Paver Patio Materials Planner
Turn patio size into pavers and base
Paver patio materials and planning FAQ
How much base do I need under a paver patio?
For a light-use patio, many guides suggest around 4 inches of compacted gravel base plus 1 inch of bedding sand. Driveways or heavy loads can need a deeper base. This planner uses 4" + 1" as a simple rule of thumb; if your installer specifies something different, follow their section depth instead.
How much waste should I allow on pavers?
A 5–10% waste allowance is typical for simple rectangles with a straightforward pattern. For borders, diagonal layouts, curves, steps or planters, many installers push waste up to 10–15% to cover cuts and breakages. If your patio is very simple, you can drop the number a little; if it is complex, nudge it up.
What paver size should I type in?
Use the nominal size printed on the pallet, brochure or datasheet for the main field paver. If you have multiple sizes in a pattern, use the size that makes up most of the area, or run the calculation a couple of times and add the counts. Borders and special pieces are usually easier to count from the layout.
Does joint width change the numbers?
Joint width mainly affects polymeric sand usage, not paver count for a standard pattern. Narrow joints often mean more coverage per bag; wide joints can burn through joint sand quickly. That is why the coverage per bag box is editable: match it to the guidance printed on your specific polymeric sand bag.
Can I use this for walkways and small pads?
Yes. For paths and small pads, just measure length and width as normal; the maths is the same. Very narrow or winding paths are easiest if you treat them as a few rectangles, estimate each and then add the paver and base totals together.
Is this enough detail for a contractor quote?
For many small jobs, a contractor can work from the area, paver count, base volume and sand bags this tool gives plus a quick sketch of the layout. Larger or more complex projects may still need a detailed drawing, especially when slopes, drainage and steps are involved.
How to use this paver patio materials planner
This planner keeps things simple: one rectangle, one main paver size, and a standard base. You measure once, tweak waste and sand coverage, and walk away with a shopping list you can hand to a supplier or installer.
1. Choose US / Imperial or metric
Pick whether you measure in feet and inches or metres and centimetres. All labels and maths follow that choice, so stay in one system from end to end to avoid mix-ups.
2. Enter the main paver size and waste %
Type the length and width of your main paver from the product sheet. This is usually enough even if you have a pattern or border. Set the waste and cuts allowance to 5–10% for simple patios and higher if you expect lots of cutting.
3. Measure patio length and width
Measure the finished patio length and width where the pavers will actually sit, not the rough excavation. For L-shapes or bump-outs, break the design into rectangles, run the planner for each rectangle and then add the totals together.
4. Adjust polymeric sand coverage per bag
Check your polymeric sand bag for a coverage range (for example “75–100 sq ft per 50 lb bag”). Enter a mid-range number in the coverage box. Wide joints or deep pavers may need a lower coverage value; tight joints can often use a higher one.
5. Read pavers, base, bedding and sand together
When you tap Calculate pavers and base, the summary shows:
- Patio area in ft² and m².
- Paver area per piece, pavers by maths and pavers to buy with waste added.
- Base gravel and bedding sand volumes from a 4" + 1" layer model.
- Polymeric sand bags based on your coverage per bag, rounded up.
Everything is laid out in two short columns so you can screenshot it or read it straight from your phone in the yard office.
6. Copy the summary into your shopping list
Use the Copy summary button to paste the details into a notes app, email or spreadsheet. That gives you a contractor-ready list with the same numbers you saw on screen: area, pavers, base, bedding and joint sand bags.
How the paver patio materials maths works
The planner follows the same steps you would use on paper: find patio area, divide by paver area for counts, then multiply area by depth to get base and bedding volumes.
1. Patio area
For a rectangular patio:
Patio area = length × width
In US mode this is in square feet (ft²), in metric mode it is in square metres (m²).
2. Paver area and paver count
A single paver’s face area is:
Paver area = paver length × paver width
(Converted to feet or metres to match the patio area.) The basic paver count is:
Pavers (exact) = patio area ÷ paver area
Waste is then applied:
Pavers to buy = Pavers (exact) × (1 + waste % ÷ 100), rounded up to a whole paver.
3. Base and bedding volumes
The tool assumes a 4" base layer and a 1" bedding layer for a pedestrian patio. Depths are converted into feet or metres and multiplied by patio area:
- Base volume = patio area × base depth
- Bedding volume = patio area × bedding depth
US volumes are then converted from cubic feet into cubic yards; metric volumes stay in cubic metres with a cubic yard equivalent alongside.
4. Polymeric sand bags
With patio area and a coverage rate per bag:
Bags (exact) = patio area ÷ sand coverage per bag
The planner rounds this up to the next whole bag so you are not short on joint sand.
Because real paver projects vary a lot in joint width, compaction and waste, the maths stays transparent and easy to adjust: you can change waste %, coverage per bag and even re-run the numbers by hand if you want to sanity-check a quote.
References and further reading on paver patios and base materials
These guides use the same basic sizing and base-depth ideas as this planner:
- ICPI — Concrete paver installation manual (PDF) — industry guidance on base, bedding and paver installation steps.
- Sakrete — Applying polymeric sand to a patio — joint sand tips and typical coverage ranges per bag.
- Stone Center — Patio paver calculator — another example of area-based paver and materials estimates.
Use this planner for quick material planning, then confirm final layer depths, compaction and product choices with your contractor or paver and sand suppliers before ordering.