How Much Does Sand Cost?

Published on November 29, 2023 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 4 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Sand is a granular material made of tiny mineral particles with varying compositions, defined by their size. This material is a versatile natural resource that is widely used throughout the country, commonly utilized in construction such as for cement, plaster and concrete, landscaping, water filtration, and paint.

How much does sand cost?

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The average cost of sand is anywhere from $10 to $40 (that's 1.3 hours of your life at a $30/hr wage, or $16 in 1990 money) per ton. The costs may greatly vary depending on your geographical location, the type of sand, and where you purchase it from.

However, sand can be also purchased per cubic yard, and usually, the cost can be somewhere from $15 to $50 (about $20 in 1990 money) per cubic yard.

As mentioned above, there are several types of sands and each one has its own different cost. To give you an idea about these aspects, we compiled the table below:

TYPE OF SAND	COST PER TON	COST PER CUBIC YARD
Arena Sand	$15 – $40 (about $16 in 1990 money)	$25 – $60
Concrete Sand	$15 – $50	$25 – $60
Decomposed granite	$30 – $50	$40 – $75
Fill Sand	$10 – $25	$15 – $40
Golf Course Bunker Sand	$10 – $50	$15 – $65
Granite Sand	$30 – $50	$40 – $70
Manufactured M-10 Sand	$15 – $35	$20 – $55
Masonry Sand	$15 – $40	$25 – $60
Play Sand	$20 – $45	$30 – $70
Road sand	$20 – $45	$30 – $60
River Sand	$10 – $40	$15 – $50
Salt Sand	$20 – $40	$25 – $50
Screened Sand	$10 – $20	$15 – $30
Washed Plaster Sand	$30 – $45	$40 – $60
White Silica Sand	$30 – $60	$40 – $80

Also, you can buy bags of 50 pounds of all-purpose sand or play sand, which will usually cost between $3 to $5. These are ideal for small projects for gardening or minor house repairs and can be found in most retail stores.

For example, you can find various types of sand in bags of 5 to 50 pounds at Walmart. In the table below we listed several types of sand of different weights, and their cost range:

TYPE OF SAND	WEIGHT AND COST
Premium Grade Sand – Classic sand and play sand	5 lb bag – $25 20 lb bag – $40 40 lb bag – $58
Quikrete Play Sand	50 lb bag – $29 to $47
Quikrete All-purpose	50 lb bag – $48
Snow White Play Sand	50 lb bag – $38
US Silica Snow White Play Sand	50 lb bag – $28
Palmetto Play Sand	50 lb bag – $25

The Doug Clack company provides various types of natural materials for construction or landscaping, as well as other services. They have listed several types of sand on their official website and their costs are based on the three different selling weights:

TYPE OF SAND	HALF OF CUBIC YARD COST	HALF OF TANDEM TRUCK DELIVERED COST	17.5 CUBIC YARD TANDEM TRUCK DELIVERED COST
River Sand	$31	$355	$480 to $530
Masonry Sand	$44	$550	$825 to $895
M-10 Sand	$36	$390	$615 to $690
Play Sand	$49	$620	$975 to $1,025
Infield Mix (90% sand and 10% clay)	$44	$555	$845 to $895

Another company, WesthookSandAndGravel.com, sells Cobay (Beach) Sand for $60 per ton, recommended to be used for sandboxes, golf course bunkers, and other decorative and landscaping purposes.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a ton of sand, sandbags, or a dump truck load of gravel.

You can also find on the market sand which is typically used in aquariums. For instance, BulkReefSupply.com sells various types of live sand on its website that cost anywhere from $13 to $19 per 20 lb bag and around $33 for a 40 lb bag. Live sand contains live marine bacteria and balances your fish tank.

TexasGardenMaterials.com sells several types of sand such as Mason Sand for $49.99 per cubic yard, Crushed Black Star Sand for $219.99 per cubic yard, Bank Sand for $29.99 per cubic yard, Torpedo Sand for $64.99 per cubic yard and Select Fill Sand for $24.

As shown above, the cost of sand will greatly depend on the type of sand, the amount you need, and where you purchase it from.

Buying sand

If you need sand in large quantities, it can be delivered to a spot of your choice, usually on top of a tarp in your driveway. There are various types of sand available, including river sand, masonry sand, M-10 sand, play sand, and arena sand (which is a combination of 90% sand and 10% clay). If you only need a small amount of sand, you can purchase a bag at any home improvement store, such as Home Depot or Lowe’s, or local retailers like Walmart.

1,000 pounds can cover up to nine cubic feet, while 2,700 pounds of sand can weigh approximately one yard.

Delivery and other extra costs

Most companies do not add the fee for delivery of the sand in the initial quote. Typically, the cost of delivering the sand can range anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on the distance between their storage or site and your destination.

Sellers may waive the charges for shipping when you place a bulk order. However, most of them may have a minimum quantity requirement, which implies that you will have to order a certain amount of product to qualify for free shipping.

Important things to consider

If you purchase sand in bulk and want it to be shipped to your location, most companies will require a minimum purchase in order to consider your requirements.

A cubic yard of sand weighs around 3,000 pounds while a gallon of sand weighs 12.45 pounds.

Save money on the cost of sand

If the sand is needed for a smaller playground, sandbox, or a localized area, then bagged sand should suffice. However, if the sand is intended for larger playgrounds, beaches, or bigger projects like a volleyball court, it may be more advisable to buy it in bulk.