Hardscape & patios · free tool
Paver Calculator
How many pavers do you need? Enter your patio and paver size, and get the pavers to buy — plus base gravel, bedding and joint sand, with waste built in.
Paver Calculator
How many pavers — plus base gravel & sand.
1 Your patio
2 What to buy
Base = gravel + a 1 in bedding-sand layer; polymeric joint sand at ~75 ft²/50-lb bag. Excavate about 7 in total and compact the gravel in 2 in lifts.
Estimates only — paver, base and joint sizing vary; confirm quantities and buy a few spare pavers. See how we calculate · Updated monthly
Method · how it works
How to calculate how many pavers you need
Patio area, divided by the coverage of one paver, plus waste. Here is exactly what the calculator does — and it figures the base too.
Measure the patio
Multiply length × width in feet. Break L-shapes into rectangles and add them.
Find one paver's coverage
Paver W × L in inches, ÷ 144 = square feet each. A 12x12 covers 1 sq ft.
Divide, then add waste
Area ÷ paver size, then +10% for cuts (20% for herringbone or diagonal).
Figure the base
Add 4-6 in of gravel + 1 in of sand under the pavers, and polymeric sand in the joints.
A 12 × 12 ft patio, 12x12 pavers
paver = 12 × 12 ÷ 144 = 1 ft²
144 ÷ 1 × 1.10 = 159 pavers
straight lay, 10% waste in
Sources: paver coverage (W x L / 144) · ICPI-style base guidance · polymeric & bedding-sand references
Verified against published paver + base data · Updated monthly
Estimates only. Paver sizes, joint width and base depth vary — buy a few spare pavers for cuts and future repairs, and always compact the base well.
Coverage · by paver size
How many pavers per square foot?
Bigger pavers cover more, so you need fewer. These are the common sizes — pick yours in the calculator above, then add waste.
The classic brick paver — about 450 per 100 sq ft.
BrickSmall square paver — four per square foot.
PopularMid-size square; about 225 per 100 sq ft.
PatiosOne per square foot — the easy-math size.
Most commonLarge slab; about 56 per 100 sq ft.
ModernBig-format — four cover a square yard.
Large-formatMultiply by your area, then add 10-20% waste — and remember the base gravel and sand underneath.
Under the pavers
The paver base: gravel + bedding sand
A patio is only as good as its base. Pavers sit on a compacted gravel base topped with a thin sand setting bed — get this right and they won't shift or settle.
Gravel base
4 in patio · 6-8 in driveCompacted 3/4 in crushed stone or road base — 4 in for a walkway or patio, 6-8 in for a driveway. Compact in 2 in lifts so it stays put. Estimate it with the gravel calculator.
Bedding sand
1 inA 1 in layer of coarse, washed concrete sand over the compacted gravel, screeded flat. Its angular grains lock together so the pavers don't rock — about 100 lb per 10 sq ft.
Excavate & compact
~7 in totalDig down for the gravel + sand + paver thickness — about 7-3/8 in for a standard patio. Slope 1/4 in per foot away from the house so water drains.
The calculator's Base & sand tab estimates the gravel (in yards and tons) and bedding sand straight from your patio area — adjust the depth for a driveway.
The joints
Polymeric joint sand
The last step: fill the gaps between pavers. Polymeric sand hardens when wetted, locking the pavers together and keeping weeds and ants out.
What it is
sand + polymersA fine sand blended with binding polymers. Swept into the joints and misted with water, it sets firm — far more stable than plain sand, and it resists washout, weeds and insects.
How much
~75 ft² / 50-lb bagA 50-lb bag covers roughly 75 sq ft with 1/8 in joints and standard 60 mm pavers. Wider joints or thicker pavers cover less — the calculator estimates bags from your area.
How to apply
sweep · tamp · mistSweep it into dry joints, tamp or plate-compact so it settles, sweep off every grain from the paver faces, then mist with water in stages to activate the polymers. Let it cure before rain or traffic.
Do it on a dry day and clear the paver surface completely before wetting — polymeric sand left on the faces can haze and set hard.
Waste · by pattern
Paver patterns and how much extra
The layout you choose changes how many pavers get cut — and how much spare to order. The calculator sets the waste when you pick a pattern.
Straight rows, offset like brickwork. The least cutting — mostly just the edges.
Square, grid-aligned layouts. Similar low waste to a running bond.
Angled 45° patterns. Every edge paver is a diagonal cut, so order the most spare.
Rule of thumb: 10% for straight patterns, 20% for herringbone or diagonal. Add a little more for curved or circular patios — and always keep a few spares. Not sure of your area? Use the square footage calculator.
Answers
Paver calculator FAQs
How many pavers do I need per square foot?
Divide 144 by the paver's width times length in inches. A 12x12 is 1 per sq ft, a 6x6 is 4, and a 4x8 brick paver is about 4.5.
How many pavers for a 10x10 patio?
100 sq ft needs about 100 of the 12x12 pavers (110 with 10% waste), 400 of the 6x6, or 450 of the 4x8 — before waste.
How deep should the paver base be?
4 in of compacted gravel for a patio or walkway, and 6-8 in for a driveway, topped with a 1 in sand setting bed.
How much sand do I need for pavers?
About 1 in of bedding sand under the pavers — roughly 100 lb per 10 sq ft — plus polymeric sand for the joints (~75 sq ft per 50-lb bag).
How much polymeric sand do I need?
A 50-lb bag covers about 75 sq ft with 1/8 in joints and standard pavers. Wider joints or thicker pavers use more.
How much extra should I order for waste?
10% for straight patterns and 20% for herringbone or diagonal layouts. Keep a few spares for future repairs.
Are pavers cheaper than concrete?
Concrete pavers are usually the least expensive paver, and poured concrete is often cheaper still — but pavers are easier to repair and rarely crack.
How many pavers are on a pallet?
It depends on size, but a pallet generally holds 78-160 sq ft of pavers. Check the supplier's coverage for your exact product.