Bulk sand, paver bedding, polymeric joints & playground depth
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Fine, clean sand used for setting brick and stone joints. Density is driven primarily by moisture content, not sand type set the correct condition below.
Wet sand can weigh 25–30% more than dry sand for the same volume always confirm which condition your supplier weighs on.
Standard concrete-sand screed layer under pavers is 1 in. compacted. Uses Concrete Sand (ASTM C33) at standard field density.
Coverage per 50 lb bag falls sharply as joints widen always confirm against the exact product's published coverage chart before ordering the full job.
CPSC's Public Playground Safety Handbook rates 9 in. of loose, uncompacted sand for equipment with a fall height up to 4 ft. Sand is not CPSC-rated for taller equipment — use pea gravel, wood fiber, or engineered surfacing instead.
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Real-World Purchasing Equivalents
CPSC Playground Safety Depth Reference
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Estimates are approximate. Sand density varies significantly with moisture content and grain type — always confirm exact tonnage with your supplier before ordering. Playground depth figures reference the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook and are provided for planning purposes only, not as a certified safety inspection.
If you're filling a sandbox or a backyard play area, the math is genuinely different from a construction sand order — and it's worth its own section, since real searchers are specifically looking for this and most sand calculators don't treat it separately.
A safe, comfortable play depth is typically 9–12 inches for a sandbox and about 12 inches for fall-zone safety cushioning under playground equipment, a figure that follows CPSC playground safety guidance. QuickTonnage's Playground Depth setting uses this range as its starting point, rather than defaulting to a construction-style shallow depth that would leave a sandbox looking half-empty.
One cubic yard of play sand covers roughly 100 square feet at 3 inches deep, but playground and sandbox jobs usually need more depth than that, so don't be surprised if your total looks bigger than a construction sand order for the same footprint. That's the depth doing its job, not an error.
It depends on your area, depth, and sand type, but as a reference point: 100 square feet at 2 inches deep needs about 0.6 cubic yards. QuickTonnage calculates your exact figure automatically.
Roughly 0.7 to 0.75 cubic yards per ton, since sand typically weighs 2,600–2,700 lbs per cubic yard when dry.
Around 2,600–2,700 lbs dry. Wet sand can weigh noticeably more, which is why QuickTonnage includes a moisture setting.
"Masonry sand" and "mason sand" refer to the same fine-grained sand used for mortar and paver joints. Concrete sand is coarser, designed to be mixed into concrete for structural strength rather than used on its own.
Typically $15–$40 per ton depending on sand type and delivery distance, with masonry and play sand usually costing more than basic fill sand.