{
  "id": "paver",
  "version": "91822b22cfcf",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Paver Calculator",
  "question": "How many pavers do I need?",
  "summary": "Counts the pavers for a patio, walkway or driveway from its size and the paver size, with extra for cuts, plus the gravel base and bedding sand to order.",
  "category": "construction",
  "subcategory": "materials",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/paver-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/paver-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Pavers = area × (1 + extra ÷ 100) ÷ (paver length × paver width), rounded up; gravel base = area × base depth; bedding sand = area × sand depth.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Extra for cuts and breakage: 10% by default (Nicolock); use more for diagonal or herringbone patterns.",
    "Gravel base 4 in and bedding sand 1 in by default (Belgard: a 4 to 6 in compacted base and at least 1 in of sand for patios and walkways). Driveways need a deeper base.",
    "The paver size is its face size as sold; the joints between pavers are ignored. Base and sand are the compacted volumes, with no extra."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "shape": {
        "title": "Area",
        "description": "Type the length and width of a rectangle, or the area if you know it.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "rect",
          "area"
        ]
      },
      "l": {
        "title": "Length",
        "description": "The length of the paved area.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "w": {
        "title": "Width",
        "description": "The width of the paved area.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "a": {
        "title": "Area",
        "description": "The paved area.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "area",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000
      },
      "pl": {
        "title": "Paver length",
        "description": "The length of one paver, as sold.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 10
      },
      "pw": {
        "title": "Paver width",
        "description": "The width of one paver, as sold.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 10
      },
      "waste": {
        "title": "Extra for cuts and breakage",
        "description": "Pavers to add for cuts at the edges and breakage, in percent. 10% is a common allowance.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "base": {
        "title": "Gravel base depth",
        "description": "The depth of compacted gravel under the sand: 4 to 6 in for a patio or walkway.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "sand": {
        "title": "Bedding sand depth",
        "description": "The depth of the sand layer the pavers sit on: about 1 in.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "price": {
        "title": "Price per paver",
        "description": "What one paver costs. Leave empty to skip the cost.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "pavers": {
      "label": "Pavers to buy",
      "description": "Area × (1 + extra ÷ 100) ÷ the area of one paver, rounded up to a whole paver.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "squareFeet": {
      "label": "Area (ft²)",
      "description": "The paved area in square feet.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "squareMeters": {
      "label": "Area (m²)",
      "description": "The paved area in square metres.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "baseYards": {
      "label": "Gravel base (yd³)",
      "description": "Area × base depth, in cubic yards, before compaction.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "baseMeters": {
      "label": "Gravel base (m³)",
      "description": "Area × base depth, in cubic metres.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "sandFeet": {
      "label": "Bedding sand (ft³)",
      "description": "Area × sand depth, in cubic feet.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "sandMeters": {
      "label": "Bedding sand (m³)",
      "description": "Area × sand depth, in cubic metres.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "cost": {
      "label": "Cost of pavers",
      "description": "Pavers to buy × the price per paver.",
      "format": "money"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "shape": "rect",
      "l": 3.6576000000000004,
      "w": 3.048,
      "a": 11.148364800000001,
      "pl": 0.2032,
      "pw": 0.1016,
      "waste": 10,
      "base": 0.1016,
      "sand": 0.0254
    },
    "outputs": {
      "pavers": 594,
      "squareFeet": 120,
      "squareMeters": 11.1483648,
      "baseYards": 1.4814814814814814,
      "baseMeters": 1.13267386368,
      "sandFeet": 10,
      "sandMeters": 0.28316846592
    },
    "text": "You need 594 pavers for 120 ft², with 1.48 yd³ of gravel base and 10 ft³ of sand."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "shape": "rect",
        "l": 3.6576000000000004,
        "w": 3.048,
        "pl": 0.2032,
        "pw": 0.1016,
        "waste": 10,
        "base": 0.1016,
        "sand": 0.0254
      },
      "expect": {
        "pavers": 594,
        "squareFeet": 120,
        "baseYards": 1.4814814814814814,
        "sandFeet": 10
      },
      "source": "Nicolock, Simplify Your Project: How to Use a Paver Calculator (plus 10 percent for waste), https://nicolock.com/2024/06/04/simplify-your-project-how-to-use-a-paver-calculator-for-accurate-estimates/; Belgard, Paver and Wall Installation Guidelines (4 to 6 in base, 1 in sand), https://www.belgard.com/plan-design/installation-beyond/installation/; hand calculation in content.mdx: 17,280 in² × 1.1 ÷ 32 in² = 594"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "shape": "rect",
        "l": 3.6576000000000004,
        "w": 3.048,
        "pl": 0.2032,
        "pw": 0.1016,
        "waste": 0,
        "base": 0.1016,
        "sand": 0.0254,
        "price": 0.75
      },
      "expect": {
        "pavers": 540,
        "cost": 405
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 120 ft² × 144 = 17,280 in² ÷ 32 in² = 540 exactly; 540 × $0.75 = $405; Belgard, Paver and Wall Installation Guidelines, https://www.belgard.com/plan-design/installation-beyond/installation/"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "shape": "area",
        "a": 20,
        "pl": 0.2,
        "pw": 0.1,
        "waste": 5,
        "base": 0.15,
        "sand": 0.03
      },
      "expect": {
        "pavers": 1050,
        "baseMeters": 3,
        "sandMeters": 0.6
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 20 × 1.05 ÷ 0.02 = 1,050; 20 × 0.15 = 3 m³; 20 × 0.03 = 0.6 m³; NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (metric units)"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "shape": "rect",
        "l": 3.048,
        "w": 0.9144000000000001,
        "pl": 0.30479999999999996,
        "pw": 0.30479999999999996,
        "waste": 10,
        "base": 0.15239999999999998,
        "sand": 0.0254
      },
      "expect": {
        "pavers": 33,
        "baseYards": 0.5555555555555556,
        "sandFeet": 2.5
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 30 ft² × 1.1 ÷ 1 ft² = 33; 30 × 0.5 = 15 ft³ = 0.56 yd³; NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (1 yd³ = 27 ft³)"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Belgard, Paver and Wall Installation Guidelines (compacted base 4 to 6 in; bedding sand at least 1 in). https://www.belgard.com/plan-design/installation-beyond/installation/ (retrieved 2026-10-01)",
    "Nicolock, Simplify Your Project: How to Use a Paver Calculator for Accurate Estimates (pavers plus 10 percent for waste). https://nicolock.com/2024/06/04/simplify-your-project-how-to-use-a-paver-calculator-for-accurate-estimates/ (retrieved 2026-10-01)",
    "NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement: 1 ft = 12 in = 0.3048 m; 1 yd³ = 27 ft³. https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-01)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "gravel",
    "concrete",
    "square-footage",
    "stone"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}