Hardscape calculator
Paver calculator
Enter your patio or driveway size, pick a paver and a laying pattern, and get the paver count with pattern cut waste plus the full base build: gravel, bedding sand and joint sand.
Your project
Diagonal and circular patterns cut more pavers at the perimeter.
Patios need 4" of compacted base; anything a car parks on needs 8".
Pavers to order
2,268
4" x 8" holland / brick · includes 5% pattern waste
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Pavers per sq ft
- 4.5
- Base gravel (4" compacted)
- 6.81 cu yd
- Base gravel by weight
- 11.96 tons
- Bedding sand (1" screed)
- 2 tons
- Joint sand
- 7 × 50 lb bags
- Installed cost range
- $6,720 – $14,400
- Typical installed
- $9,600
Base depth assumes a compacted, well-drained subgrade. Clay or frost-prone soils need more gravel, not more sand — bedding sand must stay at 1" screeded thickness or the surface will rut.
How paver quantities are calculated
Paver count comes straight from face area: a 4" x 8" paver covers 32 square inches, so 144 / 32 = 4.5 pavers per square foot. Multiply by your area, then add pattern waste for the perimeter cuts.
Pattern drives the waste number more than anything else. A running bond only cuts at two edges and loses about 5%. A 45° herringbone cuts every perimeter paver on an angle and loses 15%. Circular fans waste up to 20%.
The base is where paver jobs fail. Below the pavers you need a 1" screeded bedding sand layer over compacted open-graded base — 4" for a patio, 8" under a driveway, more over clay. Gravel bulks roughly 15% between the yard and the compacted lift, which this calculator already adds.
Ordering in yards versus tons
Most suppliers sell base gravel and bedding sand by the ton but quote volume in cubic yards. Paver base at 3/4" minus runs about 1.75 tons per cubic yard; concrete sand runs about 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Both figures are shown above so you can order in whichever unit your yard uses.
Order the full amount in one delivery. Split loads from different piles rarely match on grading, and a colour or gradation change halfway through a screed shows in the finished surface.
Pavers per square foot by size
Face coverage before pattern waste.
| Paver size | Coverage | Pavers / sq ft | Pavers / 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4" x 8" holland / brick | 0.22 sq ft each | 4.5 | 450 |
| 6" x 6" square | 0.25 sq ft each | 4 | 400 |
| 6" x 9" rectangle | 0.38 sq ft each | 2.67 | 267 |
| 8" x 8" square | 0.44 sq ft each | 2.25 | 225 |
| 12" x 12" slab | 1 sq ft each | 1 | 100 |
| 12" x 18" plank | 1.5 sq ft each | 0.67 | 67 |
| 16" x 16" slab | 1.78 sq ft each | 0.56 | 57 |
| 24" x 24" slab | 4 sq ft each | 0.25 | 25 |
Pattern cut waste
| Pattern | Add to order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Running bond / stack bond | 5% | Straight cuts on two edges only |
| Basketweave | 7% | Pairs must break evenly at the perimeter |
| Herringbone 90° | 10% | Every perimeter unit is cut |
| Herringbone 45° | 15% | Angled cuts waste half of each perimeter paver |
| Circular / fan | 20% | Radial cuts plus a cut border course |
Frequently asked questions
+How many pavers do I need per square foot?
Divide 144 by the paver's face area in square inches. A 4" x 8" paver gives 4.5 per square foot, a 6" x 6" gives 4, a 12" x 12" gives 1 and a 16" x 16" gives 0.56. Then add 5-20% for pattern cuts.
+How much base gravel goes under pavers?
4 inches compacted for patios and walkways, 8 inches for driveways, and 10-12 inches over soft clay or in hard freeze-thaw regions. Compact in lifts no thicker than 4 inches — a single deep lift will never reach density.
+How thick should the bedding sand be?
Exactly 1 inch, screeded and never compacted before laying. Thicker sand is the single most common cause of rutting and settling, because sand cannot be compacted to the density the base can.
+Can I use the base gravel number for a paver driveway?
Yes — select Driveway above and the calculator switches to an 8 inch compacted base. For vehicles you also want 80 mm (3-1/8") thick pavers rather than the 60 mm units sold for patios.
+How much extra should I order for cuts?
The calculator adds the pattern waste automatically. If your area has curves, an inset border or several obstacles, add another 5% on top — offcuts from a curve almost never get reused.
+How much does a paver patio cost?
Installed paver patios run $14 – $30 per square foot nationally, with driveways at $18 – $40 because of the deeper base and thicker units. Pavers as material alone are $3 – $9 per square foot.