Material calculator
Paver Base calculator
Enter your area and depth to get paver base in tons, cubic yards, bulk bags and delivered cost. Paver Base is placed at about 130 lb per cubic foot, or 1.76 tons per cubic yard.
Your project
Paver Base for the compacted layer under pavers and slabs is typically placed 4" deep.
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Paver Base required
10.92
US tons (incl. 5% waste)
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 6.22 cu yd
- Volume (cubic feet)
- 168
- Tons per cubic yard
- 1.76
- Bulk bags (1 ton each)
- 11
- Dump truck loads
- 1
- Delivered material cost
- $437
3/4" minus with fines, compacted in 4" lifts to 95% Proctor — this layer, not the sand, carries the load.
How much paver base do you need?
Volume first, weight second. Multiply area in square feet by depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by 1.76 to convert to tons — that is the placed density of paver base at roughly 130 lb per cubic foot.
For the compacted layer under pavers and slabs, 4 inches is the standard depth. Going shallower to save on material is a false economy: thin layers rut, migrate and expose the subgrade within a season.
3/4" minus with fines, compacted in 4" lifts to 95% Proctor — this layer, not the sand, carries the load.
Ordering and delivery
Yards sell paver base by the ton but stockpile it by the yard, so quote both numbers when you call. A standard tandem dump truck carries about 15 tons; anything under a ton usually comes in bulk bags at a significant premium per ton.
Delivered pricing runs $25 – $55 per ton depending on haul distance from the quarry. Freight, not the stone itself, is usually the larger half of that number.
Paver Base coverage per ton
At 130 lb per cubic foot placed.
| Depth | Coverage per ton | Tons per 100 sq ft | Cu yd per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1" | 185 sq ft | 0.54 | 0.31 |
| 2" | 92 sq ft | 1.08 | 0.62 |
| 3" | 62 sq ft | 1.63 | 0.93 |
| 4" | 46 sq ft | 2.17 | 1.23 |
| 6" | 31 sq ft | 3.25 | 1.85 |
| 12" | 15 sq ft | 6.5 | 3.7 |
Frequently asked questions
+How many tons of paver base are in a cubic yard?
About 1.76 tons. Paver Base weighs roughly 130 lb per cubic foot placed, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 27 × 130 ÷ 2,000 = 1.76 tons.
+How much area does a ton of paver base cover?
At 4 inches deep, one ton covers about 46 square feet. At 2 inches it covers roughly 92 square feet.
+How deep should paver base be laid?
4 inches is standard for the compacted layer under pavers and slabs. Over soft or clay subgrade, add 2 inches and place a woven geotextile separator so the stone does not disappear into the soil.
+Should I order extra?
Yes — 5 to 10%. Spread depth is never perfectly uniform, the subgrade has low spots, and coming up half a ton short means paying a second delivery fee that often exceeds the value of the material.
+What does paver base cost?
Delivered, $25 – $55 per ton in most US markets, versus $25 – $80 per ton across aggregates generally. Picking it up yourself saves the haul but rarely more than a few dollars a ton once fuel is counted.
+Do I need landscape fabric underneath?
Under decorative stone, yes — it slows weed growth and keeps the stone out of the soil. Under a compacted structural base, use a woven geotextile separator rather than a light weed fabric, which will tear during compaction.