Paver Calculator
Enter your measurements
Extra to cover cuts, breakage, and mistakes.
Results
- Pavers needed336 pavers
- Area120 sq ft
- Bedding sand0.37 cubic yards1 in bed
- Gravel base1.48 cubic yards4 in base
Estimated cost
per sq ft of paver (material)
Material cost is pavers only, priced per square foot of finished area; bedding sand, base gravel, and edge restraints are extra. Basic gray concrete pavers fall at the low end, while tumbled, large-format, or premium units push toward the high end. Installed cost covers excavation, gravel base, bedding sand, labor, and edging, but not polymeric joint sand or sealer.
Estimate only — prices vary by region, supplier, and season. Get a local quote before buying.
The paver calculator figures out how many pavers you need for a patio, walkway, or driveway, along with the bedding sand and gravel base required beneath them. Enter your project area and the dimensions of the paver you plan to use, and it returns a paver count with a selectable waste allowance — typically 5% for simple rectangular layouts and up to 10% for diagonal or herringbone patterns that generate more cut-offs. It also outputs the 1-inch sand bed and 4-inch compacted gravel base that nearly every flexible paver installation needs, so you can price and order every material in one pass. Concrete pavers are sold individually but usually shipped by the pallet, and pallets are priced by the coverage they hold rather than a fixed unit count — a single pallet typically covers anywhere from about 50 to 120 square feet depending on paver size and thickness. Common residential pavers run 4x8, 6x6, 6x9, or 12x12 inches, and those dimensions drive your count: even a half-inch difference changes how many units fit a given area. The paver calculator uses the exact size you enter, so verify the actual unit dimensions on the product spec sheet before ordering.
How it’s calculated
Pavers = Area ÷ (paver width × length ÷ 144), plus waste. Add a 1″ sand bed and a 4″ gravel base.
Worked example
For a 16-foot by 12-foot patio (192 sq ft) laid with 6x9-inch pavers and a 5% waste allowance, the calculator returns 538 pavers. That same project also calls for 0.59 cubic yards of bedding sand and 2.37 cubic yards of compacted gravel base — base materials that are easy to overlook when budgeting but make up a meaningful share of the total material cost.
Inputs
- Area length
- 16 ft
- Area width
- 12 ft
- Paver width
- 6 in
- Paver length
- 9 in
- Waste / overage
- 5 %
Result
- Pavers needed
- 538 pavers
- Area
- 192 sq ft
- Bedding sand
- 0.59 cubic yards
- Gravel base
- 2.37 cubic yards
- Estimated material cost
- $576 – $1,920
Materials & pricing near you
Concrete pavers are stocked individually and by the pallet at home centers and masonry yards nationwide. Basic gray concrete pavers (4x8 or 6x6) sit at the low end of the price range, while tumbled, textured, or large-format units cost considerably more per square foot. Big-box stores offer pallet delivery in most metro areas, but independent masonry yards usually carry a wider color and texture selection and price larger orders more competitively. Delivery fees vary, and rural drops can add $100 or more. Polymeric joint sand and plastic or aluminum edge restraints are separate line items, not part of the per-square-foot paver price. Northern regions with freeze-thaw cycles often call for a deeper gravel base — 6 inches or more — than the warmer South, so a heavier base may push your gravel quantity above the default 4-inch calculation.
Frequently asked questions
How much waste should I add for a paver project?
A 5% waste allowance is standard for straightforward rectangular or square patterns with straight cuts along the edges. Step that up to 8–10% for diagonal (45-degree) layouts, herringbone, or basket-weave patterns, which require more cuts and produce more off-cuts that cannot be reused. Because pavers are sold by full pallets, round your final count up to the next pallet — reordering a single pallet later risks a slight color mismatch from a different production run.
What does the 1-inch sand bed do, and is it always required?
The 1-inch bedding layer of coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33) — not play sand or mason sand — lets you screed a level surface and gives a slight cushion so individual pavers can be tapped into final position. It is standard practice for essentially all flexible (sand-set) paver installations and is what creates the flat, stable surface that keeps pavers from rocking or shifting. Skipping or thinning this layer leaves an uneven finished surface that telegraphs every dip in the base below.
How do I measure an irregular-shaped patio for the calculator?
For L-shaped or stepped areas, break the space into rectangles, run each section through the calculator separately, and add the paver counts together. For curved or freeform areas, measure the widest length and widest width to get a bounding rectangle, then trim that figure by roughly 10–20% for the corners you won't be paving. When in doubt, nudge your waste factor up — returning a partial pallet is usually easier than placing a second order mid-build.
When should I hire a contractor instead of laying a paver patio myself?
DIY is realistic for smaller patios under roughly 200–300 sq ft on relatively flat ground with decent drainage. Larger areas, sites with poor drainage or noticeable slope, and any project butting up against the house foundation are better left to a pro, because correct excavation depth, the slope needed to shed water away from the house, and proper base compaction are hard to nail without a plate compactor and grade-reading experience. A poorly compacted base settles and heaves within a few seasons, and re-leveling pavers after the fact is costly.