MaterialCalc — Paver Patio Calculator

Estimate prepared 10/31/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

Paver Patio Calculator

Enter your measurements and get both numbers: how much material the job takes, and what it costs in your state.

60Calculators

09/01/2026Prices checked

5assumptions shown

Live estimate—

01 / 03Measurements

How big is it?

Measure to the outside. Round to the nearest half foot — nothing on a job site is exact.

Patio length

Patio width

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
Bedding sand depth: 1 in
Crushed gravel density: 105 lb/ft³
Bedding sand density: 100 lb/ft³
Compaction allowance: 0.2

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.

In this topic

Paver Patio Calculators — 2 calculators

16x20 Paver Patio Material & Cost CalculatorPavers, base and sand for a 16 by 20 foot patio.