Paver Sand Calculator
Figure out how much sand and base you need for a paver patio, walkway or driveway. Enter the area, bedding and base depths and your paver size, and get bedding sand in cubic yards, tons and bags, compacted gravel base, polymeric joint sand bags, paver count, edge restraint and a material cost — with by-area and by-paver-size tables and a downloadable PDF.
| Area | Bedding sand | Base gravel | Joint sand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter an area to compare | |||
| Paver | Joint share | Joint sand | Pavers (+5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter an area to compare | |||
How to use the paver sand calculator
Four quick steps turn your patio, walkway or driveway size into bedding sand, gravel base, polymeric joint sand and paver counts — with by-area and by-paver-size tables, a chart and a downloadable report.
Enter the area
Choose rectangle (length × width), circle (diameter) or type the total square feet for an irregular layout.
Set sand & base depths
Pick a 1″, 1 1/4″ or 1 1/2″ sand bed and a gravel base of none, 4″, 6″ or 8″.
Describe the pavers
Pick 4×8, 6×6, 6×9 or 12×12 pavers and enter the thickness, joint width and optional bag prices.
Read results & save a PDF
Get sand, base and joint sand in tons and bags, paver count, edging and cost — then download a report.
How paver sand is calculated
Each layer is a simple volume — area times depth — plus a waste or compaction allowance. Joint sand comes from the share of the surface that is joints. Here is the exact math the calculator runs.
Worked example — 16 × 12 ft patio, 1″ sand bed, 4″ base, 4×8 pavers 2 3/8″ thick, 1/8″ joints
Area: 16 × 12 = 192 sq ft · Bedding sand: 192 × (1 ÷ 12) × 1.10 = 17.6 cu ft ≈ 0.65 cu yd ≈ 0.88 tons ≈ 36 bags
Base: 192 × (4 ÷ 12) × 1.20 = 76.8 cu ft ≈ 2.84 cu yd ≈ 3.98 tons ≈ 154 bags
Joint sand: 4.5% joints × 2 1/4" deep × 1.15 ≈ 187 lb ≈ 4 bags · Pavers: ≈ 867 (with 5%) · Edging: 2 × (16 + 12) = 56 ft
≈ 0.65 cu yd (36 bags) of bedding sand, about 4 tons of base and 4 bags of polymeric sand — about $1,260 at the example prices, and the base is worth ordering in bulk.
Paver sand reference charts
Handy lookups for sand and base by patio size, joint sand by paver size, and how much base each depth needs.
| Area | Bedding sand | Gravel base | Joint sand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.46 t · 19 bags | 2.07 t · 80 bags | 2 bags |
| 200 sq ft | 0.92 t · 37 bags | 4.15 t · 160 bags | 4 bags |
| 300 sq ft | 1.38 t · 56 bags | 6.22 t · 240 bags | 6 bags |
| 400 sq ft | 1.83 t · 74 bags | 8.30 t · 320 bags | 8 bags |
| 500 sq ft | 2.29 t · 92 bags | 10.37 t · 400 bags | 10 bags |
| 750 sq ft | 3.44 t · 138 bags | 15.56 t · 600 bags | 15 bags |
Sand and base bags are 0.5 cu ft (about 50 lb); polymeric bags are 50 lb. Once you need a cubic yard or more, bulk delivery is usually cheaper.
| Paver | Joint share | Joint sand | Pavers (+5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 in | 4.5% | 4 bags (187 lb) | 867 |
| 6 × 6 in | 4.0% | 4 bags (167 lb) | 774 |
| 6 × 9 in | 3.4% | 3 bags (140 lb) | 520 |
| 12 × 12 in | 2.1% | 2 bags (85 lb) | 198 |
Smaller pavers have more joints, so they take more joint sand. Widening the joints to 1/4″ roughly doubles it (8 bags for 4×8).
| Base depth | Typical use | Volume | Tons · bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | Walkway / patio on firm soil | 2.84 cu yd | 3.98 t · 154 bags |
| 6″ | Patio on clay or in frost areas | 4.27 cu yd | 5.97 t · 231 bags |
| 8″ | Driveway | 5.69 cu yd | 7.96 t · 308 bags |
Compact the base in 2–4 inch lifts with a plate compactor before screeding the sand.
What the paver sand calculator gives you
One area and a few paver details give you a complete materials list for the yard or the home center.
Paver sand at a glance
Who uses a paver sand calculator
From a weekend walkway to a full driveway, the same calculator builds the materials list.
Laying a backyard patio and wants to know how many bags of sand, base and polymeric sand to bring home.
- Enter length and width
- Use a 1″ sand bed
- Check bags vs. bulk
Paving a driveway with thicker pavers and needs the tons of base to order from a landscape supply yard.
- Pick an 8″ base
- Enter 3 1/8″ pavers
- Order base by the ton
Pricing jobs and wants fast material quantities and a cost for the estimate.
- Enter local prices
- Compare paver sizes
- Share the PDF
Tips for a solid paver base
Most paver problems start below the surface — these habits keep your pavers flat and tight for years.
Paver sand calculator FAQ
Quick answers about bedding sand, gravel base, polymeric joint sand and how much to order.
Multiply the area by the bedding depth in feet and add 10% for waste. A 16 × 12 ft patio is 192 sq ft, so a 1 inch bed needs 192 × 1/12 × 1.10 = 17.6 cubic feet.
That’s about 0.65 cubic yards, 0.88 tons or 36 bags of 0.5 cubic feet each.
The industry standard is a 1 inch layer of screeded bedding sand. Go to 1 1/4 inches only if the base is a little uneven, and never more than 1 1/2 inches.
A thick sand bed lets pavers rut and settle, so fix low spots in the gravel base instead of adding sand.
Multiply the area by the base depth in feet and add 20% for compaction. For a 192 sq ft patio, a 4 inch base is 76.8 cubic feet — about 2.84 cubic yards or 3.98 tons.
Use 4 inches for walkways and patios on firm soil, 6 inches on clay or in frost areas, and 8 inches or more for driveways.
It depends on the paver size, joint width and paver thickness. 4×8 pavers with 1/8 inch joints are about 4.5% joints, so a 192 sq ft patio with 2 3/8 inch pavers needs about 187 lb — 4 bags of 50 lb, or roughly 51 sq ft per bag.
Larger pavers need less: 12×12 pavers on the same patio need only about 2 bags. Joints of 1/4 inch roughly double the amount.
Use coarse, washed concrete sand for the bedding layer — not play sand, mason sand or stone dust, which hold water and shift.
Use polymeric sand to fill the joints. It hardens when misted and resists weeds and washout.
Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards. The calculator uses about 2,700 lb per cubic yard for sand and 2,800 lb for paver base, then divides by 2,000 for tons.
Bags of sand and paver base are 0.5 cubic feet, about 50 lb, so divide cubic feet by 0.5 for the bag count.
Bags are fine for small jobs. Once you need about a cubic yard or more, a landscape supply delivery by the ton or yard is usually cheaper and far less lifting.
The 16 × 12 ft example needs 154 bags of base, so ordering about 4 tons in bulk makes more sense. Joint sand still comes in bags.
Divide the area in square inches by the paver size plus the joint, then add 5% for cuts and breakage. A 192 sq ft patio of 4×8 pavers with 1/8 inch joints needs about 867 pavers.
The same patio needs about 774 pavers at 6×6, 520 at 6×9 and 198 at 12×12.
Estimate only — check with your supplier. This calculator works in US units (feet, inches, cubic yards, short tons) and uses typical weights of about 2,700 lb per cubic yard for sand and 2,800 lb for paver base. Actual weights, bag sizes and prices vary by product and supplier, so confirm quantities before ordering. Follow the paver manufacturer’s installation guide, and check soil, drainage and local requirements for driveways and heavy loads.