Paver Calculator

This paver calculator tells you how many pavers you need for a rectangular or round patio, walkway or fire pit area, with an allowance for cuts and breakage. Enter the patio size and the paver size, and it works out the paver count in seconds, whether you use small brick pavers or large format slabs.

It also estimates the two layers underneath: the compacted gravel base (4 inches by default) and the bedding sand (1 inch by default). You get each layer in cubic yards and tons, or in cubic meters and tonnes if you switch to metric, so you can order pavers, gravel and sand together.

How to Use the Paver Calculator

1
Choose units and shape
Pick US or metric units, then choose Rectangle or Circle for the patio shape.
2
Enter the patio size
Enter the length and width, or the diameter for a round patio. Split L-shaped areas into rectangles and add the results.
3
Set the paver size and waste
Pick a common paver size or enter your own length and width, then set the waste percentage for cuts and breakage.
4
Adjust the base layers
Change the gravel base and bedding sand depths if your plan or local practice differs from the 4 inch and 1 inch defaults.
5
Read the results
The results show the pavers to buy, the pavers needed before waste, and the gravel and sand in volume and weight.

How the paver calculator works

The calculator finds the patio area (length times width, or pi times the radius squared for a circle) and divides it by the face area of one paver. It then adds your waste percentage and rounds up to a whole paver. Joint gaps between pavers are narrow and not deducted, which keeps the count slightly on the safe side.

For the base layers, it multiplies the area by each depth to get a volume, then converts to cubic yards (or cubic meters). Weight uses average densities of 1.4 tons per cubic yard for crushed gravel and 1.35 tons per cubic yard for sand. In metric mode these become about 1.66 and 1.60 tonnes per cubic meter.

Pavers = area (sq ft) ÷ (paver length in × width in ÷ 144) × (1 + waste %)
Layer volume (cu yd) = area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Gravel tons = cu yd × 1.4
Sand tons = cu yd × 1.35

Worked example: a 16 x 12 ft patio with 4 x 8 pavers

A 12 ft round patio (113.1 sq ft) with the same pavers needs 509 before waste, or 586 with 15% waste for the extra cuts around the curve. It takes 1.4 cu yd of base (about 1.95 tons) and 0.35 cu yd of sand (about 0.47 tons). In metric, a 5 x 4 m patio with 20 x 10 cm pavers needs 1,000 pavers, 1,100 with 10% waste, plus 2 m³ of base at 10 cm (about 3.32 tonnes) and 0.5 m³ of sand at 2.5 cm (about 0.8 tonnes).

Area: 16 x 12 = 192 sq ft.
One 4 x 8 in paver: 32 sq in ÷ 144 = 0.222 sq ft.
Pavers before waste: 192 ÷ 0.222 = 864.
With 10% waste: 864 x 1.10 = 950.4, rounded up to 951 pavers.
Gravel base at 4 in: 192 x 4 ÷ 12 = 64 cu ft, or 2.37 cu yd, about 3.32 tons.
Bedding sand at 1 in: 16 cu ft, or 0.59 cu yd, about 0.8 tons.

Pavers and base material per 100 sq ft

Use this table for quick checks. Paver counts are before waste. Base and sand figures are for 100 sq ft, before any extra for compaction.

Paver size	Pavers per sq ft	Pavers per 100 sq ft
4 x 8 in	4.5	450
6 x 6 in	4	400
6 x 9 in	2.67	267
12 x 12 in	1	100
16 x 16 in	0.56	57
12 x 24 in	0.5	50

Base depths and material per 100 sq ft

Patios and walkways for foot traffic are commonly built on 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone base. Driveways and areas with clay or poorly drained soil usually need a much deeper base, often 8 to 12 inches. Bedding sand is normally screeded to about 1 inch and should not be used to fill low spots in the base.

Layer	Depth	Cubic yards	Tons
Gravel base (patio, walkway)	4 in	1.23	1.73
Gravel base (patio, softer soil)	6 in	1.85	2.59
Bedding sand	1 in	0.31	0.42

Tips and common mistakes

Use 5 to 10% waste for straight layouts and 10 to 15% for herringbone patterns, curves, circles and lots of edges.
The base and sand figures are loose volumes. Crushed stone compacts, so order about 10 to 15% extra gravel to finish at full depth.
Compact the base in lifts of about 2 to 3 inches with a plate compactor rather than all at once.
Slope the patio away from the house for drainage. A common rule is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot.
Plan edge restraints along every edge that is not against a wall, or the outer pavers will creep.
Buy pavers from the same production run where possible, and keep a few spares for future repairs.

Before you dig

Call 811 (or your local utility locating service) a few days before you excavate so buried lines can be marked. Follow the paver maker's installation guide for base depth and joint sand, and check whether your area needs a permit for driveways or work near property lines. For driveways, steep slopes or problem drainage, a hardscape contractor can size the base properly.

Features

Rectangle or circle patio shapes
Common paver sizes or any custom length and width
Adjustable waste percentage for cuts and breakage
Gravel base volume and weight (default 4 in deep)
Bedding sand volume and weight (default 1 in deep)
US (ft, in, cu yd, tons) and metric (m, cm, m³, tonnes) units

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pavers do I need for a 12 x 12 patio?

A 12 x 12 ft patio is 144 sq ft. With 4 x 8 in pavers at 4.5 per sq ft, that is 648 pavers before waste, or 713 with 10% extra. With 12 x 12 in pavers you need 144, or 159 with 10% waste. Enter your exact paver size in the calculator, since even small size differences change the count.

How many 4 x 8 pavers are in a square foot?

A 4 x 8 in paver covers 32 sq in, and a square foot is 144 sq in, so it takes 4.5 pavers per square foot, or 450 per 100 sq ft. Some pavers sold as 4 x 8 are slightly smaller, such as 3.9 x 7.9 in, which raises the count a little. Add 5 to 15% for cuts and breakage.

How much gravel do I need under pavers?

For a patio or walkway, plan on 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone. At 4 inches, every 100 sq ft needs about 1.23 cu yd, roughly 1.73 tons at 1.4 tons per cubic yard. A 16 x 12 ft patio needs about 2.37 cu yd, or 3.32 tons. Order around 10 to 15% extra because the stone compacts.

How much sand do I need for pavers?

The bedding layer is usually 1 inch of coarse concrete sand. That is about 0.31 cu yd per 100 sq ft, or roughly 0.42 tons at 1.35 tons per cubic yard. A 16 x 12 ft patio needs about 0.59 cu yd. You will also need a smaller amount of joint sand or polymeric sand to sweep between the pavers.

How much extra pavers should I buy for waste?

Add about 5 to 10% for a simple running bond or stack layout on a rectangle, and 10 to 15% for herringbone, diagonal layouts, circles and curves, where many pavers are cut. Keeping a few spares from the same batch also makes it easy to replace a cracked or stained paver later.

How do I calculate pavers for a round patio?

Find the area with pi times the radius squared, then divide by the area of one paver. A 12 ft diameter patio has a 6 ft radius, so its area is 3.1416 x 36 = 113.1 sq ft. With 4 x 8 in pavers that is 509 pavers, or 586 with 15% waste for the curved cuts. Choose Circle in the calculator to do this for you.

Last reviewed September 21, 2026