# How many pavers do I need?

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.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/paver-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/paver-calculator.json
- Version: 91822b22cfcf

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Area Length × width, Length 12 ft, Width 10 ft, Paver length 8 in, Paver width 4 in, Extra for cuts and breakage 10%, Gravel base depth 4 in, Bedding sand depth 1 in): You need 594 pavers for 120 ft², with 1.48 yd³ of gravel base and 10 ft³ of sand.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| shape | Area | Type the length and width of a rectangle, or the area if you know it. |
| l | Length | The length of the paved area. |
| w | Width | The width of the paved area. |
| a | Area | The paved area. |
| pl | Paver length | The length of one paver, as sold. |
| pw | Paver width | The width of one paver, as sold. |
| waste | Extra for cuts and breakage | Pavers to add for cuts at the edges and breakage, in percent. 10% is a common allowance. |
| base | Gravel base depth | The depth of compacted gravel under the sand: 4 to 6 in for a patio or walkway. |
| sand | Bedding sand depth | The depth of the sand layer the pavers sit on: about 1 in. |
| price | Price per paver | What one paver costs. Leave empty to skip the cost. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pavers | Pavers to buy | Area × (1 + extra ÷ 100) ÷ the area of one paver, rounded up to a whole paver. |
| squareFeet | Area (ft²) | The paved area in square feet. |
| squareMeters | Area (m²) | The paved area in square metres. |
| baseYards | Gravel base (yd³) | Area × base depth, in cubic yards, before compaction. |
| baseMeters | Gravel base (m³) | Area × base depth, in cubic metres. |
| sandFeet | Bedding sand (ft³) | Area × sand depth, in cubic feet. |
| sandMeters | Bedding sand (m³) | Area × sand depth, in cubic metres. |
| cost | Cost of pavers | Pavers to buy × the price per paver. |

## 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.

## Worked examples

1. shape = rect, l = 3.6576, w = 3.048, pl = 0.2032, pw = 0.1016, waste = 10%, base = 0.1016, sand = 0.0254 gives pavers = 594, squareFeet = 120, baseYards = 1.481481, 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/.
2. shape = rect, l = 3.6576, w = 3.048, pl = 0.2032, pw = 0.1016, waste = 0%, base = 0.1016, sand = 0.0254, price = $0.75 gives pavers = 540, cost = $405.00. Source: Belgard, Paver and Wall Installation Guidelines, https://www.belgard.com/plan-design/installation-beyond/installation/.
3. shape = area, a = 20, pl = 0.2, pw = 0.1, waste = 5%, base = 0.15, sand = 0.03 gives pavers = 1,050, baseMeters = 3, sandMeters = 0.6. Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (metric units).
4. shape = rect, l = 3.048, w = 0.9144, pl = 0.3048, pw = 0.3048, waste = 10%, base = 0.1524, sand = 0.0254 gives pavers = 33, baseYards = 0.555556, sandFeet = 2.5. Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (1 yd³ = 27 ft³).

## FAQ

### How do I calculate how many pavers I need?

Divide the area by the area of one paver, add extra for cuts, and round up. A 12 × 10 ft patio is 120 ft², or 17,280 in². A 4 × 8 in paver covers 32 in², so it takes 540 pavers, and 594 with 10% extra.

### How much extra should I order?

Nicolock suggests 10% for waste. Straight patterns with few cuts need less; diagonal and herringbone patterns, curved edges and many borders need more. Set the extra to 0 to get the bare count.

### How deep should the gravel base be?

Belgard’s installation guidelines give 4 to 6 in of compacted gravel for patios and walkways. Driveways and soft soils need more; follow your paver maker’s guide for your project.

### How much sand goes under pavers?

About 1 in of bedding sand, screeded flat on top of the base (Belgard: at least 1 in). For a 120 ft² patio, that is 120 × 1/12 = 10 ft³ of sand.

### How many cubic yards of base do I need?

Multiply the area by the base depth in feet and divide by 27. A 120 ft² patio with a 4 in base needs 120 × 4/12 = 40 ft³, or 1.48 yd³. Gravel compacts, so suppliers often suggest ordering a little more.

### Do the joints between pavers change the count?

Slightly. The calculator uses the paver size as sold and ignores the joints, which are usually a few millimetres wide, so it errs toward a few pavers too many.

## 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)