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MaterialCalc — 16x20 Paver Patio Material & Cost Calculator

Estimate prepared 09/02/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

16x20 Paver Patio Material & Cost Calculator

A driveway needs a deeper base than a patio does.

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Cuts at edges. Herringbone and circular patterns run higher.

Result

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16x20 is 320 square feet — a patio that seats a table of eight with room to walk behind the chairs, and the size where paver work stops being a weekend and becomes a project. About 10 tons of aggregate goes under it, which is the number that decides whether you hire this out.

Assumptions used

These are the numbers behind the result. Where one of them is soft, the cost range widens rather than pretending to a precision the data does not have.

Compacted base under pavers
6 in

Four inches is enough for a patio; a driveway wants eight or more.

ICPI paver installation guidance — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Bedding sand depth
1 in

One inch, screeded. Thicker bedding sand is the usual cause of a patio that ruts.

ICPI paver installation guidance — Published product data, checked 09/01/2026

Crushed gravel density
105 lb/ft³

Compacted 3/4 in crushed stone. Varies by quarry and moisture; loose stone runs lighter.

USGS aggregate bulk density range — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Bedding sand density
100 lb/ft³

USGS aggregate bulk density range — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Compaction allowance
0.2

Loose stone loses roughly a fifth of its volume once compacted, so order above the finished volume.

Standard earthwork practice — Rough figure — widens the estimate range, checked 09/01/2026

Prices verified 09/01/2026 (US national average, big-box retail shelf price and regional ready-mix quotes). Regional adjustment: Blended from RSMeans city cost index bands and BLS construction wage differentials.

The formula

320 ft² of pavers plus 15% for cuts. Base = 320 ft² × 6 in deep, converted to tons at 105 lb per cubic foot with a compaction allowance. Bedding sand = 320 ft² × 1 in. Edge restraint runs the 72 ft perimeter; polymeric sand covers about 80 ft² per bag.

Worked examples

16x20 patio on a 6 in base

Patio length: 20 Patio width: 16 What it carries: patio Waste: 15

368 ft² of pavers to order, about 10 tons of base and 1.3 tons of sand. Plus 72 ft of edge restraint and 4 bags of joint sand.

Same patio built to driveway spec

Patio length: 20 Patio width: 16 What it carries: driveway Waste: 15

A 9 in base pushes the stone to about 15 tons. If you might ever park on it, build it now — you cannot deepen the base later.

12x16 patio for comparison

Patio length: 16 Patio width: 12 What it carries: patio Waste: 15

192 ft² — 40% less of everything. Still seats six, and it is genuinely a two-weekend job rather than a four.

Choosing materials

  • Ten tons of stone and a ton of sand, against about 2,700 lb of pavers. The aggregate outweighs the visible part four to one, and it has to be moved by wheelbarrow from wherever the truck can dump.
  • Excavate about 9-1/2 in: 6 in of base, 1 in of sand, and the paver thickness. That is roughly 11 cubic yards of soil out before anything goes in.
  • At 320 ft² a plate compactor is not optional, and neither is compacting in lifts. One pass over 6 in of loose stone compacts the top two inches and leaves the rest to settle under your patio.
  • Screed the sand to exactly 1 in and never compact it before laying. Using bedding sand to correct a poor base is what makes a patio wave, and at this size the waves are very visible.
  • Sixteen feet in one direction means a long screed run. Set your screed rails carefully — error at this length shows up as a dip you cannot fix afterwards.

Common questions

How many pavers for a 16x20 patio?

Pavers are sold by the square foot: 320 ft² plus 15% for cuts is 368 ft² to order. If your paver is 4x8 in, that is roughly 1,660 pieces, but buy by area rather than counting.

How much base for a 16x20 paver patio?

Six inches of compacted crushed stone — about 10 tons. Four inches is the minimum for foot traffic in good soil; go to eight or more if vehicles will ever be on it.

What does a 16x20 paver patio cost?

Materials including base, sand and edging typically run $2,400 to $4,000. Installed by a contractor, roughly $5,800 to $11,000 depending on paver choice and site access.

How deep do I dig for a paver patio?

Base depth plus 1 in of bedding sand plus the paver thickness — about 9-1/2 in for a patio on a 6 in base. That is roughly 11 cubic yards of soil to remove from a 16x20.

Can I build a 16x20 paver patio myself?

Yes, but budget several weekends and rent a plate compactor. The digging and the 11 tons of aggregate are the hard part; laying the pavers is the pleasant part and comes last.

How long does a paver patio last?

Thirty years or more if the base is right, and individual pavers can be lifted and reset if the ground moves. The base determines the answer almost entirely — a patio on 2 in of stone will be uneven within five years.

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