One cubic yard — a 12×12 patio is 144 sq ft, and a 1-inch setting bed works out to 144 × 1 ÷ 324 = 0.44 yards, so the 1-yard minimum covers it with margin. The extra is genuinely useful: screeding always eats more than the pure math says, and you will want spare sand for adjustments as you set and re-set pavers through the weekend.
Keep the bed right at 1 inch — a deeper sand layer lets pavers settle unevenly over time. The sand goes over a compacted base, not straight onto soil, so plan the base material first and the setting bed second. For weight reference, sand runs about 2,700 lbs per yard.
Order Paver Sand, and size odd-shaped patios with the material calculator.
