Patio Paver Calculator
Calculate how many pavers you need plus sand and gravel for the base.
Enter patio and paver dimensions for an accurate material list.
Patio paver estimation combines basic area geometry with material coverage formulas to calculate how many pavers, how much base gravel, and how much bedding sand you need for a complete installation.
Core formula:
Pavers Needed = (Patio Area / Paver Area) × (1 + Waste Factor)
Area calculations:
- Rectangular patio:
Area = Length × Width - Circular patio:
Area = π × radius²
Base material volumes:
Gravel Base Volume = Patio Area × Base Depth (typically 4 inches / 10 cm) × 1.3
Sand Bedding Volume = Patio Area × Sand Depth (typically 1 inch / 2.5 cm)
The 1.3 on the gravel is the compaction factor, and leaving it out is the single most common way to come up short. Loose gravel from the quarry settles by roughly a quarter once you run a plate compactor over it, so ordering the finished volume gets you a base that is three inches deep instead of four. Sand does not get the same treatment: it is screeded, not compacted.
Waste factors by pattern:
| Laying Pattern | Waste Factor |
|---|---|
| Running bond (brick) | 5–8% |
| Stacked (grid) | 5% |
| Herringbone (45°) | 10–15% |
| Basketweave | 8–10% |
| Complex / curved edges | 10–15% |
| First-time installer | Add extra 5% |
Common paver sizes:
| Label | Imperial | Metric | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard brick | 4" × 8" | 10 × 20 cm | 32 sq in / 200 cm² |
| Square paver | 6" × 6" | 15 × 15 cm | 36 sq in / 225 cm² |
| Square tile | 12" × 12" | 30 × 30 cm | 144 sq in / 900 cm² |
| Large format | 12" × 24" | 30 × 60 cm | 288 sq in / 1,800 cm² |
Worked example: A 16 ft × 20 ft patio (320 sq ft) using 6"×6" pavers in herringbone (12% waste):
- Paver area = 36 sq in = 0.25 sq ft
- Pavers needed = (320 / 0.25) × 1.12 = 1,280 × 1.12 = 1,434 pavers
- Gravel (4" deep) = 320 × (4/12) × 1.3 = 138.7 cubic feet = 5.14 cubic yards
- Sand (1" deep) = 320 × (1/12) = 26.7 cubic feet = 0.99 cubic yards
Professional tips:
- Compact the gravel base to at least 95% density before laying sand
- Use polymeric sand in the joints after installation. It sets hard and keeps weeds from rooting in the gaps
- Install a landscape fabric under gravel to suppress weed growth from below
- Allow 1/8" joint spacing between pavers for expansion
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.