Paver Calculator

Calculate paving stones, sand bedding and base gravel for patios and walkways.

Patio Details

Standard 4-6"
Standard 1"
Patio Area—
Pavers Needed (with 5% waste)—
Base Gravel—
Bedding Sand—
Paver Cost—

How to Calculate Pavers

Pavers: Paver area (sq ft) = (width × length) ÷ 144. Pavers = area ÷ paver area × 1.05 (5% waste for cuts).

Related: Try our concrete calculator, gravel calculator, or sand calculator for your project.

Base gravel: Cubic yards = area × (base depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27. Compacted base reduces volume ~15%.

Sand bedding: Cubic yards = area × (sand depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27. Use coarse sand, not play sand.

Layer Structure (bottom to top)

  1. Compacted subgrade (existing soil)
  2. 4-6 inches compacted gravel base
  3. 1 inch sand bedding
  4. Pavers
  5. Polymeric sand in joints

FAQ

How many pavers for 12×12 patio?
With 16×16 pavers: 144 sq ft ÷ 1.78 sq ft/paver × 1.05 = ~85 pavers.
How much sand under pavers?
1 inch bedding sand. 100 sq ft = ~0.31 cu yd = ~0.4 tons.
How much base gravel?
4-6 inches compacted. 100 sq ft at 4" = ~1.23 cu yd = ~1.7 tons.
Pavers directly on dirt?
No. Need 4-6" gravel base + 1" sand to prevent sinking and weeds.

Related

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Gravel
⏳
Sand
🧱
Concrete
🪵
Deck