The paver count is the easy part. What catches people off guard is how much gravel and sand goes underneath. This calculator covers both: total pavers plus the base material for a solid, well-drained installation.
Area Dimensions
ft
ft
Paver Dimensions
in
in
in
Scenario: You're building a 15 ft x 8 ft walkway with 4x8 inch pavers and 1/8-inch joints.
Result: Area is 120 sq ft. Each 4x8 paver with joints covers about 0.23 sq ft, so you need 542 pavers (includes 5% waste). Base material: 2.22 cubic yards of gravel and 0.37 cubic yards of sand.
It depends on paver size. Standard 6x9 inch pavers: about 2.6 per sq ft. 4x8 inch pavers: about 4.5 per sq ft. 12x12 inch pavers: 1 per sq ft. Always add 5-10% for cuts and breakage.
Use 6 inches of compacted gravel for a patio base, topped with 1 inch of leveling sand. For driveways, increase the gravel base to 8-12 inches. Proper base depth prevents settling and shifting.
Plan for 1 inch of leveling sand over the gravel base. For a 100 sq ft patio, that's about 100/12/27 = 0.31 cubic yards of sand, or roughly 800 lbs.
Without edge restraints, the outer pavers creep outward and joints open up within a year or two. Buy linear feet equal to your patio's perimeter and spike the edging into the gravel base every 12 inches.
Want to learn more before you start your project?
Read the full guide →
All Calculators
