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Landscaping & Outdoor

Paver Calculator

Pavers, bedding sand, base gravel and edging for a patio, path or driveway.

Your measurements

Pattern affects cut waste, so set it before reading the count.

Area
Driveways need a deeper base: 8 to 12 in rather than 4 to 6.
Paver and pattern
A 45° herringbone interlocks best under vehicles but generates the most cutting at the edges.

Your result

Sample values

1,449

Pavers

280

Area, ft²

5.2

Tons of base gravel

1.4

Tons of bedding sand

4 × 8 pavers in 45° herringbone, 15% cut allowance.

What to order

Item Quantity
4 × 8 pavers 1,449
Pavers, by the pallet (480) 4 pallets
Crushed base, 3/4 in minus 5.2 tons
Bedding sand, coarse 1.4 tons
Edge restraint 68 ft
Polymeric joint sand 4 bags

How to use this calculator

Measure the finished surface and choose the paver and pattern. The paver count comes from the area and the paver face size; the pattern sets how much you will cut and therefore how much spare to order.

Set the base depth for what the surface will carry. Four to six inches of compacted crushed base is right for a patio on decent ground; a driveway wants eight to twelve, and soft or clay soils want more again plus a geotextile separator underneath.

Formula

Pavers per ft² = 144 ÷ (Paver length × Paver width)

Pavers = Area × Pavers per ft² × (1 + Cut allowance)

Base = Area × Base depth × Density

144
square inches in a square foot
Cut allowance
set by the laying pattern

Bedding sand is screeded to a consistent 1 in; it is not used to level an uneven base.

Worked example

A 20 ft by 14 ft patio, 4 × 8 in pavers, 45° herringbone, 6 in base, 1 in bedding sand.

  1. 20 ft × 14 ft = 280 ft²
  2. 4 in × 8 in = 32 in² per paver
  3. 144 ÷ 32 = 4.5 pavers per ft²
  4. 280 ft² × 4.5 = 1,260 pavers
  5. 1,260 × 1.15 for 45° cuts = 1,449 pavers
  6. 280 ft² × 0.5 ft base ÷ 27 × 1.35 tons/yd³ = 5.2 tons

1,449 pavers, 5.2 tons of base, 1.4 tons of sand

Understanding your results

Cut allowance is the number that separates a smooth install from a second trip to the yard. A running bond against square edges wastes very little; a 45° herringbone cuts every paver along both edges of the field and cannot reuse most of the offcuts, which is why it carries three times the allowance.

Base gravel is far heavier than people expect. Five tons for a modest patio is a full delivery load, and it has to be placed and compacted in lifts of no more than four inches. If you are moving it by barrow, plan the access before the truck arrives.

Questions

About this calculator

Ask something else

Four to six inches of compacted crushed base over undisturbed subgrade for foot traffic in a temperate climate. Add depth for clay soils, poor drainage or hard frost, and always compact in lifts rather than dumping the full depth and running the plate over the top.

Only for a temporary path. Sand alone has no load spreading capacity and will rut and migrate, so the surface goes uneven within a season. The compacted crushed base is what carries the load; the sand layer only beds the pavers.

It fills the joints and sets slightly when wetted, which locks the pavers against each other, resists weeds and stops the joints washing out in heavy rain. It goes in at the end, after compacting the pavers, and needs the surface dry when it is swept in.

Yes, on every free edge. Without it the outer course creeps outward under load and the whole field loosens from the perimeter inward. Plastic or aluminium restraint spiked into the base is inexpensive and is the single cheapest thing protecting the install.

Keep going

All Landscaping & Outdoor tools
Estimates, not specifications. Results are based on the values you enter and on typical material properties. Densities, coverage rates and product sizes vary between suppliers, so confirm quantities against your supplier's data before ordering. Structural work must be signed off by a qualified professional and meet your local building code.