Pavers, poured concrete, and flagstone all need different quantities for the same footprint. Plug in your patio dimensions and material choice to get an accurate materials list for any of the three.
Patio Dimensions
ft
ft
Pavers
Scenario: You're building a 12 ft x 15 ft paver patio.
Result: Area is 180 sq ft. At 4.5 pavers per sq ft plus 10% waste, you need 891 pavers.
Concrete
Scenario: You're pouring a 20 ft x 12 ft concrete patio slab (4 inches thick).
Result: Area is 240 sq ft. Volume at 4" thick: 240 x 0.333 = 80 cu ft, or about 3.0 cubic yards of concrete.
Flagstone
Scenario: You're laying a 15 ft x 10 ft flagstone patio.
Result: Area is 150 sq ft. With 15% waste that's 172.5 sq ft of coverage. At 80 sq ft per ton, you need about 2.2 tons of flagstone.
Concrete: $6-$12/sq ft installed. Pavers: $10-$20/sq ft installed. Flagstone: $15-$30/sq ft installed. DIY material costs run about half those numbers.
Poured concrete, at $3-$5 per sq ft for materials. Pavers cost more upfront but are easy to repair since you can pop out and replace individual ones without redoing the whole slab. Gravel is even cheaper but it shifts around and weeds grow through it.
4 inches for foot traffic. 6 inches if vehicles or heavy equipment will sit on it. Reinforce with welded wire mesh or rebar either way.
Most jurisdictions skip the permit for a ground-level patio with no roof structure. If you're building near a property line, adding a pergola on top, or attaching a ledger to the house, call your local building department first. The call takes five minutes and can save you a big headache later.
Want to learn more before you start your project?
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