Polymeric sand calculator: how many bags of polymeric sand do I need?
2 bags
120 sq ft at 65 to 85 sq ft per 50 lb bag · 1.85 bags before rounding up · for 12 × 10 ft, narrow joints, 1/8 to 3/8 in
Run your own numbers
Enter it the way you measured it: 4.5, 4 1/2,
3/8 or 10' 6".
2 bags
120 sq ft at 65 to 85 sq ft per 50 lb bag · 1.85 bags before rounding up
Source: Alliance Designer Products, Gator Maxx G2 polymeric sand, Technical Data Sheet (revision 06/05/2025), read October 19, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
A 10 by 12 ft patio of 2-3/8 inch pavers with narrow 1/8 to 3/8 inch joints takes 2 bags of 50 lb polymeric sand, from the 65 to 85 square feet per bag in Gator Maxx G2's data sheet.
A worked example
A 21 by 14.5 ft patio of tumbled pavers with wide 1 inch joints needs 14 bags. The patio is 304.5 square feet. At 22 square feet per bag that is 13.8 bags, so 14; at the 42 end of the range it would be 8.
How much does a bag of polymeric sand cover?
It depends on the joint, not the patio. Gator Maxx G2 gives 65 to 85 square feet per 50 lb bag with joints of 1/8 to 3/8 inch, and 22 to 42 with joints of 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch, both for pavers 2-3/8 inches tall. Wide joints take about three times as much sand per square foot.
How deep should polymeric sand be in the joints?
At least 1-1/2 inches deep and no wider than 4 inches, by Gator Maxx G2's data sheet, with the top of the sand 1/8 inch below the top of the paver, or below the chamfer if the paver has one, so feet and tires ride on the paver and not on the sand.
What else it is called
Polymeric sand is also called poly sand or paver joint sand, and searched as a polymeric sand calculator for pavers. Dominator, Techniseal and other brands print their own coverage per bag, which goes in the optional field; the joint width matters more than the brand.
Bags by area
| Area | Narrow joints, 1/8 to 3/8 in (65-85 sq ft) | Wide joints, 3/4 to 1 1/4 in (22-42 sq ft) | Narrow joints, Black Diamond (58-76 sq ft) | Wide joints, Black Diamond (20-38 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft | 1 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 2 | 3-5 | 2 | 3-5 |
| 10 × 12 ft | 2 | 3-6 | 2-3 | 4-6 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 2-3 | 4-7 | 2-3 | 4-8 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 3 | 5-9 | 3-4 | 6-10 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 4-5 | 8-15 | 5-6 | 9-16 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 5-7 | 10-19 | 6-7 | 11-20 |
Gator Maxx G2, 50 lb bags, pavers 2-3/8 in tall. Two figures are the bag count at the high and the low end of the data sheet's coverage; buy the higher one. Joints between 3/8 and 3/4 in have no row in the data sheet.
Where the numbers come from
- Coverage and joints: the Technical Data Sheet of Gator Maxx G2 polymeric sand, by Alliance Designer Products. Per 50 lb bag, for pavers 2-3/8 inches tall: narrow joints of 1/8 to 3/8 inch, 65-85 square feet (58-76 in the Black Diamond color); wide joints of 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch, 22-42 square feet (20-38). Minimum joint width 1/8 inch, maximum 4 inches; minimum joint depth 1-1/2 inches; the sand sits at least 1/8 inch below the top of the paver. Read October 19, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
- The rest is arithmetic: square feet ÷ square feet per bag, rounded up, at the low end of the coverage so the last joints are not left empty.
The data sheet's coverage is for pavers 2-3/8 inches tall: taller pavers have deeper joints and take more sand per square foot. Joints from 3/8 to 3/4 inch fall between its two rows; the calculator does not invent a figure for them, so enter the coverage printed on your bag.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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