Sand calculator
12 m² of patio bedding laid 0.1 m deep is 1.2 m³ of sand, and at 1,600 kg/m³ that weighs 1,920 kg. Area times depth gives the volume, volume times density the weight, in the units you choose. Free in your browser.
- Free
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Your data stays on your device
Run — free
Worked example
- Area
- 12
- Depth
- 0.1
- Density
- 1,600
- Volume
- 1.2
- Weight
- 1,920
Ordering sand for a patio base, playground surface, under-slab bedding or trench backfill starts with geometry and density, not a guess at how many bags fit in a trailer. This sand calculator turns plan area, fill depth and bulk density into a deterministic cubic volume and total weight so you can size a bulk delivery, a bag count or a wheelbarrow schedule with the same numbers every time. The engine multiplies area by depth for volume, then multiplies volume by density for weight, using one consistent unit system you choose. Non-positive area, depth or density fails with a clear invalid input error so estimators and mobile forms can validate before a purchase order.
Measure area and depth in one consistent unit system
A rectangular or polygonal sand layer is defined by the plan area you will cover and the thickness of the loose or compacted fill you intend to place. Measure length and width of the bed or patio footprint, multiply them for area, or take the area straight from drawings when the shape is already tabulated. Measure depth as the finished bedding thickness after any stated compaction allowance your specifier requires, or as the trench fill height if you are backfilling.
Express area and depth in matching units—square metres with metres, square feet with feet—because the calculator does not convert systems. Volume then appears in cubic units of that system: cubic metres when area is square metres and depth is metres, cubic feet when both sides use feet.
What you can do with it
Patio and path bedding
Homeowners enter patio plan area, sand bedding depth and bulk density to order the right cubic volume or bag weight of bedding sand for a weekend install.
Landscaping takeoff and bulk deliveries
Estimating tools convert bed footprints and fill depths into volume and weight for yard tickets without retyping area times depth and density in spreadsheets.
FAQ
How does the sand calculator compute volume and weight?
Volume is area × depth. Weight is volume × density. Keep area, depth and density in one consistent unit system.
What units should I use?
Any consistent system. If area is m² and depth is m, volume is m³; density should then be mass per m³ (for example kg/m³). Mixing feet for depth with metres for area will produce wrong results.
What if area, depth or density is zero or negative?
Area, depth and density must all be strictly positive; non-positive dimensions cannot define a fill volume or weight and are not charged.
Is the sand calculator free?
The browser tool runs free on your device.
What density should I enter for typical sand?
Use the bulk density from your supplier data sheet when possible. Dry construction sand often sits near 1400–1600 kg/m³, but damp or compacted products differ—never invent a value if a sheet is available.
Related tools
For developers — API access
Everything on this page is available programmatically. This section is for teams who want to wire it into their own systems; everyone else can just use the tool above.
API endpoint
Prefer to automate it? One authenticated POST creates the task; the result comes back by webhook or a signed link. The same capability also runs here on the web, by email and from Telegram — and soon from our app too.
Call it from your stack
curl -X POST https://api.kit.forhosting.com/home/sand \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $KIT_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"area":12,"depth":0.1,"density":1600}'const res = await fetch("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/home/sand", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.KIT_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json"
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"area": 12,
"depth": 0.1,
"density": 1600
})
});
const { task_id } = await res.json();import os, requests
res = requests.post(
"https://api.kit.forhosting.com/home/sand",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['KIT_KEY']}"},
json={
"area": 12,
"depth": 0.1,
"density": 1600
},
)
task_id = res.json()["task_id"]<?php
$res = file_get_contents("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/home/sand", false, stream_context_create([
"http" => [
"method" => "POST",
"header" => "Authorization: Bearer " . getenv("KIT_KEY") . "\r\nContent-Type: application/json",
"content" => '{"area":12,"depth":0.1,"density":1600}',
],
]));
$task = json_decode($res, true);body := bytes.NewBufferString(`{"area":12,"depth":0.1,"density":1600}`)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.kit.forhosting.com/home/sand", body)
req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+os.Getenv("KIT_KEY"))
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)Example request
{
"area": 12,
"depth": 0.1,
"density": 1600
}Example response
{
"task_id": "tsk_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6",
"type": "home.sand",
"status": "queued",
"_links": {
"result": "/tasks/tsk_…/result"
}
}The API is asynchronous: the call returns a task_id immediately and the result arrives by webhook. Polling is capped at 1 req/s per task.
Pricing
Published price — no tokens, no invented credits. A failed task is never charged.
Errors
| HTTP | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
401 | unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key. |
402 | insufficient_balance | Your balance doesn't cover the task price. |
404 | unknown_type | That task type doesn't exist. |
429 | rate_limited | Too many requests. Use the webhook instead of polling. |
Technical notes
Measure area and depth in one consistent unit system
Send area as a strictly positive finite number; aliases A, surface, plan_area and sq are accepted for form labels that use shorter names. Send depth the same way with aliases d, thickness, height and h. Zero, negative or non-numeric values for either dimension raise invalid_input and are not charged, because a non-positive area or depth cannot define a physical fill. Extremely small or huge values outside the published stability range are also rejected so floating-point results stay meaningful on a Worker isolate. Irregular beds can still use this tool: compute an equivalent plan area outside the API and pass that single area with the design depth.
Bulk density, the volume–weight formulas, and how to read the response
Sand weight depends on how dry or damp the product is and whether you are buying bulk loose sand or a denser graded fill. The required density field is the bulk density in mass per cubic unit that matches your area and depth system—for example kilograms per cubic metre when volume is in cubic metres, or pounds per cubic foot when volume is in cubic feet. Use volume when ordering by cubic measure from a yard, weight when ordering by tonne or bag mass, and keep your own waste or compaction factor outside this geometric result if site practice adds five to fifteen percent. Concrete, gravel or soil calculators with different SEO intent are separate products; this landing is specifically the sand volume and weight people search when bedding and fill sand are specified. Aliases rho, bulk_density and sand_density map to the same number. The response echoes area, depth and density, returns volume and weight, and labels formula as volume equals area times depth semicolon weight equals volume times density with method always equal to sand_volume_weight so downstream code can branch without sniffing product types. Non-positive density fails with invalid_input. Identical inputs always produce identical JSON because the path is pure arithmetic with no network, random seed or wall clock.
API usage, pricing, takeoff workflows, and practical limits
Call the free in-browser sand calculator for quick home estimates, contractor whiteboards and classroom volume demos without opening a spreadsheet. Remember that supplier bulk density can differ from textbook dry sand values—prefer the product data sheet for the sand you will buy, and adjust depth if the specification calls for compacted thickness after placement. Authors shipping SDKs can map volume and weight straight into order lines while showing formula and method as explanatory detail for the buyer or the site supervisor reviewing the ticket. Send a JSON body with required area, depth and density. Use the prepaid API when a renovation app, landscaping takeoff tool, builder quote form or property-management pipeline needs a stable contract under KIT balance at $0.002 per successful item; validation failures never consume balance after the engine rejects the request. Pair this endpoint with unit converters when customers mix millimetres on drawings with metres on tickets, or with patio and trench helpers when the sand layer is only one line in a larger bill of materials.
Integration use cases
Renovation apps and material lists
Mobile and web apps recompute sand volume and weight as users change area or depth, using the same deterministic API contract for quotes and material lists.