Reviewed October 2026 · Prices checked October 2026 · How we calculate

Pavers Calculator: Pavers, Base and Sand for a Patio

Enter your patio, walkway or driveway size. You get the square feet of pavers, the base gravel, bedding sand, polymeric sand and edging to buy, and what it costs at your store's price.

Units

US (ft)Metric (m)

Use

Patio / walkway (4 in base)Driveway (8 in base)

Picking one sets the base depth below. You can still change it.

Length

Width

Base depth

4 in for a patio or walkway. Driveways: 6 to 8 in.

1 in of bedding sand under the pavers. This depth is fixed.

Waste

5%10%

5% for a straight pattern. Use 10% for curves, circles or herringbone.

Bedding sand

Bags (0.5 cu ft)Bulk (cu yd)

AlsoInclude paver edging

Shopping list

Updates as you type

152sq ft of pavers

for a 144 sq ft patio or walkway, with 5% waste

Plus 3 tons of base gravel, 27 bags of sand, 3 bags of polymeric sand and 6 pieces of edging.

152 sq ft of pavers$304–$912
144 sq ft + 5% waste. Divide by one paver's area to count pieces.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $2.00–$6.00 per sq ft of pavers
Your price ($ per sq ft of pavers)
152 sq ft × $2.00–$6.00 = $304–$912Estimate
3 tons of base gravel (crushed stone)$60–$153
1.96 cu yd compacted at 4 in deep, ordered in half-ton steps. Ask your supplier for their weight per yard.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $20.00–$51.00 per ton
Your price ($ per ton)
3 tons × $20.00–$51.00 = $60–$153Estimate
27 bags of bedding sand (0.5 cu ft)$108–$216
13.2 cu ft for the 1 in bed, ÷ 0.5 cu ft per bag.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $4.00–$8.00 per 0.5 cu ft bag of sand
Your price ($ per 0.5 cu ft bag of sand)
27 bags × $4.00–$8.00 = $108–$216Estimate
3 bags of polymeric sand (50 lb)$60–$102
Covers 50 to 75 sq ft a bag. We plan on 50; wide joints use more.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $20.00–$34.00 per 50 lb bag of polymeric sand
Your price ($ per 50 lb bag of polymeric sand)
3 bags × $20.00–$34.00 = $60–$102Estimate
6 pieces of paver edging (8 ft)$48–$114
48.0 ft around the edge, ÷ 8 ft per piece.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $8.00–$19.00 per 8 ft piece of paver edging
Your price ($ per 8 ft piece of paver edging)
6 pieces × $8.00–$19.00 = $48–$114Estimate
Delivery$50–$150
One fee for the whole load. It varies with distance, so enter yours.
Typical price (estimate, checked Oct 2026): $50.00–$150.00 per delivery
Your price ($ per delivery)
1 delivery × $50.00–$150.00 = $50–$150Estimate

Project total (estimate where no price is entered)$630–$1,647

Checked Oct 2026

Show the math

12 × 12 ft = 144 sq ft of patio144 sq ft × 1.05 (5% waste) = 151.2 sq ft → 152 sq ft of paversBase: 144 sq ft × 4 in ÷ 12 × 1.1 compaction = 52.8 cu ft = 1.96 cu yd1.96 cu yd × 1.4 tons per cu yd = 2.74 tons → 3 tonsSand: 144 sq ft × 1 in ÷ 12 × 1.1 = 13.2 cu ft → 27 bags of sandPolymeric sand: 144 sq ft ÷ 50 sq ft per bag = 2.88 → 3 bagsEdging: 2 × (12 + 12) ft = 48.0 ft ÷ 8 ft = 6.00 → 6 pieces

Your prices are saved on this device only. Pavers are priced per square foot here; stores sell them by the piece or the pallet, so divide by one paver's area to count pieces. The metric switch changes sizes only. Base, sand and polymeric sand are estimates: see the assumptions below.

How it works

The formula

pavers = L × W × (1 + waste), in sq ft
base = L × W × depth ÷ 12 × 1.1, then cu yd × 1.4 = tons
sand = L × W × 1 ÷ 12 × 1.1, in 0.5 cu ft bags or half-yard steps
polymeric sand = L × W ÷ 50 sq ft per bag
edging = 2 × (L + W) ÷ 8 ft pieces. Counts round up.

Assumptions

Waste: 5% for a straight pattern, 10% for curves, circles or herringbone, which need more cuts. This is our allowance; paver makers don't publish one. Waste applies to pavers only.
Base depth: 4 in for a patio or walkway and 8 in for a driveway, compacted: the minimum in Rochester Concrete Products' paver installation guide, which gives 4 to 6 in for foot traffic and 8 to 12 in for light vehicles and says to use the deeper end in poorly drained or disturbed soil. Crushed stone is bought loose, so we add 10% as a cushion for compaction.
Gravel weight: 1.4 tons per cu yd, the same default as our gravel calculator; it runs 1.3 to 1.7 by stone, so ask your supplier. Ordered in half-ton steps.
Bedding sand: a 1 in layer, the standard depth (ICPI and paver makers' guides), plus 10% as our cushion for screeding, bought in 0.5 cu ft bags or in bulk to the next half yard.
Polymeric sand: a 50 lb bag covers about 50 to 75 sq ft at typical joints, per Techniseal HP NextGel and SmartSand listings; Rochester Concrete Products' guide gives 60 sq ft (75 for narrow joints) and 25 to 40 for wide joints. We use 50, so you don't run short; wide joints need more bags.
Edging: the full perimeter in 8 ft pieces. Leave it off where the patio meets a wall or a slab.
Pavers are priced per square foot here. To count pieces, divide the square feet by one paver's area (a 6 × 9 in paver is 0.375 sq ft). Pallets and layers differ by product, so check the label.

Worked example

A 12 × 12 ft patio or walkway, 4 in base, 5% waste, edging included

Area: 12 × 12 = 144 sq ft
Pavers: 144 × 1.05 = 151.2, so 152 sq ft
Base: 144 × 4 ÷ 12 × 1.1 = 52.8 cu ft = 1.96 cu yd × 1.4 = 2.74 tons, so 3 tons
Sand: 144 × 1 ÷ 12 × 1.1 = 13.2 cu ft, so 27 bags (or 0.5 cu yd in bulk)
Polymeric sand: 144 ÷ 50 = 2.88, so 3 bags
Edging: 2 × (12 + 12) = 48 ft ÷ 8 = 6 pieces
At the middle of our typical prices, with bagged sand: $1,038.50

Common patio sizes, 4 in base, 5% waste

Pavers, base gravel, sand and polymeric sand for common patio sizes with a 4 inch base and 5 percent waste
Patio	Area	Pavers (sq ft)	Base (tons)	Sand (bags)	Poly sand (bags)
10 × 10 ft	100 sq ft	105	2	19	2
12 × 12 ft	144 sq ft	152	3	27	3
12 × 16 ft	192 sq ft	202	4	36	4
16 × 20 ft	320 sq ft	336	6.5	59	7

Sand is in 0.5 cu ft bags, polymeric sand in 50 lb bags, base in tons at 1.4 tons per cu yd.

Questions people ask

How many pavers do I need for a 12x12 patio?

A 12 × 12 ft patio is 144 sq ft, so with 5% waste you need 152 sq ft of pavers (159 at 10% for curves or herringbone). In 6 × 9 in pavers (0.375 sq ft each) that is about 406 pieces. Divide by your own paver's size, and add a few for breakage.

How deep should the paver base be?

4 in of compacted gravel for a patio or walkway, and 8 in for a driveway that takes cars. For a 12 × 12 ft patio at 4 in that is 3 tons; at 8 in it is 5.5 tons. Soft soil or a cold climate may need more.

How much sand goes under pavers?

A 1 in bed. For 144 sq ft that is 13.2 cu ft with 10% extra, which is 27 bags of 0.5 cu ft or 0.5 cu yd in bulk. Don't use the sand for the base: the gravel layer does that job.

How much polymeric sand do I need?

A 50 lb bag covers about 50 to 75 sq ft at typical joints. We plan on 50, so 144 sq ft needs 3 bags. Wider joints or small pavers use more, so check the bag.

Do I need edging?

Yes, on any open edge. Edging holds the pavers in place so they don't spread, and it is the one part people skip and regret. Our default 12 × 12 ft patio needs 6 pieces of 8 ft edging. Untick it where the patio meets a wall or slab.