How to Calculate a Yard of Sand

Find the square footage of the area you plan to cover with sand. For example, if the area is a lot that measures 20-by-30 feet, the lot covers 600 square feet.

Convert the number of square feet into square inches. Each square foot contains 144 square inches, so multiply the number of square feet by 144 to get the total number of square inches. In the 20-by-30 example, multiply 600 by 144 to get 86,400 square inches.

Multiply the number of square inches by the depth of the sand you want to put on the lot. If you want to cover the lot with 4 inches of sand, multiply the number of square inches by 4 inches. This will give you the total number of cubic inches needed to cover the lot to a depth of 4 inches. In the example, you would multiply 86,400 square inches by 4 to get 345,600 cubic inches.

Convert cubic inches to cubic yards. A cubic yard contains 46,656 cubic inches. Divide the number of cubic inches in your calculations by 46,656 to get the number of cubic yards of sand it will take to cover your lot. In the example, divide 345,600 by 46,656 to get a result of 7.4 cubic yards. So when you order the sand, ask for 7 1/2 yards of sand.