A 12 × 12-foot area at a selected 1-inch bedding-sand depth has 12 cubic feet, or 0.444444 cubic yards, of geometric volume before allowance. Joint sand is a separate estimate: use the exact product’s coverage for the actual pavers, joint width and fill depth, not the bedding-layer formula.
The cited CMHA/ICPI guide specification for interlocking concrete pavers on an aggregate base calls for a nominal 1-inch screeded bedding layer.1 That is guidance for that system, not a specification for every slab, stone, porcelain or other paving system. Confirm the actual selected section before estimating.
Bedding-sand formula
Cubic feet = net bedding area (sq ft) × depth (in) / 12.
Cubic yards = net bedding area × depth / 324.
With chosen allowance = geometric volume × (1 + allowance % / 100). Keep full precision, then round to the supplier’s confirmed sales increment. The volume state and depth must match the section being estimated.
At exactly 1 inch, the factor is 1 / 324 = 0.003086419753… cu yd per sq ft. The installation guide hosted by Mid-Atlantic uses a rounded 0.0031 shortcut.2 We use the exact divisor in these charts and examples. A displayed rounded volume is not an instruction to round intermediate calculations.
Bedding-sand chart at selected 1-inch depth
The 10% column is an example quantity allowance, not a recommendation from these sources. No supplier order rounding, density conversion or universal loose-to-compacted factor is included.
| Net bedding area | Net cu ft | Net cu yd | With example 10% (cu yd) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 sq ft | 5.000000 | 0.185185 | 0.203704 |
| 100 sq ft | 8.333333 | 0.308642 | 0.339506 |
| 144 sq ft | 12.000000 | 0.444444 | 0.488889 |
| 200 sq ft | 16.666667 | 0.617284 | 0.679012 |
| 300 sq ft | 25.000000 | 0.925926 | 1.018519 |
| 400 sq ft | 33.333333 | 1.234568 | 1.358025 |
| 600 sq ft | 50.000000 | 1.851852 | 2.037037 |
Joint sand: use product coverage
Joint quantity depends on the joint system, width, depth and paver geometry. The hosted installation guide offers a general 50-lb polymeric-sand estimate of 60-75 sq ft per bag for narrow joints and 25-40 sq ft per bag for wide joints.2 It does not identify an exact joint width/depth or guarantee that every polymeric product matches these ranges. Do not silently choose the lower number because the job is uncertain. Resolve the product and joint details.
Bags = round up [applicable paving area / product coverage per bag]. If the product provides a coverage range, calculate both ends and preserve the uncertainty until the matching conditions are known. Do not use a 50-lb bag’s weight as a bedding-volume yield, or apply loose bedding volume to polymeric joint sand.
One manufacturer’s data sheet, as an example
Polybind’s technical data sheet (revision dated January 24, 2022) lists coverage per 50-lb bag of its polymeric sand for concrete pavers 2-3/8 inches (60 mm) high: 65-85 sq ft at 1/8 to 3/8-inch joints and 22-42 sq ft at 3/4 to 1-inch joints.3 It says quantity depends on paver shape, size and joint width, and its stated joint range is 1/8 to 1 inch. It gives no figure for joints between 3/8 and 3/4 inch, so do not interpolate. This is one product’s sheet, not a rule for other brands. Compare it with the 60-75 and 25-40 ranges above, which come from a different source and differ.
| Paving area | Narrow joints: 85 to 65 sq ft/bag | Wide joints: 42 to 22 sq ft/bag |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 2 to 2 | 3 to 5 |
| 144 sq ft | 2 to 3 | 4 to 7 |
| 300 sq ft | 4 to 5 | 8 to 14 |
Whole 50-lb bags, rounded up, no allowance added. Pavers with a different height, a different pattern or large spacer bars can change the real quantity, so read the sheet for your own product before buying.
Comparison only: the hosted guide’s joint-sand ranges
Rounded whole 50-lb bags under the guide’s two coverage scenarios. These are not a shopping quantity for an unidentified product or joint layout. No separate allowance is added.
| Paving area | At 75 to 60 sq ft/bag | At 40 to 25 sq ft/bag |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 2 to 2 | 3 to 4 |
| 144 sq ft | 2 to 3 | 4 to 6 |
| 200 sq ft | 3 to 4 | 5 to 8 |
| 300 sq ft | 4 to 5 | 8 to 12 |
| 400 sq ft | 6 to 7 | 10 to 16 |
Three checked examples
1. 12 × 12 ft at selected 1-inch bedding depth
Area = 144 sq ft. Volume = 144 × 1 / 12 = 12 cu ft; 12 / 27 = 0.444444 cu yd. With example 10% allowance: 0.488889 cu yd. If the supplier sells in 0.1-cu-yd increments, that rounds up to 0.5 cu yd. Confirm the increment and allowance; neither is established by the sources.
2. Convert with a hypothetical supplier density
Suppose the supplier gives 2,800 lb per cu yd for the chosen sand in the same volume state as the quantity estimate. This is a hypothetical input, not a universal sand density. At the unrounded 12 × 12 net volume: (144 / 324) × 2,800 = 1,244.444444 lb, or 0.622222 US short tons. With the example 10% volume allowance: 0.684444 short tons. Verify moisture/state and US short tons versus metric tonnes.
3. A 10 × 30-foot walkway
At selected 1-inch bedding depth: 300 / 324 = 0.925926 cu yd. With example 10%: 1.018519 cu yd. Joint sand remains separate: the guide’s 75-to-60-sq-ft coverage scenarios give 4 to 5 bags; its 40-to-25 scenarios give 8 to 12 bags. Those ranges do not select the right product or joint condition.
Sand type and base condition
For the specified interlocking-concrete system, the CMHA/ICPI guide calls for washed, clean, non-plastic bedding sand meeting ASTM C33 grading with the guide’s stated modifications and warns against mason sand or stone dust for bedding.1 A label such as “play sand” or “paver sand” alone does not prove compliance. Confirm the grading and the actual paving system’s requirements.
The same guide says not to use bedding sand to fill depressions in the base and not to disturb screeded sand.1 Fix base deficiencies under the applicable project requirements rather than inventing a thicker sand layer. Base thickness, paver height, finished elevation and excavation are separate checks; this quantity chart does not design them.
Before ordering
- Measure the area actually receiving bedding sand. Border and field sections may differ; avoid overlapping quantities.
- Confirm the specified screeded depth and volume state. Do not assume one universal compaction multiplier.
- Get supplier density only if a weight conversion is needed, matched to the chosen material and state.
- Choose a separate quantity allowance and confirm sales increments before final rounding.
- Identify the exact joint-sand product, joint width, fill depth and compatible application. Read its coverage and installation directions.
FAQ
How much bedding sand for a 10 × 10 patio?
At selected 1-inch depth, 100 / 324 = 0.308642 cu yd. With example 10% allowance, 0.339506 cu yd, before supplier rounding. This does not select a depth for your paving system.
Is 0.0031 the exact factor?
No. It is the hosted guide’s rounded shortcut for a 1-inch layer. The exact factor is 1 / 324; use the full-precision formula before allowance and ordering round-up.
How many polymeric-sand bags should I buy?
Use the selected product’s coverage for your paver and joint conditions. The general guide ranges are comparisons only. Missing joint details should be resolved, not hidden by buying to one end of a range.
Can bedding sand repair an uneven base?
The cited guide explicitly says not to fill base depressions with bedding sand.1 Resolve the base and selected section before using this quantity estimate.
Related tools
Paver base calculator | Paver coverage guide | Square footage calculator
Sources
- CMHA/ICPI: Pavers on Aggregate Base, PAV-GSP-011-21 (system-scoped nominal bedding depth, sand grading and base/screeding guidance)
- Paver Install Guide, hosted by Mid-Atlantic Concrete Products (rounded bedding factor and general joint-sand coverage ranges; not exact product coverage)
- Polybind: Technical Data Sheet, Polybind Sand for concrete paver joints up to 1 in. (one manufacturer’s coverage per 50-lb bag for 2-3/8 in. pavers; revision dated 24/01/2022)
Pricing it out? See our sand cost guide for per-ton, per-yard and delivered prices.