Paver Calculator: How Many Pavers, Base Gravel and Sand

How to use the paver calculator

Pick the shape of the area and enter its size in feet. For an L-shaped patio, measure the whole outline as one rectangle, then the corner that is not paved; the calculator takes the corner away. If you already know the square footage, choose Area I know and add the edge length for the edging. Then pick the paver size and the laying pattern. The pattern sets the waste, and you can type your own.

Worked example: a 12 × 16 ft patio is 192 sq ft. 4 × 8 in pavers in running bond take 4.5 per sq ft, so 864 pavers, plus 5% is 908. A 4 in base is 64 cubic feet, or 2.37 cubic yards compacted; with 10% for compaction you order 2.61 cubic yards, about 3.7 tons of gravel. One inch of bedding sand is 0.59 cubic yards, about 0.78 tons. The edge restraint runs 56 ft, less any side against the house, and 3 bags of polymeric sand fill the joints.

What each number means

Pavers to buy is the count with waste, rounded up. Pavers before waste is the bare count, so you can see what the cuts cost. If you enter the pieces per pallet from the supplier's sheet, the calculator counts pallets; most yards sell full pallets for the price break and loose pavers for the rest.

Base gravel is the compacted depth times the area, plus the compaction allowance, shown in cubic yards and in tons. The tons use a dry gravel density of 105 lb per cubic foot, about 1.42 tons per cubic yard; crushed base from your supplier may weigh a little more or less, and their figure decides. Bedding sand is a thin layer, so it is a small order: 1 in under 192 sq ft is just over half a cubic yard.

Edge restraint is the plastic, metal or concrete edge that stops the pavers from spreading. It runs around the perimeter, except where the patio meets the house, a curb or a slab. Polymeric sand goes into the joints at the end and hardens when wetted; its coverage depends on joint width and paver depth.

Paver sizes and the joint

Paver sizes are nominal. A 4 × 8 in paver is usually made a little under size, around 3 15/16 × 7 7/8 in, so the nominal size already includes the joint and 4.5 of them fill a square foot. That is why the joint starts at 0. If you measured the paver itself, enter the joint as well: Belgard's guide gives 1/16 to 3/16 in, and 1/8 in for most standard pavers.

Large pavers and slabs, such as 16 × 16 or 24 × 24 in, need fewer pieces but cost more each and are often sold by the square foot. Switch the price to per sq ft to match the quote. Many pavers come as a set of mixed sizes laid in a repeating module; for those, use the supplier's square feet per pallet and the Area I know option.

Gravel, topsoil and concrete

For a gravel path or a base on its own, the Gravel Calculator works out cubic yards and tons for any depth and material. For the beds beside a new patio, the Topsoil Calculator does the soil. If you are weighing pavers against a poured slab, the Concrete Calculator gives the yards of concrete for the same area, and the Square Footage Calculator adds up awkward shapes room by room or section by section.

For landscapers and hardscape crews

The numbers in a paver quote come from the walk-through: the size of the patio, the pattern the homeowner liked, which side meets the house, whether the old slab comes out and how the ground drains. A missed measurement on site means a second trip or a pallet short on install day.

Sources, each read on 2026-10-23. All results are estimates; your supplier and installer decide:

• Belgard Technical Resource Guide, p. 6: minimum base 4 in for patios and walkways, 6 in for residential driveways, 8 in for parking lots; bedding 1 in nominal; joints 1/16 to 3/16 in
• Alliance Gator reference guide (2025): Gator Maxx G2, 65 to 85 sq ft per 50 lb bag for 1/8 to 3/8 in joints
• Engineering ToolBox, dirt and mud densities: dry gravel 105 lb/ft³, dry sand 97 lb/ft³
• toom, Einfahrt pflastern: gravel settles about 10% when compacted

Related tools

• Gravel CalculatorWork out how much gravel, mulch, topsoil or sand a job needs in cubic yards and tons, and what it will cost.Open the tool
• Topsoil CalculatorWork out how many cubic yards and bags of topsoil a garden bed, lawn or yard needs from its size and depth, and what it costs.Open the tool
• Square Footage CalculatorWork out square footage for rectangles, L-shaped rooms, triangles and circles, add rooms together, and convert to square yards, square meters and acres.Open the tool
• Concrete CalculatorWork out the concrete for a slab, footing, column or steps in cubic yards, the number of 60 and 80 lb bags and the cost, with a waste allowance.Open the tool