By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
A paver patio is a sandwich: compacted base, 1 inch of bedding sand, then pavers. The paver count comes from area and unit size, the base from area and depth, and the sand from area at about 1 cubic foot per 12 square feet.
Pavers, base and sand for a patio or path.
Pavers = ⌈area ÷ paver area⌉ Base = area × depth Sand = area ÷ 12 cu ft
Paver area is the face size in square inches ÷ 144. Add 5–10% for cuts. Base depth is 4 inches for a patio on stable soil and 6–8 for a driveway; bedding sand is 1 inch, never more.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Patio area. |
| a | Area of one paver. |
| N | Pavers required. |
300 sq ft ÷ 0.222 sq ft per paver = 1,350 pavers, plus 5% = 1,418. Base is 3.7 cu yd (about 5.2 tons) and bedding sand is 25 cu ft.
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A 4 × 8 inch paver covers 0.222 sq ft, so 4.5 per square foot. A 12 × 12 paver is one per square foot.
Results use standard construction estimating arithmetic: volumes from measured area and depth, unit weights from published material densities, and code-referenced spans or clearances where the page names a code. Quantities are rounded up to whole saleable units and include the stated waste allowance. These tools are planning aids, not structural design, and do not replace a licensed engineer, a local code check, or a contractor's site measurement.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026