Measure the area
Multiply length by width for a rectangular patio. Split irregular shapes into rectangles and add them together.
Tool Switcher: Paver
Project toolsTools
Patio planning tool
Paver Calculator
Turn a patio or walkway into whole pavers, plus the base gravel, bedding sand, jointing sand, and edge restraint underneath.
- Pavers & base layers
- US and metric units
- Full material ticket
Patio planning tool
Paver Calculator
Estimate pavers, base gravel, sand, and edge restraint for a patio.
Methodology
From an area to a layered material ticket
Count the pavers
Each paver face plus its joint makes one module. Divide 144 by the module area to get pavers per square foot, then add cutting waste.
Plan base and bedding
A compacted gravel base and a screeded bedding sand layer carry the pavers. Depths and densities follow typical patio practice.
Finish joints and edges
Jointing sand fills the gaps and edge restraint holds the perimeter. Both scale off the paved area and its edge length.
Worked example
A 16 × 12 ft patio in 6×9 pavers
192 ft²patio area
×2.59pavers per ft²
=523 paverswith 5% allowance
A 16 × 12 ft patio in 6×9 pavers needs about 523 pavers, 2.37 yd³ of base gravel, 0.59 yd³ of bedding sand, 4 bags of jointing sand, and 56 ft of edge restraint.
Frequently asked questions
A second look at the estimate.
How many pavers do I need?
Divide your area by the face area of one paver plus its joint, then add cutting waste. This calculator does that for common paver sizes and patterns.
How deep should the base be?
About 4 inches of compacted gravel for a patio or walkway, plus 1 inch of bedding sand. Driveways need a thicker base.
How much sand do I need?
Bedding sand is a 1-inch screeded layer under the pavers. Jointing sand is roughly one 50 lb bag per 50 square feet for standard joints.
Can I enter metric dimensions?
Yes. Metric mode uses metres for the patio and centimetres for paver and joint dimensions.
How is the cost estimated?
Enter a price per paver and the calculator multiplies it by the whole-paver count. Without a price, no cost is shown.
Sources and limitations
This tool estimates paver and base materials for planning. It does not select base thickness for vehicle loads, slope, drainage, or soil conditions, and it does not replace site or engineering requirements or retrieve live prices.
- Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute — ICPI Paver Installation Guidelines — source for base and bedding depth guidance.
- Mulch & gravel calculator — estimate the base gravel by volume and weight.
- Concrete calculator — estimate volume for a poured edge or curb.
Base depth, bedding depth, material densities, and jointing-sand coverage are planning estimates for a typical residential patio. Confirm the exact product coverage, compaction, and traffic requirements before ordering.
Last reviewed: September 7, 2026