FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Shipping, Sandbags, Returns/Exchanges, and Security
Shipping
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
If you're in the continental United States, your merchandise will arrive in no more than 5 business days. All orders ship from our warehouse in Riverside, CA. If you're outside the continental US, please contact us.
| Continental USA | 4-5 business days |
| Alaska/Hawaii | 7-8 business days |
| International | varies (contact us for details) |
Estimated Shipment Times - UPS only
Estimated Shipment Times - LTL (Pallet) Shipments
Do you ship to PO Boxes?
Yes, for all of our products except for large quantities of sandbags, burlap bags, and monofilament bags. If you are unsure whether a PO box will work, go ahead and use your PO box for your order. If we need a street address, we'll email you.
How much is shipping?
Shipping is FREE anywhere in the continental United States. If you're outside the continental USA, a shipping rate will be calculated for you.
How do I know if my order was placed successfully?
After you have completed your order, you will be directed to an order confirmation page showing a map of your city and your shipping/billing addresses. Future order updates will be sent to the email address entered during the checkout process.
Do you offer local pickup?
No, we do not offer local pickup. But who needs local pickup when you have free shipping anywhere in the continental USA?
Sandbags
How many sandbags do I need to purchase to build a wall?
Use our sandbags calculator to figure that out.
What should I fill the sandbags with?
For erosion control purposes, use gravel (rocks), which traps sediment but allows water to flow through. For flood control purposes, use sand, which stops water.
Where do I get sand or gravel?
A simple web search (i.e. "gravel yard in Los Angeles") can help you locate a place where you can fill the sandbags.
How do I fill and use sandbags?
How can I build a sandbag dike?
How are sandbags different from monofilament bags or burlap bags?
Learn more about the difference between monofilament bags, sandbags, and burlap bags here.
Why is using burlap bags better than using sandbags in some cases?
Learn more about the different use cases of burlap bags compared to sandbags here.
How do I buy long lasting sandbags and burlap bags?
Learn more about buying long lasting sandbags and burlap bags here.
How do you fill a sandbag?
Do sandbags absorb water?
- The sand inside the bag can absorb a small amount of water, but the purpose of sandbags is to protect buildings from flooding by diverting flood water around them, rather than by absorbing the water.
- Along with sandbags, it is best to use plastic tarp sheets as well when building sandbag walls to create a better water-tight seal.
Can bullets penetrate sandbags?
- No, because the sand inside the bag cannot move out of the way fast enough to allow the bullet to penetrate through it.
- The bag keeps the sand trapped inside of it and prevents the energy of the moving bullet from causing the sand to fly everywhere.
- Instead, the force of the bullet is turned into heat, so the sand inside the bag will feel warm to the touch after a bullet is fired into it.
How do sandbags work? Are sandbags waterproof?
- Polypropylene sand bags are effective at stopping water because of the sand contained within the bag.
- The plastic in the bag itself, specifically polypropylene, is water permeable.
- This makes the polypropylene sand bags more versatile because putting gravel (rather than sand) in the bags allows them to stop sediment while allowing water to flow through.
- This is perfect for preventing trash or other sediment from entering storm drains, for instance.
- Our customers have found that the water permeability of the plastic allows water that gets in the sand to be released from the bag, so the sand doesn't stay soggy.
How many sandbags do I need?
If you are building a sandbags wall, calculate how many sandbags you need. Our 14" x 26" and 18" x 30" sandbags are specifically designed sandbags for flooding. In general, it takes 600 standard 14" x 26" sandbags to build 100-foot wall 1 foot tall.
What do you fill sandbags with?
Use sand to stop flooding. Use gravel to control erosion by stopping soil and other sediment and allowing water to pass through.
Pictured: filled polypropylene sandbags (closed off with included tiestring) as part of sandbags wall to protect against heavy flooding
What are the dimensions of the sandbags when filled with 50 lbs of sand?
- The exact dimensions may vary.
- Our customers have found that the dimensions are roughly 17" long, 12" wide, and 5" deep.
- After filling, be sure to seal the bags shut with the included ties.
I enjoy camping and being outdoors. Can I use these to hold things down so they don't fly away, even in strong winds?
- Yes.
- For a canopy, tying four filled sandbags to each leg will surely keep the canopy in place.
- Filled sand bags (closed off with included ties) can also be used to hold chairs and umbrellas in place outdoors.
What is the difference between 14" x 26" poly sandbags and 18" x 30" poly sandbags?
14" x 26" sandbags are available in four colors: white, green, beige, orange. 18" x 30" sandbags are only available in white.
When filled up, a 14" x 26" sandbag weighs 30-50 pounds while an 18" x 30" sandbag weighs 75-100 pounds. The 18" x 30" sandbag can fit 2-3 times more material in each bag compared with the 14" x 26" sandbag.
Both sizes have 1600 hours of UV protection and can be used for a variety of purposes, including earthbag home building and filling the bags up with coal and other materials and selling it by the bag.
Both have a hem top at the top of the bag. This means that there is sewing at the top of the bag so that the bags do not fray.
What is an earthbag home?
Earthbag construction is a cheap building technique using soil placed inside polypropylene sandbags (hence "earthbag") as the primary structural support for a building.
It allows for the construction of both strong and quickly built structures.
This 1000 square foot two-story circular structure (unfinished when the photo was taken) cost well under $15,000 to build, plastering and interior finishing costs included.
It was constructed with thousands of white polypropylene sandbags.
Returns/Exchanges
What is your return policy?
We have a 30-day return policy. As long as the product is in the same condition as when the product left our facility, we will provide a full refund (minus a restocking fee up to 30%) for orders under $500. The buyer will need to cover the return shipping cost. For orders over $500, we do not accept returns due to the high expense of shipping.
Here's how to return a product:
- Contact us to return a product.
- Package the product and ship it back to the address we provide.
What if I order the wrong product?
If the product doesn't fit your needs, please contact us. We will help resolve your issue.
Security
Is my payment protected?
Yes. All online transactions are processed through Shopify, which accepts all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Shopify is certified PCI compliant, meaning all cardholder data is protected during transfer and storage.
I’m scared to give you my information because I don’t know what you guys will do with it.
We totally understand your concern. Please read our privacy policy to see how we protect your information.