 25 bags.
Free delivery on mason and washed sand; use bags for the polymeric joint fill.