Paver Calculator
Paver counts for any size and laying pattern, plus the base stone, bedding sand and joint sand underneath. The cutting waste is set by the pattern, not the paver.
How many pavers do I need?
Start with how much ground one paver covers. Multiply its length by its width in inches and divide by 144. A 4 by 8 inch paver covers 32 square inches, which is 0.222 square feet, so you need 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 12 by 12 covers exactly one square foot, so one per square foot.
Then divide your area by that figure and add waste for cuts.
| Paver size | Coverage each | Pavers per sq ft | For 200 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 8 in | 0.222 sq ft | 4.5 | 900 before waste |
| 6 x 6 in | 0.250 sq ft | 4.0 | 800 before waste |
| 6 x 9 in | 0.375 sq ft | 2.67 | 534 before waste |
| 12 x 12 in | 1.000 sq ft | 1.0 | 200 before waste |
| 12 x 24 in | 2.000 sq ft | 0.5 | 100 before waste |
| 16 x 16 in | 1.778 sq ft | 0.56 | 113 before waste |
Waste comes from the pattern, not the paver
This is the part most calculators get wrong by applying a flat 10 percent to everything. The amount you cut and throw away is decided almost entirely by how you lay the pavers.
- Running bond or stack bond, 5 percent. Straight courses, cuts only at the edges, and most offcuts are reusable at the other end of the row.
- Basket weave, 5 percent. Similar, pairs of pavers laid at alternating angles with straightforward edges.
- 90 degree herringbone, 10 percent. Every edge paver gets cut at an angle and the offcuts rarely fit anywhere.
- 45 degree herringbone, 15 percent. The strongest interlock for driveways and the most wasteful to cut. Worth it under vehicles.
- Circular or fan, 20 percent. Lots of tapered cuts, very little reusable.
On a 400 square foot patio in 4 by 8 pavers, the difference between running bond and 45 degree herringbone is roughly 180 extra pavers. At 75 cents each that is $135 you need to have budgeted for.
The base is most of the work
A paver patio is a structure, and almost every failure comes from what is underneath rather than the pavers themselves.
| Use | Compacted base | Bedding sand |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway or patio, foot traffic | 4 in | 1 in |
| Patio over heavy clay or poor drainage | 6 in | 1 in |
| Driveway, vehicle traffic | 8 in | 1 in |
Use crusher run for the base, compacted in lifts of no more than 4 inches at a time with a plate compactor. Order about 20 percent more than the finished depth calls for, because that is what the material loses when compacted. This calculator applies that automatically.
The bedding sand is different in one important way: never compact the bedding layer before laying pavers. Screed it flat at exactly one inch, lay the pavers directly on it, and compact only at the end with the pavers in place. Compacting the sand first creates a hard surface that the pavers cannot settle into evenly, and you get a lumpy patio.
And use the right sand. Coarse concrete or bedding sand, never play sand. Play sand is round and fine, it will not lock, and pavers set on it rut under load.
Slope and edge restraint
Two details that get skipped and then cause problems.
Slope. A patio needs to shed water away from the house at about a quarter inch of fall per foot, so roughly one inch every four feet. A 12 foot deep patio drops 3 inches from the house to the outer edge. Build the slope into the compacted base, not into the sand layer.
Edge restraint. Without a physical edge, the outer pavers creep outward every time something loads them and the whole field loosens from the perimeter in. Plastic paver edging spiked every 10 to 12 inches is the normal answer. Skipping this is the reason older patios develop wide joints around the edges.
Polymeric sand in the joints
After the pavers are down and compacted, the joints get swept full of polymeric sand, which contains a binder that hardens when misted. It locks the joints, keeps weeds down and stops ants excavating underneath.
Coverage is roughly one 50 pound bag per 85 square feet with standard pavers and narrow joints, dropping to about 40 square feet per bag for large format slabs with wide joints.
Follow the wetting instructions on the bag carefully. Too little water and it never sets, too much and you wash the binder out and get a hazy film across the pavers that is genuinely difficult to remove. Sweep the surface completely clean before you wet it.
Common questions
How many 4x8 pavers do I need per square foot?
4.5. A 4 by 8 inch paver covers 32 square inches, which is 0.222 square feet, so 1 divided by 0.222 gives 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 200 square foot patio needs 900 before waste.
How much extra should I order for paver cuts?
It depends on the pattern. 5 percent for running bond or basket weave, 10 percent for 90 degree herringbone, 15 percent for 45 degree herringbone and 20 percent for circular patterns. The paver size barely affects it, the laying pattern does.
How deep should the base be under pavers?
4 inches of compacted crusher run for a walkway or patio, 6 inches over heavy clay, and 8 inches for a driveway. On top of that goes exactly 1 inch of coarse bedding sand, screeded and never compacted before the pavers go down.
What sand goes under pavers?
Coarse concrete sand, also called bedding sand or ASTM C33. Its angular grains lock together. Do not use play sand or mason sand, they are too fine and round and the pavers will settle unevenly within a season.
How much polymeric sand do I need?
Roughly one 50 pound bag per 85 square feet for standard pavers with narrow joints. Large format slabs with wider joints use closer to one bag per 40 square feet. Sweep the surface clean before wetting or you will leave a haze.
These figures are planning estimates. Bulk material weight shifts with moisture and screen size, and suppliers round differently, so confirm the final quantity with your yard before you order.