What the paver calculator does
Interlocking concrete pavers, clay brick pavers and paving stones are laid over a compacted base and a thin bedding layer. This calculator counts the pavers for a rectangular area, adds extra for cuts and breakage, and works out the volume of the two layers underneath.
Pavers are often sold individually or by the pallet, and pallets are usually labelled with the area they cover. Enter either price to estimate cost.
How to use it
- Enter the length and width of the paved area. Split L-shapes into rectangles and add the counts.
- Enter the paver size. If the pavers have spacer nibs, leave the joint width at 0.
- Set the waste allowance.
- Keep “Include base and bedding sand” ticked to see those volumes, and enter the depths from your plan.
- Optionally enter a price per paver or per pack.
Paver formulas
Area = Length × Width
Paver area = (Paver length + Joint) × (Paver width + Joint)
Pavers = Area × (1 + Waste % ÷ 100) ÷ Paver area, rounded up
Base volume = Area × Base depth; Sand volume = Area × Sand depth
A 4 × 8 in paver covers 32 sq in, so there are 144 ÷ 32 = 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 200 × 100 mm paver covers 0.02 m², or 50 per square metre.
Worked example
A 12 ft × 10 ft patio with 4 × 8 in pavers and 5% waste:
- Area: 120 sq ft
- Pavers: 120 × 4.5 = 540; with 5% waste, 567 pavers
- Gravel base 4 in deep: 120 × (4 ÷ 12) = 40 ft³ = 1.48 yd³
- Bedding sand 1 in deep: 10 ft³ = 0.37 yd³
Metric: a 4 m × 3 m patio with 200 × 100 mm pavers needs 600 pavers, or 630 with 5% waste. A 100 mm base is 1.2 m³ and 25 mm of bedding sand is 0.3 m³.
Understanding the results
- Pavers to buy – including the waste allowance, rounded up.
- Pavers per sq ft / m² – useful for checking supplier quotes.
- Packs – when pricing per pack, the number of packs to cover the total.
- Base layers – compacted volumes with no allowance. Loose material compacts, so suppliers may recommend ordering more.
Paving tips
- Herringbone patterns and curved edges create more cuts; increase the waste allowance.
- The base usually extends beyond the paved edge to support edge restraints.
- Mix pavers from several pallets as you lay them to blend colour variation.
- Keep spare pavers for future repairs.
Base depth and other factors
The right base depth depends on soil, drainage, climate and whether the paving carries foot traffic or vehicles. Driveways need a deeper base than patios. Follow the paver manufacturer’s installation guide or a local installer; this calculator only converts the depths you enter into volumes.
For weight-based pricing of the base stone, put the base volume into the gravel calculator. Considering a poured patio instead? Compare with the concrete slab calculator. For indoor tiles, use the tile calculator.