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MaterialCalc — Paver Patio Calculator

Estimate prepared 09/01/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

Paver Patio 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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Pavers are the visible part and the smallest part of the job. Under them sit six inches of compacted base and an inch of bedding sand — several tons of aggregate for even a modest patio, and the part that decides whether the surface is still flat in five years. This works out all of it, plus edging and joint sand.

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

Paver area = length × width, plus waste for cuts. Base volume = area × base depth, converted to tons at 105 lb per cubic foot with a compaction allowance. Bedding sand = area × 1 in at 100 lb per cubic foot. Edge restraint runs the full perimeter; polymeric sand covers about 80 ft² per bag.

Worked examples

16x12 patio on a 6 in base

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

192 ft² of pavers, about 6 tons of base and 1 ton of bedding sand. The aggregate weighs roughly thirty times what a person can carry in a day.

20x12 paver driveway

Patio length: 20 Patio width: 12 What it carries: driveway Waste: 15

The 9 in driveway base pushes the stone to around 11 tons. Base depth, not paver choice, is what makes a paver driveway expensive.

10x10 small patio

Patio length: 10 Patio width: 10 What it carries: patio Waste: 15

100 ft² and about 3 tons of base — a genuine weekend project for two people, provided the stone can be dumped close to the work.

Choosing materials

  • Excavate for the whole assembly, not just the pavers: base depth plus 1 in of sand plus the paver thickness. On a patio that is about 9-1/2 in of digging, and it is the step people underestimate.
  • Compact the base in lifts of no more than 3 in. A plate compactor run once over 6 in of loose stone compacts the top two inches and nothing else.
  • The bedding sand is exactly 1 in, screeded flat and never compacted before laying. Using it to level out a bad base is the single most common reason a paver patio waves.
  • Edge restraint around the whole perimeter is not optional. Without it the outer pavers creep outward, the joints open, and the failure works inward from the edges.
  • Polymeric sand hardens in the joints and keeps weeds and ants out. It has to go in dry, be swept off the paver faces completely, and then be watered exactly as the bag says or it hazes the surface permanently.

Common questions

How much base do I need under pavers?

Four to six inches of compacted crushed stone for a patio, and eight to twelve for a driveway. Compact in lifts no thicker than 3 in. In poor-draining clay soils, add a couple of inches over those figures.

How many pavers do I need?

Pavers are sold by the square foot, so buy your patio area plus 10 to 15% for cuts. Running bond needs about 10%; herringbone and any pattern with angled cuts at the edges wants 15% or more.

How thick should the bedding sand be?

Exactly 1 inch, screeded and left uncompacted until the pavers are down. Thicker sand lets pavers settle unevenly under load — it is the most common cause of a wavy patio, and it cannot be fixed without lifting everything.

Do I need edge restraint?

Yes, around the entire perimeter, spiked into the compacted base. Pavers laid without it creep outward under traffic, joints open, sand washes out and the failure propagates inward. It is cheap and it is structural.

Pavers or poured concrete for a patio?

Pavers cost more and take longer to install but never crack in a line across the middle, and individual units can be lifted and reset if the ground settles. Concrete is cheaper and faster. On soil that moves, pavers age far better.

How much slope does a paver patio need?

About 1/8 to 1/4 in per foot, falling away from the house. Build the slope into the compacted base rather than into the bedding sand — the sand layer stays a uniform inch everywhere.

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