Three grades, three different jobs
Sand is not one product with one depth. This calculator's grade selector exists because paver bedding sand, play sand, and fill sand solve completely different problems and need very different amounts, even at the same square footage. Picking the wrong grade or depth default is the single most common way a sand order goes wrong, more often than getting the area measurement wrong.
Paver / bedding sand: thin, and not the base
Bedding sand under pavers is a thin leveling layer, about 1 inch, screeded flat just before the pavers go down. Its job is to let each paver seat evenly and stay level, not to bear the structural load of foot or vehicle traffic. That load-bearing work is done by a separate compacted aggregate base underneath the sand, typically 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone for a walkway or patio, more for a driveway. Using sand as the base itself, or making the sand layer much thicker than 1 inch to skip proper base compaction, is a common shortcut that fails: a thick sand layer compresses unevenly under the pavers over time, leading to a wavy, sunken surface instead of a flat one. Once the pavers are set and compacted, that 1 inch of loose sand typically settles to about half to five-eighths of an inch, which is expected and part of why the starting depth is slightly more than the finished result.
Play sand: depth by age, and a play-safe spec
A sandbox calls for real depth, not a thin layer. Toddlers digging and scooping are fine with 1 to 3 inches, but a sandbox meant for older kids building and sculpting needs more, typically 6 to 8 inches, so there is enough material to actually shape. Play sand should also meet a play-safe or washed specification, meaning it has been screened and washed to reduce dust and fine particles, rather than being generic construction or fill sand repurposed for a sandbox. Leave a couple of inches of clearance at the top of the box's walls too, so normal play does not constantly spill sand over the edge.
Fill and masonry sand: depth is the job's, not a default
Fill sand and masonry sand are used for leveling low spots, backfilling around foundations or pipes, and bedding for masonry work like block or brick laying. Unlike the other two grades, there is no single typical depth here, since a fill job's depth is set by how low the spot is or how deep the backfill needs to go, not by a standard like paver bedding's 1 inch. This calculator leaves the depth field to you for that reason rather than forcing a default that would not mean anything across such different jobs.
Why sand is sold by both the cubic yard and the ton, and why moisture matters
Like gravel and other aggregate, sand is planned by volume but often billed by weight, since delivery trucks are limited by payload, not just space. Dry sand runs around 1.38 tons per cubic yard, but wet sand can reach 1.65 tons or more for the same volume, since water adds real weight without adding volume. If you are ordering by the ton or trying to figure out how many loads a trailer can carry, plan for the wetter, heavier figure rather than the dry one.
Bags vs. bulk, and ordering extra
For a small paver patio or a single sandbox, bagged sand (commonly sold around 0.5 cubic feet, roughly 50 pounds, or in 1 cubic foot bags) is usually easier than arranging bulk delivery. Past a cubic yard or so, bulk is almost always cheaper per cubic foot. Order about 10 percent extra to cover an uneven base or settling, less for a simple flat area, more for a project with a lot of curves or an uneven existing surface.
Bedding sand is only the top layer of a paver installation. The compacted base underneath it is usually crushed stone, see the crushed stone & decomposed granite calculator for that layer, including the compaction allowance a base course needs on top of the normal waste buffer.