This paver calculator counts the pavers for a patio, walkway or driveway — and the less glamorous, more important layers underneath: crushed-stone base and bedding sand, in yards and feet.
Driveways want a 6–8″ base — scale the gravel figure up by 1.5–2×. Joint sand for sweeping the gaps: roughly one 50 lb bag per 25–35 sq ft depending on joint width.
A Patio Is a Layer Cake
The pavers are the frosting. Structure comes from 4–6″ of compacted crushed stone (patios; driveways 6–8″) and 1″ of bedding sand screeded dead level — the layers this calculator sizes along with the count (area ÷ single-paver area, plus 5% for cuts and the inevitable cracked corner). Patterns with many cuts (herringbone edges) warrant 10%. Pouring instead? Our Concrete Calculator covers the slab alternative. Part of our Construction Calculators collection.
Worked Example (Verified)
A 12 × 10 ft patio (120 sq ft) with standard 4″ × 8″ pavers:
- One paver: 32 sq in = 0.222 sq ft → 120 ÷ 0.222 = 540 pavers; +5% → 567 to buy
- Gravel base at 4″: 120 × ⅓ ft = 40 ft³ = 1.48 yd³ (order 1.5–2 — compaction eats volume)
- Bedding sand at 1″: 10 ft³ — about six or seven 50-lb bags’ worth by volume, plus joint sand after laying
Installation Realities the Count Doesn’t Show
- Compact in lifts: base gravel goes down 2″ at a time, plate-compacted between lifts. One thick loose layer = a patio that migrates.
- Edge restraints are structural — without them the field of pavers walks outward all winter. Budget them with the pavers, not after.
- Slope the whole assembly away from the house ~1″ per 8 ft; water management decides whether the patio outlives the mortgage.
- Polymeric joint sand costs more and earns it: it locks joints, resists weeds and stays put in rain — on any patio you’ll keep for a decade.
Related Tools
- Concrete Calculator — the poured alternative
- Construction Calculators — the full collection
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pavers do I need for a 10×12 patio?
With standard 4×8″ pavers: 567 including 5% for cuts (540 bare). Larger pavers reduce the count but not the area — a 12×12″ paver covers 1 sq ft each, so 126 with the same allowance.
How much gravel base do I need under pavers?
For a patio, 4 inches compacted: area × ⅓ ft ÷ 27 = cubic yards — 1.48 yd³ for 120 sq ft. Driveways need 6–8 inches (roughly double the patio figure at 8″).
How much sand goes under and between pavers?
1 inch of coarse bedding sand under the pavers (10 ft³ per 120 sq ft), then fine joint sand swept into the gaps afterward — about a 50 lb bag per 25–35 sq ft of finished surface.
Why add 5–10% extra pavers?
Edge cuts, breakage, and future replacements from the same manufacturing lot (colors drift between lots). Herringbone and diagonal patterns cut more — use 10%.
Can pavers go directly on dirt or sand alone?
Only temporarily. Without a compacted gravel base, frost heave and settling will quilt the surface within a couple of seasons. The base is the patio; the pavers are its finish.
Is this paver calculator free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.