Landscaping
Paver Calculator
Work out paver quantity from area, unit size and cutting waste.
Result
A paver patio is mostly base. Four to six inches of compacted gravel under an inch of bedding sand is typical for foot traffic; driveways need eight or more.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Paver dimensions and the laying pattern, since pattern affects cutting waste substantially.
- Cutting waste at edges and around features.
- Base material and bedding, which are separate quantities and most of the cost.
Where this one goes wrong
Ordering pavers without ordering the base. The sub-base and bedding layer are usually more material by volume than the pavers themselves, and a quote that prices the visible product and skips the base is badly short.
Before you quote
- Whether the area carries vehicles, which changes base depth entirely.
- Edge restraint, without which the paving spreads.
- Falls for drainage, which have to be set before laying starts.
Questions
About this calculator
How much waste should I allow?
It depends on the pattern and the shape of the area. A running bond in a rectangle wastes little; a herringbone in a curved area wastes considerably more because every edge is a cut.
What base depth is needed?
It depends on the loading and the ground conditions, and it is far deeper for a driveway than a patio. Getting this wrong is what causes settlement later.
Is edge restraint really necessary?
Yes. Without it the outer courses migrate, joints open and the paving loses its interlock. It is the cheapest part of the job and the most common omission.
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How to use this calculator
- Area length (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 20 ft.
- Area width (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 14 ft.
- Coverage per paver (sq ft) (sq ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 0.5 sq ft.
- Waste allowance (%). Cuts at edges and around curves.
- Cost per paver ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $2.4.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to pavers needed, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Area length (ft) | 20 ft |
| Area width (ft) | 14 ft |
| Coverage per paver (sq ft) | 0.5 sq ft |
| Waste allowance | 10% |
| Cost per paver | $2.4 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Pavers needed main result | 616 |
| Area | 280.0 |
| Area including waste | 308.0 |
| Estimated material cost | $1,478 |
| Base gravel (cubic yards) | 3.5 |
| Bedding sand (cubic yards) | 0.9 |
For 280.0 sq ft plus 10% waste you need 616 pavers, costing about $1,478.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only cost per paver, this is what happens to pavers needed. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Cost per paver ($) | Pavers needed |
|---|---|
| $1.2 | 616 |
| $1.8 | 616 |
| $2.4 example above | 616 |
| $3.6 | 616 |
| $4.8 | 616 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Area length (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 20 ft.
- Area width (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 14 ft.
- Coverage per paver (sq ft) (sq ft)
- Measured in sq ft, starting at 0.5 sq ft.
- Waste allowance (%)
- Cuts at edges and around curves.
- Cost per paver ($)
- A money amount, starting at $2.4.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Pavers needed | The headline result. A number. |
| Area | A decimal figure. |
| Area including waste | A decimal figure. |
| Estimated material cost | A money figure. |
| Base gravel (cubic yards) | A decimal figure. |
| Bedding sand (cubic yards) | A decimal figure. |
Seasonality is not in this
Coverage and material figures assume the area you enter. Slope, access for machinery, existing growth and the time of year all affect both quantity and labour, and none of them appear in a calculation like this.
Keep going
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