Building sand is the bulk of every mortar joint, and the wrong sand makes weak, crumbly mortar no matter how much cement goes in. Mortar sand, plaster sand, river sand and crusher sand all do different jobs, and brick and block makers buy sand by the tipper load to feed their machines. Sand is sold by the cubic metre and delivered by bakkie, small truck or tipper. Send one free, no-obligation request with the sand, the quantity and the address, and sand suppliers near you quote a delivered price.
Types of building sand
- Building or mortar sand is a coarser, sharp-ish sand with a little fine material, used to lay bricks and blocks.
- Plaster sand is finer and cleaner so the plaster trowels smooth. Keep it separate from mortar sand.
- River sand is washed and coarse, used in concrete and screeds.
- Crusher sand or crusher dust comes from quarries and is common in concrete, in cement bricks and in paver bedding.
- Pit sand is dug from a local pit; quality varies from pit to pit.
Choosing sand, and how much building sand you need
Rub a handful between wet fingers. Good mortar sand feels gritty; sand that smears like clay or smells of soil will shrink and crack. Ask the supplier what the sand is for, not just its name, because names differ between regions.
For quantity, the bricklayer or builder is the best guide, since it depends on the joint size, the brick and whether you plaster. Order a little extra so the job does not stop for one bakkie load. If you run a brick making machine, test bricks made with a new sand before switching your whole mix.
Storing sand and common mistakes
- Tipping sand on soil or grass, so the bottom of the heap picks up dirt and roots. Tip it on a slab or a tarpaulin.
- Leaving it uncovered in a summer storm, so it washes into the street and the drains.
- Using plaster sand for mortar, or mortar sand for plaster.
- Mixing two loads from different pits in the same wall, so mortar colour changes on face brick.
- Ordering a 6 m³ tipper where the truck cannot reach or turn.
What affects sand prices, and what to ask
The price per m³ depends on the sand type, how far it travels and the load size: a full tipper usually works out cheaper per cube than a bakkie load. Ask each supplier:
- Is the price per m³ or per load, and is delivery included?
- Is it washed, and which pit or quarry is it from?
- Can you deliver bricks and cement on the same truck?
- Can the truck tip where I need it?
What to include in your request
- What the sand is for
- How many cubic metres
- The delivery address and truck access
- Whether you want washed sand
- Any bricks or cement on the same load
Building Sand for different clients
- Homeowners: a tipper of building sand and a load of plaster sand for an extension
- Builders and bricklaying contractors: regular sand deliveries to several sites, mortar and plaster sand kept apart
- Housing developers and complexes: sand supply planned per phase for a housing project or a complex
- Brickyards and block yards: steady tipper loads of crusher and river sand to keep the machines running
- New brick-making businesses: a new brick maker finding a sand source close enough to keep costs down
- Farms and smallholdings: sand trucked to a farm for staff houses, dam walls and concrete floors
- Municipalities, schools and public works: sand for a school or clinic building, delivered with notes per load
- Landscapers and paving teams: bedding and joint sand for paving and mortar sand for garden walls
Frequently asked questions
What is the building sand price per m³?
What is the difference between building sand and plaster sand?
How much sand is in a tipper load?
Which sand is used for making cement bricks?
Building Sand by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg