How Much Sand for Paving

Getting the Bedding Layer Right for Pavers

The sand bedding layer is critical to a successful paving project, providing both a level surface for your pavers and the ability to make fine adjustments during installation. For a typical outdoor entertainment area of 5 metres by 4 metres, you'll need approximately 0.6 cubic metres of washed sand at the standard 30mm bedding depth. This translates to around 0.9 tonnes of sand, a quantity easily handled by a small trailer or included in a combined delivery with your roadbase material.

The 30mm depth is the industry standard for paver bedding because it provides enough material to screed level while still allowing pavers to be firmly bedded without excessive settling. Going much thinner makes it difficult to achieve a flat surface, while thicker sand beds can lead to uneven settling and pavers that rock or become uneven over time.

Why Washed Sand Matters

Always use washed sand, sometimes called brickies sand or bedding sand, for paving projects. Washed sand has consistent particle size without clay or organic matter that could cause problems. Unwashed sand contains fines that can compact unevenly, migrate into paver joints, or even stain light-coloured pavers. The clean, uniform grains of washed sand screed smoothly and compact evenly across your entire paving area.

Screeding Your Sand Bed

Professional pavers use screeding rails set at the correct height to create a perfectly level sand bed. Set your rails on the compacted roadbase, fill with sand, then drag a straight edge across the rails to create a uniform surface. Remove the rails, fill the voids, and you have a perfect bed for laying pavers. This technique is far more reliable than trying to level sand by eye, especially over larger areas.

Need to calculate the base layer as well? Use our roadbase under pavers calculator for the sub-base, or head to our main sand calculator for custom dimensions.