Hardscaping & Landscaping
Paver Calculator
Calculate exactly how many pavers or bricks you need for your patio, walkway, or driveway. This tool also estimates the required volume and weight for the gravel base and bedding sand. Choose from standard paver sizes or enter custom dimensions in metric or imperial units.
Paver Calculator
Estimate pavers, gravel base, and bedding sand
Project Area Shape
Standard Paver Sizes
Results
Enter values above to calculate
Paver Cross-Section Diagram
A durable paver installation relies on a proper foundation: compacted subgrade, crushed gravel base, a thin sand setting bed, and polymeric sand joints.
How the Calculations Work
1. Project Area
Determine the total square footage (or square metres) of your patio, walkway, or driveway. If the shape is complex, break it down into smaller rectangles, calculate their individual areas, and add them together.
2. Pavers Needed
Calculate the effective area of a single paver by adding the joint width (usually 1/8" to 1/4" or 3-5mm) to both its length and width. Divide the total project area by this single paver area. Finally, add a waste allowance—typically 5% for simple layouts, or 10-15% for complex shapes with lots of cutting.
3. Gravel Base Volume
The gravel base (often dense-grade aggregate) provides the structural foundation. Walkways and patios typically need 4 to 6 inches (100-150mm), while driveways require 8 to 12 inches (200-300mm). Multiply your area by this depth. Remember to order 15-20% extra to account for compaction when using a plate compactor.
4. Bedding Sand Volume
A uniform layer of bedding sand (usually 1 inch or 25mm thick) sits directly under the pavers. It allows for minor leveling adjustments and locks the pavers in place when compacted. Do not use stone dust or masonry sand; concrete sand is best.
Worked Example
Backyard Patio: 20 ft long by 15 ft wide. Using 8" x 4" brick pavers, a 4" gravel base, 1" sand bed, and 10% waste.
Pavers per Square Foot by Size
How many units cover one square foot, and the recommended base depth by application:
| Paver size (in) | Face area (ft²) | Pavers per ft² | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 | 0.222 | 4.50 | Walkways, herringbone drives |
| 6 × 6 | 0.250 | 4.00 | Patios, borders |
| 6 × 9 | 0.375 | 2.67 | Patios, driveways |
| 12 × 12 | 1.000 | 1.00 | Large-format patios |
| 12 × 24 | 2.000 | 0.50 | Modern slab patios |
Why the Base Matters More Than the Pavers
Paver failures are almost never about the pavers themselves — they are about what is underneath and around them:
- Base Depth Sets Service Life: A properly compacted aggregate base spreads load and drains water away from the bedding. Four inches suits a walkway; a driveway carrying vehicles needs 8–12 in in most soils.
- Bedding Sand Stays Thin: The bedding layer is a screeded 1 in and no more. Thicker sand lets pavers rut and settle unevenly under load — it is a levelling course, not a structural one.
- No Edge Restraint, No Patio: Without a rigid edge the perimeter pavers creep outward, joints open, and the field unravels from the edges inward. It is the single most common cause of premature paver failure.
Benefits of Using This Calculator
Example Calculations
Three scenarios worked through step by step:
Example 1 — Rectangular Patio
Patio 16 ft × 12 ft, pavers 8 × 4 in, 6 in base, 1 in sand, 10% waste.
Patio area = 16 × 12 = 192 ft²
Paver area = (8 × 4) ÷ 144 = 0.2222 ft²
Pavers = 192 ÷ 0.2222 = 864 → with 10% waste = 951
Base volume = 192 × (6 ÷ 12) = 96 ft³ = 3.56 yd³
Bedding sand = 192 × (1 ÷ 12) = 16 ft³ = 0.59 yd³
Example 2 — Driveway
Driveway 20 ft × 10 ft, pavers 9 × 4.5 in, 10 in base, 1 in sand, 10% waste.
Area = 20 × 10 = 200 ft²
Paver area = (9 × 4.5) ÷ 144 = 0.2813 ft²
Pavers = 200 ÷ 0.2813 = 711 → with waste = 782
Base volume = 200 × (10 ÷ 12) = 166.7 ft³ = 6.17 yd³
Result: the deeper base is what carries the vehicle load
Example 3 — Curved Walkway
Walkway 40 ft × 4 ft, pavers 6 × 6 in, 4 in base, 20% waste for curve cuts.
Area = 40 × 4 = 160 ft²
Paver area = (6 × 6) ÷ 144 = 0.25 ft²
Pavers = 160 ÷ 0.25 = 640
With 20% waste (curves) = 640 × 1.20 = 768 pavers
Base = 160 × (4 ÷ 12) = 53.3 ft³ = 1.98 yd³
Installation Tip
Installation Tip
Compact the base in lifts of no more than 4 inches at a time rather than dumping the full depth and running the plate once. A single pass over 10 inches of loose aggregate compacts only the top few inches, leaving a soft layer underneath that will show up as ruts and dips within a season.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many pavers do I need for a 10x10 patio?
- A 10x10 patio is 100 square feet. If you are using 4"x8" pavers (which cover about 4.5 pavers per square foot), you need exactly 450 pavers. Adding a standard 10% waste factor, you should order 495 pavers.
- How deep should the gravel base be for pavers?
- For pedestrian walkways and patios, a 4 to 6 inch (100-150mm) compacted gravel base is standard. For vehicular traffic like driveways, you need a minimum of 8 to 12 inches (200-300mm) depending on your soil type and vehicle weight.
- Can I use sand instead of gravel for the base?
- No. Sand alone cannot support the weight and will wash away or shift over time, causing the pavers to sink. You must use a compacted gravel base (crushed stone with fines) for structural support, topped with only 1 inch of bedding sand.
- What kind of sand goes between the paver joints?
- Polymeric sand is highly recommended for jointing. It contains binding agents that harden when activated with water, which prevents weed growth, deters insects, and resists washing out during heavy rain.
- How much waste should I account for?
- Standard waste is 5% to 10%. Use 5% if you have a simple rectangular shape with minimal cutting. Use 10% for curves, diagonal patterns (like herringbone), or irregular shapes. Order up to 15% extra for highly complex custom shapes.
- How many pavers do I need per square foot?
- Divide 144 by the paver face area in square inches. A 4 × 8 in paver covers 32 in², so 144 ÷ 32 = 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 6 × 6 in paver gives exactly 4 per square foot, and a 12 × 12 in slab gives 1.
- How deep should the paver base be?
- Four to six inches of compacted aggregate for pedestrian patios and walkways, and 8–12 inches for driveways. Soft clay subgrades need the deeper end of the range regardless of traffic, because the base has to bridge a weak foundation.
- What kind of sand goes under pavers?
- Coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33) for the 1 in bedding layer. Never use mason sand or play sand — the fine, rounded grains hold water and shift under load. Joint sand is a different product again, usually a polymeric sand swept in after compaction.
- Do I really need edge restraint?
- Yes, on every installation. Plastic or aluminium paver edging spiked into the base holds the perimeter in place. Without it, lateral load from foot traffic and vehicles pushes the outer pavers out, joints widen, and the field loosens progressively inward.
- How much waste should I add for paver cuts?
- Ten percent for a plain rectangle, 15% for a pattern such as herringbone that generates angled cuts, and up to 20% for curved borders or circular features. Breakage during handling is also absorbed by this allowance.