Paver Calculator
Count patio pavers from real geometry — area, paver size, joint gap and pattern — then size the base gravel, bedding sand, polymeric sand and edge restraint, with U.S. pricing and a downloadable PDF.
Base depth and joint sizes vary by soil, load and paver maker — follow their specs. Prices use 2024-2025 U.S. figures. For planning purposes only.
| Paver Size | Per sq ft | Total Pavers | Poly Sand |
|---|
For your 300 sq ft area at 1/8 in joints. Larger pavers mean fewer pieces but more cuts on curves.
How to use the paver calculator
Three quick steps turn a patio’s size into a full materials list — pavers, base gravel, bedding sand, polymeric sand, and edge restraint — with counts, volumes, U.S. pricing, a size comparison, and a downloadable PDF.
Enter the area
Patio length × width and number of areas, or type a known square footage.
Pick the paver
Choose a size, set the joint gap, and pick a laying pattern that sets the waste.
Set base & price
Gravel and bedding sand depths, plus a price per paver and per square foot.
Read it & save a PDF
Get paver counts, base volumes, poly bags, a size comparison, and a download.
How the paver & base count is calculated
Paver count comes from how much one paver covers including its joint; base gravel and bedding sand come from your area and depth; poly sand fills the joints. Here is the exact math.
Worked example — 20 × 15 ft patio (300 sq ft), 4×8 pavers, ⅛ in joint, running bond, 10% waste, 4 in base, 1 in sand
Per sq ft: 144 ÷ (8.125 × 4.125) = 4.30
Area + waste: 300 × 1.10 = 330 sq ft
Pavers: ⌈330 × 4.30⌉ = 1,418
Gravel: 300 × 4÷12 ÷ 27 = 3.70 cu yd (≈5.2 t)
Sand: 300 × 1÷12 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cu yd
Poly + edging: 3 bags · 2×(20+15) = 70 ft
1,418 pavers, 3.70 cu yd gravel, 0.93 cu yd sand, 3 poly bags, 70 ft edging — roughly $1,559 for pavers + base.
Base gravel, bedding sand, and edge restraint stay the same — those come from area, not piece size. Only the paver count and the number of cuts move as the paver gets bigger.
Paver, base & pattern charts
Handy lookups for the questions people ask most — the layers of a paver patio, pavers per square foot by size, pattern waste, base and sand coverage, and typical U.S. costs. Quantities start from the area, paver size, and joint gap.
| Layer | What it does | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Pavers | The wearing surface | 144 ÷ paver + joint coverage |
| Bedding sand | Sets the pavers level | ~1 in over the area |
| Base gravel | Spreads the load, drains | ~4–6 in, compacted |
| Polymeric sand | Locks the joints | Joint volume ÷ bag yield |
| Edge restraint | Stops pavers creeping | Full perimeter, in linear ft |
This calculator sizes each layer from your area and paver. Base depth and joint size vary by soil, load, and paver maker — follow their spec.
| Paver size | Per sq ft | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 4×8 in (brick) | 4.30 | 430 |
| 6×6 in | 3.84 | 384 |
| 6×9 in (Holland) | 2.58 | 258 |
| 8×8 in | 2.18 | 218 |
| 12×12 in | 0.98 | 98 |
| 16×16 in | 0.55 | 55 |
Before waste. Per sq ft = 144 divided by the paver plus its joint. Wider joints drop the count; add your waste and pattern allowance to get the buy quantity.
| Pattern | Extra waste | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Running bond | +0% | Simple offset rows, few cuts |
| Herringbone 45° | +5% | Angled edge cuts all around |
| Basketweave | +5% | Alternating pairs, more cuts |
| Circular / fan | +15% | Heavy cutting around the radius |
Pattern waste adds on top of your base waste slider. Diagonals, curves, and lots of borders all raise the count.
| Layer & depth | Cu yd | Approx. tons |
|---|---|---|
| Base gravel — 4 in | 1.23 | 1.7 |
| Base gravel — 6 in | 1.85 | 2.6 |
| Bedding sand — 1 in | 0.31 | 0.4 |
Cubic yards = area × depth ÷ 12 ÷ 27. Crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per yard and sand about 1.35. Order a little extra for compaction.
| Use | Base gravel | Bedding sand |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway / light patio | 4 in | 1 in |
| Patio | 4–6 in | 1 in |
| Driveway / vehicles | 8–12 in | 1 in |
Soft or clay soils and frost-prone areas need more base. Keep bedding sand near an inch — thickening it to level dips causes ruts later.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete paver | $0.50–$3.00 each | By size and style |
| Base gravel | $30–$60 / cu yd | Crushed stone |
| Bedding sand | $30–$50 / cu yd | Coarse concrete sand |
| Polymeric sand | $20–$40 / bag | ~50 lb, joints |
| Edge restraint | $1–$3 / ft | Plastic or metal |
| Patio, materials | $6–$12 / sq ft | Excludes labor |
| Patio, installed | $15–$30 / sq ft | Materials + labor |
Planning ranges only. Prices swing with region, style, and quantity, and delivery on bulk base can be a real line item.
A paver patio is a stack of layers: pavers rest on screeded sand, the sand rests on compacted gravel, and an edge restraint holds the whole field together. The calculator sizes each layer from your area.
- Pavers — the surface, laid in your pattern with sand-filled joints.
- Bedding sand — a screeded ~1 in layer the pavers seat into.
- Base gravel — compacted crushed stone, ~4 in for a patio, that spreads load.
- Edge restraint — spiked around the perimeter so pavers can’t spread.
Everything the calculator works out
One patio, entered any way you like, comes back as a complete materials plan — every layer counted, measured, and priced.
Key figures behind a paver count
Built for anyone laying pavers
From a small walkway to a big backyard patio, the same calculator turns an area into a paver count and a full base materials order.
Laying a backyard patio and needs a paver count plus how much gravel, sand, and poly to buy.
- Enter length × width
- Pick size and pattern
- Take the PDF to the yard
Turning an area into a paver count, a base order, and a cost fast when quoting a hardscape job.
- Enter a known area
- Compare paver sizes side by side
- Roll base into a per-sq-ft rate
Weighing paver size, pattern, and base against the total material bill.
- See pavers by size
- Check base volumes and bags
- Save the PDF to shop quotes
7 tips for estimating & laying pavers
Small habits keep your paver count right and your patio flat and draining, whether it’s a short walkway or a big backyard.
Paver calculator FAQ
The paver-count, base, sand, pattern, and cost questions people ask most.
Pavers per square foot is 144 divided by the coverage of one paver including its joint — its length plus the gap times its width plus the gap. Standard 4×8 brick pavers with a ⅛ inch joint work out to about 4.3 per square foot.
Bigger pavers cover more, so a 12×12 is about 1 per square foot and a 16×16 is about 0.55. Multiply by your area plus a waste allowance to get the total to buy. This calculator does that for any size and joint.
Base gravel is your area times the base depth, and bedding sand is your area times about a 1 inch layer. A 300 square foot patio with a 4 inch gravel base needs roughly 3.7 cubic yards of crushed stone (about 5 tons) plus close to 1 cubic yard of bedding sand.
Patios usually use 4 to 6 inches of compacted base; driveways need more. This calculator converts your depths into cubic yards and tons for both layers.
Polymeric sand fills the joints, so the amount depends on the joint width and the paver size — smaller pavers have more joint per square foot. A 300 square foot patio of 4×8 pavers with ⅛ inch joints takes about three 50 lb bags.
As a rough guide, one bag covers roughly 100 square feet of small pavers with tight joints, and more area with big pavers. This calculator sizes it from your exact joints.
A running bond needs about 10% extra for cuts and breakage. Angled and repeating patterns waste more: herringbone and basketweave add roughly 5% on top, and a circular or fan layout adds about 15% for all the cutting around the radius.
Round shapes, diagonals, and lots of borders all raise the count. This calculator adds the pattern allowance on top of your waste slider automatically.
A typical patio or walkway uses about 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed-stone base topped with a screeded 1 inch layer of bedding sand. Driveways and anything carrying vehicles usually need 8 to 12 inches of base.
Soft or clay soils need more base; frost-prone areas need more still. Keep the bedding sand at about an inch — don’t thicken it to level dips. Confirm depth against your soil and paver maker’s spec.
Yes. Without an edge restraint around the whole perimeter, the outer pavers slowly creep outward and the joints open up, especially on patios and walkways with foot traffic.
Edge restraint runs the full perimeter — roughly two times length plus width for a rectangle. This calculator estimates the linear feet you’ll need from your patio dimensions, then you spike it down over the compacted base.
Smaller pavers like 4×8 brick give a classic look and handle curves with fewer awkward cuts, but there are many more pieces to lay. Large-format 12×12 or 16×16 slabs cover ground fast with far fewer pieces, but each cut on a curve wastes more.
For the same 300 square foot patio that’s roughly 1,400 brick pavers versus about 320 large slabs. This calculator compares sizes side by side so you can weigh pieces against cuts.
Paver materials commonly run about $6 to $12 per square foot — the pavers themselves plus base gravel, bedding sand, polymeric sand, and edge restraint. Concrete pavers alone range from roughly $0.50 to $3.00 each.
Adding professional installation brings a finished patio to roughly $15 to $30 per square foot. This calculator estimates the pavers and a rolled-up base cost per square foot, so you can add labor on top.
General Estimating Notice: This calculator estimates paver materials — pavers, base gravel, bedding sand, polymeric sand, and edge restraint, plus a rolled-up cost — from your area, paver size, joint gap, laying pattern, and base depths. Quantities are planning estimates and may differ from a measured layout. Base depth, joint size, and compaction must be confirmed against your soil, load, and the paver maker’s spec, along with drainage and any local requirements. Prices, bag yields, and tonnages use 2024–2025 U.S. figures and vary by region and product. Confirm base and drainage with a local pro — for planning purposes only.