River Sand (Aatru Manal): Price per Unit, Sources and Delivery
River sand costs ₹9,020 per unit (100 cft, about 4.3 tonnes) at our yards, plus 5% GST and delivery from the yard nearest your site. It comes from government-approved sources at Surutapalli and Nellore, with a valid transit permit on every load. For concrete and plaster we recommend M-Sand or P-Sand instead.
₹9,020 / unit (100 cft) yard price, before 5% GST and delivery6 yards near Chennai9 t / 18 t lorry loads
Factory-direct wholesale prices — usually lower than retail dealers; final price negotiable on quantity.
Also calledriver sand, natural sand, aatru manal, aathu manal, Nellore river sand
Tamilஆற்று மணல்
StandardIS 383:2016 grading zones
SizesRiver sand, as graded at source
Measured in1 unit = 100 cft = 2.83 m³; 1 unit ≈ 4.3 tonnes dry and loose (typical, 4.1–4.5 t)
River sand price per unit, tonne and load
River sand is the one stock item we sell by volume, because the Chennai trade quotes it per unit. The tonne and m³ rows are conversions at a typical 4.3 t per unit, not a second price.
Yard price before 5% GST and delivery, as of 1 Oct 2026.
Quantity
Price
Per cft
₹90 per cft
Per unit (100 cft)
₹9,020 per unit
Per tonne (at 4.3 t per unit)
₹2,100 per tonne
Per m³
₹3,190 per m³
10-wheeler load (about 4 units)
₹36,080
Next question: Where does this sand come from? Surutapalli and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh; all six yards hold it. More
Where our river sand comes from
Our river sand comes from two sources: Surutapalli in Tirupati district, a few kilometres from Uthukottai across the state border, and Nellore, both in Andhra Pradesh. We buy only from government-approved sources, and every load travels with a valid transit permit.
All six stock yards hold river sand: Madhavaram, Uthukottai, Vengal Koot Road, Sathyavedu, Kavaraipettai Main Road and Manellore SIPCOT. Your load goes from the yard nearest your site.
Next question: Should I use river sand at all? For concrete and plaster, M-Sand and P-Sand are steadier in supply and grading; see the comparison. More
River sand vs M-Sand vs P-Sand
River sand
M-Sand
P-Sand
What it is
Natural grains, rounded by water
Crushed granite, shaped and graded for concrete
Crushed granite, finer, for plaster
Grading
Varies by reach and load
IS 383 Zone II
Plaster sand to IS 1542
Supply
Limited by permits and season
Steady from the crusher
Steady from the crusher
Sold by
Unit (100 cft)
Tonne on the weighbridge
Tonne on the weighbridge
Best use
Masonry mortar, or where the drawing asks for it
RCC, PCC, blocks
Wall and ceiling plaster
Verdict: use M-Sand for concrete and P-Sand for plaster, and buy river sand only where your drawing or engineer asks for it. In the Chennai market M-Sand usually costs less per tonne than legal river sand.
Next question: What does M-Sand cost delivered to my site? Its page shows the per-MT rate and the delivered price for every area we serve. More
What river sand is
River sand is natural fine aggregate taken from river beds, with grains rounded by flowing water. The Chennai trade calls it aatru manal and sells it by the unit of 100 cubic feet.
Rounded grains make a workable mortar with less water than angular crushed sand. Quality depends on the reach it came from: silt, clay lumps, shells and roots vary from load to load.
Next question: How much does one unit weigh? About 4.1–4.5 tonnes when dry and loose (typical); we use 4.3 t for delivery maths. More
Coarse and fine river sand
IS 383:2016 sorts fine aggregate into grading Zones I to IV, from coarsest to finest. 'Rough' and 'nice' are trade words, not a specification, so ask for a sieve analysis if your engineer names a zone.
Trade name
IS 383 grading
Typical use
Coarse ('rough') river sand
Coarser zones (I–II)
Brick and block masonry mortar; concrete only where specified
Fine ('nice') river sand
Finer zones (III–IV)
Plastering and finishing; P-Sand does the same job
Next question: How do I check a load at the gate? Papers first, then a jar test for silt; the five checks are below. More
How much river sand do you need? Typical estimates
Typical estimates: for planning; your engineer's quantities come first.
Work
Sand needed (typical)
Basis
Wall plaster, 12 mm, 1:4
4–5 cft per 100 sq ft; 1 unit covers about 2,000–2,500 sq ft
Dry mortar ≈ 1.27–1.33 x wet volume
9-inch brick wall, 1:6 mortar
About 20–25 cft per 100 sq ft of wall
Mortar ≈ 25–30% of brickwork volume
6-inch block wall, 1:6 mortar
About 4–5 cft per 100 sq ft of wall
10 mm joints on a 400 x 200 mm block
Weight of 1 unit
About 4.3 tonnes
1.45–1.60 t/m³ x 2.83 m³
Next question: How many loads is that? Divide the units by 4 for a 10-wheeler or by 2 for a 6-wheeler (typical, by weight), then ask for the delivered load price. More
Five checks when a river sand load arrives
Papers first: the transit permit, the invoice and the vehicle number must match the lorry at your gate.
Jar test for silt: half-fill a clear bottle with sand, add water and a pinch of salt, shake and let it settle for about an hour. A silt layer above about 8% of the sand height is a common site reason to reject (rule of thumb).
Rub a wet handful between your palms: stains that do not rinse off quickly point to clay.
Look for shells, roots, plastic and mud balls; reject loads with visible organic matter.
If you buy by volume, measure the sand in the lorry body: length x width x height in feet ÷ 100 = units. Damp sand bulks, so volume reads high.
Next question: What if the load fails a check? Do not unload. Photograph the test and the papers and call +91 90039 03003 before the lorry leaves. More
Choosing river sand for your job
Start from the drawing: if the engineer specifies M-Sand for concrete, use it. River sand is not an upgrade for RCC.
For brick or block mortar, coarse river sand works; for plaster, fine river sand or P-Sand.
Ask for the transit permit details with the quote. A load without a valid permit can be stopped and seized on the road.
Order what you can store and cover: about 4 units on a 10-wheeler or 2 on a 6-wheeler (typical).
Next question: How do I store it on site? On a hard base or tarpaulin, covered, away from soil heaps. More
Storing river sand on site
Tip it on a hard, clean base or a tarpaulin, not on soil you will dig later.
Keep it away from the soil heap and the cement stack; soil mixed into plaster sand shows up as cracks.
Cover it in rain and wind; sand washed into the drain is lost money and a blocked drain.
Keep coarse and fine sand in separate heaps, and use the oldest heap first.
Next question: Can sand wait a few weeks? Yes. Sand does not set or expire; keep it clean and covered. More
Mistakes to avoid when buying river sand
Buying on price alone: a rate far below the market often means no permit or a silty reach.
Using fine plaster sand in concrete: it needs more water and cement for the same strength.
Paying for volume measured on damp sand: bulking can add 20–30% to the apparent volume (typical).
Tipping a full load where it blocks a road or a neighbour's gate; it draws complaints and gets spread and wasted.
Next question: Is M-Sand a safe swap for concrete? Yes, when it is graded Zone II and washed; the M-Sand page lists its grading and price. More
River Sand: delivered price by area
Delivered price = yard price + freight from the yard nearest the area (estimated road km x the per-tonne slab, at 4.3 t per unit), before 5% GST.
Send the quantity in units (or the work and area), your site location and the date you need it: call, WhatsApp or the quote form.
We confirm the yard price, the nearest yard and the delivered price for a 6-wheeler or 10-wheeler load.
The load arrives with the invoice and transit permit; check them and run the jar test before unloading.
Yards & sources
Stock yards and sources
River Sand is held at all six stock yards; the sand itself comes from Surutapalli and Nellore, government-approved sources only, with a valid transit permit on every load. Your load leaves from the one nearest your site.
Our river sand is ₹9,020 per unit at the yard (1 unit = 100 cft, about 4.3 tonnes), before 5% GST and delivery. M-Sand and P-Sand are sold per tonne; their pages show the current rate and the delivered price for your area.
How much sand is 1 unit?
One unit is 100 cubic feet, or 2.83 cubic metres. Dry, loose river sand weighs about 1.45–1.60 tonnes per cubic metre, so a unit is roughly 4.1–4.5 tonnes (typical estimate). A 10-wheeler carries about 4 units by weight.
Which is cheaper, m sand or river sand?
In the Chennai market M-Sand usually costs less per tonne than legal river sand, and its supply is steadier. Compare our river sand at ₹2,100 per tonne with the per-MT rate on the M-Sand page, both before GST and delivery.
What is the price of 1 load of river sand in Chennai?
A 10-wheeler carries about 4 units, so the sand costs ₹36,080 at our yard price, before 5% GST and delivery. Freight depends on the distance from our nearest yard; the table on this page shows the delivered price for each area.
How much is river sand per cubic metre?
One cubic metre is 35.3 cft, or 0.353 unit. At ₹9,020 per unit that works out to ₹3,190 per m³ for the sand, before 5% GST and delivery.
From our team
Notes, photos and examples added by the M&B Chetty team, with the author and the date.
Send the material, quantity and site location. Our sales desk in Gummidipundi calls you back within 15 minutes during desk hours to work out a delivered quote and a dispatch slot.