Paver calculator
Pavers = area × 144 ÷ the face of one paver in square inches, plus extra: a 16 × 12 ft patio in 4 × 8 in pavers is 192 sq ft × 4.5, or 908 pavers with 5% extra.
Example: replace these measurements
Your material list
908 pavers, 4 × 8 in+ 4 more items on the list
908 pavers, 4 × 8 in
192 sq ft measured
Your shopping list
- 908 pavers, 4 × 8 in
- 5.05 tons of crushed stone base (3.41 cu yd)
- 34 bags of bedding sand, 0.5 cu ft each
- 3 bags of polymeric joint sand, 50 lb
- 56 ft of paver edging
At posted store prices
- $1,205.94 908 pavers: 202 sq ft × $5.97 a sq ft, Belgard Holland Stone paver, 4 × 8 in, 60 mm, Lueders Gray at Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth, TX on
- $211.42 5.05 tons: 3.41 cu yd × $62 a cubic yard, Base material, 1-1/2 in to fines, bulk at Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth, TX on
- $261.80 34 × $7.70 a bag, QUIKRETE All-Purpose Sand No. 1152, 50 lb at Five Mountain Hardware in Shickshinny, PA on
- $140.94 3 × $46.98 a bag, Alliance Gator Maxx G2 polymeric sand, Slate Grey, 50 lb at Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth, TX on
- $90.86 56 ft: 7 pieces × $12.98 a piece, Alliance Gator Edge Rigid paver edge restraint, 8 ft at Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth, TX on
$1,910.96 for these 5 items, before tax and delivery.
Each price is one store’s posted price on the day shown, for the product named. Prices vary between stores: check yours. Your own price goes under Details.
The base stone alone weighs about 10,100 lb, and the pavers about 5,200 lb more (Whiz-Q Stone weighs its 120 sq ft pallet of these at 3,060 lb, so 202 sq ft is 1.7 pallets). That is more than any 2026 Ford F-150 is rated to carry (2,440 lb at most, in Ford’s specifications), so ask the yard what delivery costs, and how many loads it takes.
At these prices the 34 bags of sand cost $261.80, more than a whole cubic yard of loose concrete sand ($120 a yard at Whiz-Q Stone). Just 16 bags cost more than that yard, which holds as much as 54 bags. If a landscape yard near you sells it loose, ask its price and its smallest load before you buy bags.
Quantities and package details
- Patio
- 192 sq ft
- Paved area
- 192 sq ft
- Pavers per square foot
- 4.5
- Pavers with your extra
- 908
- Base area, past the edges
- 221 sq ft
- Crushed stone base to order
- 3.41 cu yd (5.05 tons)
- Bedding sand, bags of 0.5 cu ft
- 34
- Polymeric joint sand, 50 lb bags
- 3
- Edging, full perimeter
- 56 ft
The calculation
- Patio: 16 × 12 = 192 sq ft
- 144 ÷ (8 × 4) = 4.5 pavers a square foot
- 192 × 4.5 × (1 + 5/100) = 907.2, rounded up to 908 pavers
- Base area: the paved area with the base 6 in past every edge = 221 sq ft
- Base: 221 sq ft × 4 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × (1 + 25/100) for compaction = 3.41 cu yd × 1.48 = 5.05 tons
- Sand: 192 sq ft × 1 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × (1 + 5/100) = 0.62 cu yd, or 34 bags of 0.5 cu ft
- Joint sand: 192 sq ft ÷ 65 sq ft a bag = 2.95, rounded up to 3 bags of 50 lb
Not measured yet? Common jobs
A rough starting point, worked out with this calculator. 4 × 8 inch pavers with 5% extra, a 4-inch compacted stone base and 1 inch of sand. Use a row to load its size into the calculator, then change it to your measurements.
| Job | Size | Pavers | Base stone | Bedding sand | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway | 3 × 30 ft | 426 | 2.83 tons | 16 bags | |
| Small patio | 10 × 10 ft | 473 | 2.76 tons | 18 bags | |
| Patio | 12 × 16 ft | 908 | 5.05 tons | 34 bags | |
| Large patio | 16 × 20 ft | 1,512 | 8.15 tons | 56 bags | |
| Round fire-pit patio | 12 ft across | 535 | 3.03 tons | 20 bags |
Common questions
How many pavers do I need?
Divide 144 by the face of one paver in square inches to get pavers per square foot, then multiply by the area and add extra for cuts. With 4 × 8 inch pavers that is 4.5 a square foot: a 12 × 16 ft patio takes 864, or 908 with 5% extra.
How much base and sand go under pavers?
Usually 4 inches of compacted crushed stone under a patio or walkway, 6 or more under a driveway, then about 1 inch of screeded sand. For a 12 × 16 ft patio that is about 3 cubic yards of stone with 25% for compaction and 0.6 cubic yards of sand.
How much extra should I order?
About 5% for a straight pattern with few cuts, 10% for herringbone or curved edges and up to 15% for circles. Keep a few spare pavers from the same batch for repairs.
How many bags of polymeric sand do I need?
It depends on how wide the joints are. Alliance gives its Gator Maxx G2 as 65 to 85 sq ft a 50 lb bag in narrow joints, 1/8 to 3/8 inch, between pavers 2-3/8 inches tall, and 22 to 42 sq ft in joints 3/4 to 1-1/4 inches wide. A 12 × 16 ft patio with narrow joints takes 192 ÷ 65 = 2.95, so 3 bags.
Source: Alliance Gator: Gator Maxx G2 polymeric sand. Listed on the Sources page.
How to plan the quantity
Pavers per square foot is 144 divided by the face of one paver in square inches: a 4 × 8 inch paver gives 4.5 a square foot. Multiply by the area and add extra for the cuts at the edges.
A paver patio is built in layers: compacted crushed stone, about 1 inch of screeded sand, then the pavers. The base reaches 6 inches past the pavers on every side, so it covers more ground than the patio. It gets its own extra for compaction, 25% to start with from WSDOT’s loose and compacted weights for a crushed base, and the sand and pavers get your extra for cuts.
Belgard’s guide asks for concrete sand for the bed, never masonry sand, screenings or stone dust, and a plate compactor of at least 5,000 lb of force over the pavers once they are down, with a pad or mat under it so it does not mark them.
Edging holds the pavers in along every edge that has no wall or curb. The perimeter shown is its full length; take off the edges that run along the house or a step.
Polymeric joint sand is counted by the square foot of paving a bag covers. The count starts from 65 sq ft a 50 lb bag, the low end of Alliance’s figure for narrow joints, so it is not short if your joints run a little wide.
Before you order
- Small pavers such as 4 × 8 in have more joint per square foot than large ones, so they take more joint sand; so do wide joints, taller pavers and natural stone. Use the coverage on the bag you buy, and for small pavers buy a spare bag.
- Pavers that come in mixed sizes are sold by the square foot of a full pattern. Use the area and the maker’s figure for those.
Plan the work as well as the order: How to lay a paver patio: base, sand, edging and joints.
Before ordering, read the guide: How to lay a paver patio: base, sand, edging and joints. Or choose another calculator.