A paver patio is built in layers: a compacted gravel base that carries the load, a thin layer of bedding sand the pavers settle into, the pavers themselves, and sand swept into the joints. An edge restraint holds the pavers together at the sides.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the length and width of the area.
- Pick a paver, or enter the size of the one you chose.
- Set the base depth: the paver institute's guide asks for 4 to 6 inches under walks and patios on well-drained soil, more on soft or wet ground.
Worked examples
A patio of brick-size pavers
Size: 16 × 12 ft · Paver: Holland stone, about 4 × 8 in
- Pavers
- 997
- Gravel for the base
- 3.3 tons
- Bedding sand
- 0.7 tons
- Bags of polymeric sand
- 2
- Edge restraint
- 56 linear ft
- Area
- 192 sq ft
- Base gravel
- 2.37 cubic yards
- Bedding sand
- 0.593 cubic yards
- Dig down
- 7.4 in
A garden walk
Size: 30 × 3 ft · Paver: 6 × 6 in
- Pavers
- 396
- Gravel for the base
- 1.6 tons
- Bedding sand
- 0.3 tons
- Bags of polymeric sand
- 1
- Edge restraint
- 66 linear ft
- Area
- 90 sq ft
- Base gravel
- 1.11 cubic yards
- Bedding sand
- 0.278 cubic yards
- Dig down
- 7.4 in
A patio of larger pavers
Size: 20 × 14 ft · Paver: 6 × 9 in
- Pavers
- 822
- Gravel for the base
- 4.8 tons
- Bedding sand
- 1.1 tons
- Bags of polymeric sand
- 3
- Edge restraint
- 68 linear ft
- Area
- 280 sq ft
- Base gravel
- 3.46 cubic yards
- Bedding sand
- 0.864 cubic yards
- Dig down
- 7.4 in
Big square slabs
Size: 12 × 12 ft · Paver: Other: enter the size · Paver: 24 × 24 in · Paver thickness: 2 in
- Pavers
- 40
- Gravel for the base
- 2.5 tons
- Bedding sand
- 0.5 tons
- Bags of polymeric sand
- 2
- Edge restraint
- 48 linear ft
- Area
- 144 sq ft
- Base gravel
- 1.78 cubic yards
- Bedding sand
- 0.444 cubic yards
- Dig down
- 7.0 in
The layers under the pavers
- A compacted gravel base: the paver institute's guide asks for 4 to 6 inches under walks and patios on well-drained soil, and more on clay or wet ground.
- Bedding sand spread about 1 inch thick and screeded flat, never used to fill low spots in the base.
- Edge restraint along every open side, so the pavers cannot creep apart.
- Polymeric sand swept into the joints and misted so it sets.
Ordering the pavers
Divide the area by the face of one paver, then add extra for cuts and breakage: one paver maker adds 10 percent as standard. Patterns with many angled cuts, such as herringbone, use more.
Dig wider than the paved area, so the base runs past the edge: one maker asks for at least 12 inches more. The calculator's dig depth adds the base, the sand and the paver.
Common questions
How many pavers do I need?
Divide the area by the face area of one paver and add extra for cuts: one paver maker adds 10 percent. Enter your area and paver above for the count.
How much gravel do I need under pavers?
Multiply the area by the base depth, 4 to 6 inches for a patio on good soil, to get cubic feet, divide by twenty-seven for cubic yards, and order by the ton from your supplier.
How much sand goes under pavers?
A layer about 1 inch thick, screeded flat over the compacted base. The calculator gives it in cubic yards and tons.
How deep do I dig for a paver patio?
The base depth plus the bedding sand plus the thickness of the paver. The calculator adds them up as the dig depth.