Paver Calculator
Estimate how many pavers you need for a patio, walkway or driveway, plus the gravel base, bedding sand and edging, with waste and cost.
Results
| Item | Value |
|---|
Quick Answer
Pavers per square foot = 144 ÷ ((paver length + joint) × (paver width + joint)). For 4 × 8 inch pavers with 1/8 inch joints, that is about 4.30 per sq ft. A 12 × 10 ft patio needs about 568 pavers with 10% waste, 2.22 cubic yards of 6 inch base and 0.37 cubic yards of 1 inch sand.
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Table of Contents
How This Paver Calculator Works
Enter the length and width of the area, choose a paver size and the joint width, and add waste for cuts. The calculator finds how many pavers cover each square foot, the total with waste, the cubic yards of gravel base and bedding sand, and the length of edge restraint around the outside.
Quick explanation: a paver patio is built in layers: compacted gravel, about 1 inch of bedding sand, then the pavers.
- Pavers: area × pavers per square foot, plus waste.
- Base: thicker for driveways than patios.
- Edging: keeps the pavers from spreading.
How to Use the Paver Calculator
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet.
- Choose the paver size and enter the joint width.
- Set the waste allowance, more for curves and patterns.
- Enter the gravel base and bedding sand depths.
- Press Calculate and read pavers, base, sand and edging.
Core Formulas
- Area: length × width
- Pavers per sq ft: 144 ÷ ((L + j) × (W + j))
- Pavers: area × pavers per sq ft × (1 + waste %)
- Base or sand: area × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = cubic yards
- Edging: 2 × (length + width)
Key Terms
- Paver: a concrete, brick or stone unit for paving.
- Base: compacted crushed stone under the pavers.
- Bedding sand: a thin, screeded layer the pavers sit on.
- Joint sand: sand swept into the joints to lock pavers together.
- Edge restraint: a border that holds the pavers in place.
Worked Example
A 20 × 15 ft patio uses 12 × 12 inch pavers with 1/8 inch joints, 5% waste, an 8 inch base and 1 inch of sand.
- Pavers per sq ft = 144 ÷ (12.125 × 12.125) = 0.979
- Pavers = 300 × 0.979 × 1.05 = 309
- Base = 7.41 cu yd, sand = 0.93 cu yd, edging = 70 ft
Real-Life Examples
- A small patio: 12 × 10 ft of 4 × 8 pavers needs about 568 pavers.
- A walkway: 30 × 4 ft of 6 × 9 pavers needs about 341 pavers and 68 ft of edging.
- A driveway: 40 × 12 ft with a 12 inch base needs about 17.8 cubic yards of gravel.
- Large slabs: 24 × 24 inch pavers need only 0.25 per sq ft.
Pavers vs Poured Concrete
- Pavers: individual units that flex with the ground and are easy to repair.
- Poured concrete: one slab, often cheaper per square foot, but cracks are harder to fix.
- Look: pavers offer many patterns and colors. Try our Concrete Calculator for slabs.
Typical Base Depths
Clay soils and cold climates may need a deeper base.
| Project | Gravel base | Bedding layer |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway or patio | 6 to 10 in | About 1 in |
| Driveway | 8 to 14 in | About 1 in |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skimping on the base. A thin base is the main cause of sinking pavers.
- Too much bedding sand. Keep it about 1 inch.
- No edge restraint. Pavers spread without it.
- Too little waste. Curves and herringbone patterns need extra.
- Ignoring slope. Slope the surface away from buildings for drainage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply the area by the pavers per square foot for your size, then add 5% to 15% for waste.
About 4.30 with 1/8 inch joints, or 4.5 with no joints.
Unilock suggests 6 to 10 inches for walkways and 8 to 14 inches for driveways.
A bedding layer about 1 inch thick. This calculator works out the volume.
About 5% for simple squares, and 10% to 15% for curves, cuts or patterns.
Crushed stone base, such as ¾ inch stone with fines or clean ¾ inch stone for permeable systems.
Yes. It stops the pavers and sand from spreading.
At 6 inches deep, about 1.85 cubic yards.
No. Soil shifts and holds water, so pavers need a compacted base.
Fine or polymeric sand swept into the joints after laying to lock the pavers.
Ask your supplier for the weight per cubic yard of their material, as it varies.
Enter a square of the same area. For a circle, area = 3.14 × radius².
Loose gravel settles under weight, which makes pavers sink and shift. Compacting the base in thin layers with a plate compactor gives a firm, even foundation that drains well.
Patios are usually sloped slightly away from the house so rain drains off. Plan the slope in the base, not the sand, so the bedding layer stays an even thickness.
References & Sources
| Source | Used For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Unilock, How to install a paver patio base | Base and bedding layer depths. | https://unilock.com/diy/paver-base/ |
| Wikipedia, Sett (paving) | Paving stones and their uses. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sett_(paving) |