Paver calculator
Everything a paver patio, walk or driveway takes: the pavers, the gravel base, the bedding sand, polymeric joint sand and edging, from the paver industry's own guidelines.
Your project takes
681 pavers
- Area
- 144 sq ft
- Pavers per sq ft
- 4.50
- Gravel base
- 5.5 tons
- Base to order, loose
- 4.0 yd³
- Bedding sand
- 0.58 tons (0.44 yd³)
- Polymeric sand
- 3 × 50 lb bags
- Edge restraint
- 48 ft
- Estimated cost of pavers
Pavers include your extra (648 without it). The base is graded crusher run at 6 in. compacted, laid and compacted in lifts of no more than 6 in.; ICPI asks for more in cold climates and weak soils. Polymeric sand counts the low end of the maker's 65–85 sq ft per bag.
How many pavers do I need?
Work out the area, then how many pavers cover a square foot, and add a little for cuts at the edges. Underneath, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) calls for a compacted gravel base and a thin bed of sand.
- Pavers per sq ft = 144 ÷ (paver width × length, in inches)
- Pavers = area × pavers per sq ft × (1 + extra %), rounded up
- Gravel base = area × depth, in cubic yards, × the compacted weight of graded base for tons
- Bedding sand = area × 1 to 1.5 in., screeded loose
- Polymeric sand = area ÷ the bag's coverage for your joint width
Worked example
A 12 × 12 ft patio is 144 sq ft. 4 × 8 in. pavers cover 32 sq in. each, so 144 ÷ 32 = 4.50 per sq ft and 144 × 4.50 = 648 pavers; with 5% extra, 681 pavers. A 6 in. compacted base is 2.67 yd³, about 5.5 tons of graded base (4.0 yd³ loose before compacting), and 1 in. of bedding sand is 0.58 tons. Narrow joints take 3 bags of polymeric sand, and the edge restraint runs 48 ft.
Pavers per square foot
Pavers touching, joints not counted. Pavers with spacer nubs lay at their stated size.
| Paver | Per sq ft | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 in. | 4.50 | 450 |
| 6 × 6 in. | 4.00 | 400 |
| 6 × 9 in. | 2.67 | 267 |
| 12 × 12 in. | 1.00 | 100 |
| 16 × 16 in. | 0.56 | 57 |
| 18 × 18 in. | 0.44 | 45 |
| 24 × 24 in. | 0.25 | 25 |
Base and sand per 100 sq ft
From ICPI Tech Spec 10, Application Guide for Interlocking Concrete Pavements (revised June 2004): base at least 4–6 in. for walks and patios and 6–8 in. for driveways; the ICPI tolerance guide gives the same minimums for well-drained soils. Weights are typical (FHWA), so tons vary with the stone.
| Layer | Depth | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel base, compacted | 4 in. | 1.23 | 2.5 |
| Gravel base, compacted | 6 in. | 1.85 | 3.8 |
| Gravel base, compacted | 8 in. | 2.47 | 5.1 |
| Bedding sand, loose | 1 in. | 0.31 | 0.40 |
Paver questions
How many 12x12 pavers do I need for a 10x10 area?
100: a 10 × 10 area is 100 sq ft and each 12 × 12 in. paver covers 1 sq ft. For a 12 × 12 ft patio you'd need 36 pavers at 24 × 24 in., or 81 at 16 × 16 in. Add a few percent for cuts, more if the layout has curves or many edges.
How deep should the base be for pavers?
ICPI's guidance is at least 4 to 6 in. of compacted gravel base under walks and patios and 6 to 8 in. under driveways, compacted in layers no thicker than 6 in. Use more in cold climates or soft, wet soils. The calculator starts from the top of each range.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
A bedding layer 1 to 1.5 in. thick, screeded loose over the compacted base. ICPI says to use concrete sand (ASTM C33), not mason sand, stone dust or screenings, and not to use the sand to fill low spots in the base. 1 in. over 100 sq ft is about 0.40 tons. The sand calculator has bag counts.
How much polymeric sand do I need?
Alliance Gator rates a 50 lb bag of its G2 polymeric sand at 65–85 sq ft with narrow joints (1/8 to 3/8 in.) and 22–42 sq ft with wide joints (3/4 to 1-1/4 in.), for 2-3/8 in. thick pavers; small pavers have more joints and use more. The calculator counts the low end, so the 12 × 12 patio takes 3 bags.
How much gravel do I need for a paver patio?
A 12 × 12 ft patio on a 6 in. compacted base takes about 5.5 tons of graded base, which is 4.0 yd³ loose from the supplier since it compacts. The gravel calculator and stone calculator handle other stone.
How much does a paver patio cost?
Enter the price of one paver to get the cost of the pavers, extra included. Base, sand, edging, excavation and labor add to it and vary by region and site, so get quotes and use these quantities to compare them.