Paver and paver base calculator

How the paver calculator works

A paver job has three materials and this page sizes all three from one area. Pavers are counted per square foot from the paver's face size (a 4 × 8 brick works out to 4.5 per square foot), then rounded up after the waste allowance. Base gravel and bedding sand are volumes: area times depth, divided by 27 for cubic yards, then multiplied by density for tons. Sand uses a dry concrete-sand density of 1.35 tons per yard.

The base is what keeps pavers flat. A patio that only sees foot traffic is usually fine on 4 inches of compacted base, while a driveway needs about twice that. Clay soils or freeze–thaw climates often call for more, so check local practice before you dig.

Order of work

1. Dig out to the base depth plus the sand bed plus the paver thickness.
2. Lay and compact the base in 2–3 inch lifts with a plate compactor, keeping a slight slope away from buildings.
3. Screed 1 inch of concrete sand. Don't compact it before laying the pavers.
4. Lay the pavers, install edge restraint, compact again and sweep joint sand in.

Patterns with lots of cuts, such as herringbone, or borders with curves use more pavers. Pick 15% waste for those.

Related guides

How much paver base do I need · How deep paver base should be · Pavers per square foot · Sand for pavers · Paver edge restraint · Permeable pavers · Asphalt vs pavers for a driveway. For sand only, use the sand calculator.