Paver Calculator

How many pavers, how much base stone and bedding sand, and how much edging and joint sand you need for a patio, walkway, or driveway.

How do you want to measure? Length × width Total area

Patio length (ft)

Patio width (ft)

Edge against a house, wall, or curb (ft) These sides need no edge restraint. On soil, the dig is still figured for the full rectangle. Leave 0 if the patio is free-standing.

Total area (sq ft) For an L-shape or odd shape, measure each part as a rectangle and add them up. We figure the dig margin as if it were a square.

Open edge length (ft) The edges that need edge restraint: everything not against a house, wall, or curb. Leave blank and we assume a square with no side against a structure, which undercounts a long, narrow walk.

What is it for?

What will the pavers go on? Over a sound patio or walk, pavers go on a thin sand bed with no digging or base stone. Hairline cracks are fine; wide or shifting cracks aren't.

Soil Squeeze a damp handful: sandy soil feels gritty and falls apart; clay feels sticky and holds its shape.

Does the ground freeze in winter? Not sure? Your local building department can tell you if your area has a frost depth for footings.

Your state (optional) We use it only to answer the freezing question, and assume yes if your state can’t tell.

Your own base depth (in, optional) Leave blank and we pick it from your use, soil and freezing answers. Compacted depth; we still add for compaction.

Paver length (in) Face size from the pack label, without joints. For a mixed-size kit, enter the largest piece and the pack's coverage below.

Paver width (in) Face size from the pack label, without joints.

Square feet per pack or pallet (optional) From the label, if you’re buying by the pack. We round up to whole packs.

Pattern How the pavers are laid. Herringbone and diagonal patterns need more cuts at the edges, so more waste.

Shape

Joint width The gap between pavers; it sets the polymeric sand. The paver maker’s install guide gives it.

Add your prices (optional; we use typical prices otherwise)

$ per sq ft of pavers

$ per paver If the store prices them each. Used instead of the sq ft price.

$ per pack or pallet Used with the square feet per pack above, instead of the other paver prices.

$ per ton of base stone

$ per cubic yard of sand

$ per 10 ft of edge restraint

$ per bag of polymeric sand

Why our numbers are more realistic

Popular paver calculators default to a 4 in base and count only the paved area, and some skip edge restraint and joint sand. We checked several against manufacturer installation guides. Here's what changes:

Typical calculator	This calculator	Why it matters
A 4 in base, with no question about soil or freezing	6 in for patios and walks, 10 in for driveways, deeper on clay with freezing winters, shallower on sandy soil without	Paver makers' guides give 4–6 in for walkways and 8–12 in for driveways, and tie the depth to soil and climate. A 4 in base has a third less stone than 6 in, too little where the ground is soft or freezes.
Volume of the paved area only	Digs 6 in past the pavers on every side (8 in when the base is deeper than 6 in)	Paver makers call for the base to reach 6–8 in past the paved edge. On a 16 × 20 ft patio that is 357 sq ft of base, not 320.
No allowance for compaction	Adds 20% as its own line	Stone is spread loose and compacted in thin lifts, so it shrinks. Order only the finished volume and you run short partway through.
Always a new base dug into the soil	A choice for laying over a sound concrete slab: no digging or base stone, a 1 in sand bed, and edging fastened to the slab	Covering an old patio is a common refresh, and it needs a different shopping list. On a 16 × 20 ft patio, a new base would be about 11.5 tons of stone you don't need.
One flat waste percent, or none	5% for straight lay, 10% for 90-degree herringbone, 15% for diagonal or random, plus 5 points for small or curved areas	Trade guides put waste anywhere from 5% to 20% depending on pattern. Diagonal cuts waste the most.
Some leave out edge restraint and joint sand	Edge sticks and spikes for the open sides, and polymeric sand as a bag range by joint width	Both are part of the job, so leaving them out shortens your shopping list. Joint sand coverage changes a lot with joint width, so one number would be wrong.

How this works

Base stone = (length + 2 × margin) × (width + 2 × margin) × depth, plus 20% for compaction. Tons = loose cubic yards × 1.4. Bedding sand = paved area × 1 in, plus 10%. Pavers = area × (1 + waste) ÷ the face area of one paver. Edge restraint = perimeter minus the sides against a structure (or the open edge length you enter), rounded up to 10 ft sticks.

Measuring: with length and width, edge restraint covers the perimeter minus any side against a house, wall, or curb. With a total area, we figure the dig as a square, and edge restraint uses the open edge length you enter (or a square's perimeter if you leave it blank).
Base depth: patio 6 in (4 in on sandy soil without freezing, 8 in on clay with freezing); driveway 10 in (8 in and 12 in at those extremes). Guides range from 4 to 10 in for a patio and 6 to 14 in for a driveway; where we step up or down for soil and freezing is our judgment inside those ranges.
Freezing winters from your state: if you leave the freezing question on "Not sure," we answer yes for cool-climate and transition-zone states and no for Florida and Hawaii. Other states span climates, so we assume yes to be safe (a thin base fails; extra stone only costs more). Your own answer always wins.
Compaction: 20%. Loose stone packs down when it's compacted. Paver makers don't publish a figure and trade estimates run 15–25%, so we use 20% as a planning allowance.
Base stone weight: about 1.4 tons per loose cubic yard, in a 1.35–1.5 range. It varies by quarry, so ask your supplier.
Digging: the dig depth is the base, plus 1 in of sand, plus the paver's thickness (we show it with 2⅜ in, a common patio paver). The soil to remove is that volume measured in the ground; it takes more room once it's loose.
Over a concrete slab: the slab is the base, so there's no digging or base stone, just a thin sand bed (we use the same 1 in) and edging fastened to the concrete instead of spiked. A paver maker's guide says to do this only on a sound slab, and to drill drain holes where water pools.
Bedding sand: 1 in, screeded, and not compacted before the pavers go down. The 10% extra is a planning allowance: the base is never perfectly flat, and some sand is lost to screeding.
Edge spikes: one every 3 ft on patios and every 2 ft on driveways, plus 10% spare for spikes that bend or hit stone. Check your edging's instructions.
Polymeric sand: roughly 65–90 sq ft per 50 lb bag at 1/8 in joints, 45–70 at 1/4 in, and 30–60 at 3/8 in, our reading of maker and trade figures. Thicker pavers, tumbled edges and labels all vary, so we give a range of bags and price the high end. Follow the label on your bag.

Common questions

Can I get away with a 4 in base?

Only for a patio or walkway on sandy, well-drained soil where the ground doesn't freeze, and the calculator uses 4 in there. Elsewhere a thin base heaves and settles, and the pavers go uneven. Extra stone costs less than relaying a patio.

Do I need edge restraint?

Yes, on every side that isn't against a house, wall, or curb. Paver makers call it critical: without it, pavers drift apart and the bedding sand escapes. Enter the sides against a structure and the calculator leaves them out.

What this doesn't cover

Open-graded bases and chip stone bedding, which some systems use instead of sand.
Retaining walls, steps, and slopes steeper than a normal patio grade.
Drainage design and permits. Before you dig, call 811 (free; most states require it) so buried lines get marked.

Sources

Unilock, installing pavers on concrete: a sound slab only, a thin sand bed, drain holes where water pools, edging fastened to the slab, and thinner pavers where doors are tight.
Unilock, base preparation do's and don'ts: 4–6 in walkways, 8–12 in driveways, clay needs more, lift thickness, dig margin.
Belgard installation guidelines: base set by soil and climate, 1 in screeded sand, base 6–8 in past the edge.
Gator Studio, polymeric sand job: bag coverage by joint width.
Inch Calculator, polymeric sand: coverage per 50 lb bag.
Building Club paver calculator: waste by pattern (trade figures).
Inch Calculator, paver calculator: the 4 in base default we compare against.

Numbers last reviewed: October 4, 2026.