Sandbag calculator.
Enter the length and height of the flood wall you need. The calculator uses the standard pyramid method (base three times the height) and typical 14 × 26 in bags.
How the calculation works
Bags = 1.5 × L × H × (3H + 1), with length L and height H in feet. This reproduces the widely published figures of about 600 bags per 100 ft of wall 1 ft high, 2,100 bags at 2 ft and 4,500 bags at 3 ft. Sand = bags × filled weight.
A standard 14 × 26 in bag filled half to two-thirds weighs about 35–40 lb. Walls above 3 ft should be built only under engineering supervision; sandbags slow water, they do not make a watertight seal.
Frequently asked questions
How many sandbags do I need for 100 feet?
About 600 bags for a wall 1 ft high, 2,100 for 2 ft and 4,500 for 3 ft, using pyramid stacking with a base three times the height.
How much sand do I need for 100 sandbags?
At 35–40 lb per bag, 100 sandbags need 3,500–4,000 lb of sand — about 1.75–2 short tons.
How much does a filled sandbag weigh?
A standard 14 × 26 in bag filled half to two-thirds weighs about 35–40 lb (16–18 kg). Overfilled bags are hard to handle and do not seal well.
Where can businesses buy empty sandbags in bulk?
Municipalities, distributors and contractors buy empty woven polypropylene sandbags factory-direct. Ask us for a quote on bales of UV-treated bags.
More calculators
Need the bags themselves? Browse PP Woven Sacks or request a factory quote.
Tell us what you pack.
We’ll engineer the bag.
Share your product, fill weight and destination. A packaging engineer replies with a construction, price and lead time — usually within 8 hours.