Sand Prices
 

I finally decided to look for sand to replenish my island perched beach that was eroded by high lake levels this spring. I’m discovering that prices for a 50lb bag of general purpose sand has increased by 33 to 50% over last year. YIKES

Why not go to your local DPW or transfer station. Most will allow you to get 2- 5 gallon buckets for free. That will be the equivalent of of 4 bags of sand.

What are you seeing for prices?
How much do you need?

Believe it or not, you need a permit to replenish even a perched beach... I am sure most don't bother, but that depends if your neighbors are quick to "drop a dime"...

Ocean State Job Lot in Ossipee NH website says it has 50-lb bags of Jolly Gardener golden play sand for six dollars. "Ideal for use in sandboxes, play areas, gardens, walkways, and Lake Winnipesaukee perched beach."

Not telling anybody what to do, but there's a good reason for this. Sand is full of phosphorous, which promotes cyanobacteria, milfoil, and a bunch of other stuff that's bad for the lake. The reason perched beaches exist is as a compromise--so you can have some sand without it washing into the lake. If high water is depleting your sand, your perch isn't high enough

Flying Scott - the beach would be plenty high enough if it weren’t for the bozos plowing through at high water. Seems to still be a lack of understanding that “No Wake” means “headway speed”.

John - seeing $5 to $6 for a 50lb bag as opposed to $2.50 to $3.10 last year.

I hadn’t really thought about the phosphorus issue.

Sand, in itself doesn’t contain phosphorus. It is the sediment and/or organic material that is often in the sand you buy that contains the phosphorus. If you buy “clean sand” (i.e., play sand) that has been washed to remove sediment & organic matter the you don’t run the risk of contributing to the water’s phosphorus content.

I guess my cost per bag just went up again!

For Play Sand.
Lowes is at just under $6.

One of the nearby stores to your location, the manager might price match.

inflation
 

I usually buy 10 bags of play sand every year. It seems to go up a dollar every year the past few years, but I'm told inflation is low?

Walmart-Plymouth has similar 40-lb, 1/2 cubic ft bags of brown play sand for $4.97 in their parking lot, outdoor garden area with about one half pallet of bags, there.

Driving to Exit 26-Plymouth for $4.97 sand at Walmart is like a good excuse to go to the Plymouth Market Basket, too, to see what a real supermarket looks like.

We have real inflation.

Lowes is cheaper as more for each dollar.

Except Lowe's doesn't have Play Sand. It has traction sand and all-purpose sand which is NOT the luxurious "sugar sand" comfy to your feet, large sand granules that local real estate sales like to hype.

"Just picture your family ensconced on your very own Lake Winnipesaukee perched beach that automatically comes with golden, sugar sand oozing with that Lake Winnipesaukee luxury living .......:laugh:!"

I thought the idea of a perched beach is to prevent soil and other materials flowing into the lake. If you have to replenish every year, perhaps there is a design or elevation question to be resolved?
Lowe's gives a 10% discount to veterans, except on sale items. HD does too on many items. Lowes also has reserved parking near the front door for Veterans.

Thanks for the pricing info. I was seeing play sand closer to $7 per bag.

Or you can drive your truck over to the sand/gravel lot and fill up the entire bed for $10.

I think at our store it is.

www.3lakeslandscapesupply.com, Rt 93 Exit 26, Tenney Mtn Hgwy, Plymouth has beach sand at $48/cubic yard as well as landscaping items like boulders, granite, rocks and a heck of lot of different landscape natural items, on site, outdoors.

Bring a trailer or pick-up truck and load it up!

As noted above, this is likely to be dirty sand, promoting cyanobacteria et al in your own swimming area

I’ll take local (Ossipee) sand from an aggregate company, crushed/screened on-site, over sand shipped in from gawd nears where, placed in a plastic bag, sold at a national big box store.
$10 almost buries my Super-Duty.
Pretty sure if it’s local…well…it’s local. Whatever is in it is indigenous.

I don’t know of any source for “sanitized” sand.

Why not if going that route just ask how the sand was treated?

I think local would be better too but Ossipee Aggregates is still a little "rocky". I don't know where you would find the real soft beach sand but I bet someone still has it.

No rocks in the sand we buy from OA? Very nice, clean. May not be sugar sand, but it is fine on bare feet and great for our beach and fire pit areas.

It is but I am very very fussy and don't like it. No, not rocks exactly but not as fine as the sand I like.

Thanks for the idea but, getting a truck load of sand to the island presents a bit of a problem. 🫤

What problem? There is at least one LST and the Kitty Belle where you can drive your loaded truck on and off. Many other barges operating. Many island locations trucked/barged sand, crushed stone, soil etc. to build septic systems and leach fields. Eversource is barging equipment out to Welch this week to replace some poles. Some expense, but no problem.

Sort of defeats the savings by buying bulk.

Yea, John is right, at $300/hour for barge time (usually a 4 hr minimum) it doesn’t make much sense. I actually looked at having bark mulch delivered last year. It was $35/yard for the mulch and about $225/yard for trucking and delivery based on 5 yards.

If you want white sand as opposed to brown sand, Aubuchon Hdwe, Plymouth had about ten 40-bags of white play sand in their downstairs for $7.95/bag that looked (?) very high quality in big plastic bags.