How to figure pavers, base and sand
A paver job is three layers: compacted gravel base, a 1 inch bed of sand, and the pavers, held in by edging and locked by sand in the joints. Here is the math for the patio the calculator opens with: 16 x 12 ft against the house, 4 x 8 inch pavers in a running bond, on soil that drains well.
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1
Count the pavers
16 × 12 = 192 sq ft. A running bond needs about 5% extra: 201.6 sq ft. A 4 x 8 paver covers 32 sq in, so 4.5 pavers per sq ft: 201.6 × 4.5 = 907.2, so buy 908. At $0.68 each that is $617.
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2
Find the edging run
The perimeter is 56 ft. Take off the 16 ft along the house and 40 ft needs edge restraint: five 8 ft pieces, plus spikes about every foot.
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3
Size the base
The base runs 6 inches past every free edge so the edging sits on it: 192 + 40 × 0.5 = 212 sq ft. At 6 inches deep: 212 × 6 ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = 3.93 cubic yards. Compaction squeezes out about 20%, so order 4.71 yards, about 7.1 tons of crushed stone base. Round up to 7.5 tons.
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4
Add the sand
One inch of bedding sand: 192 ÷ 12 = 16 cu ft, plus 10% = 17.6 cu ft, or 36 half-cubic-foot bags. Polymeric sand for the joints of small pavers covers about 65 sq ft per 50 lb bag, so 3 bags.
With the base delivered for $150, a day with a plate compactor and the default prices, the patio comes to about $1,370 in materials, or $7.14 per sq ft. Dig 9.4 inches deep (6 in base, 1 in sand and a 2-3/8 in paver) and you will haul away about 6.1 cubic yards of soil.
How deep should the base be?
Base depth depends on the load and the soil. Soft or wet soil needs a thicker base to spread the weight. The calculator starts from one manufacturer's table and you can change it.
| Soil | Patio or walkway | Driveway |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy, drains well | 6 in | 8 in |
| Silty or loam | 8 in | 12 in |
| Clay or wet | 10 in | 14 in |
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute lists 4 inches as the minimum base for patios and walks, and other installer guides give 4 to 6 inches for foot traffic and 8 to 12 inches for cars. Compact the base in lifts of no more than 4 inches. The bedding sand stays a uniform 1 inch: it is a bed, not a filler for low spots.
Pavers per square foot
Pavers have small spacer bars on the sides, so you figure on the nominal size. Tap a size to load it.
| Paver | Per sq ft | For 100 sq ft + 5% | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 8 in | 4.5 | 473 | Patios, walks, driveways |
| 6 x 9 in | 2.67 | 280 | Patios, driveways |
| 8 x 8 in | 2.25 | 237 | Patios, walks |
| 12 x 12 in | 1 | 105 | Patios |
| 16 x 16 in | 0.56 | 60 | Patios, stepping areas |
| 16 x 24 in | 0.375 | 40 | Patios, pool decks |
How much extra to buy depends on the pattern. A running bond or basketweave wastes about 5%, a 90° herringbone about 10% and a 45° herringbone about 15%, since every edge paver is cut. Curves and lots of corners add more. Herringbone is the strongest pattern under cars because each paver locks against its neighbors in both directions, which is why it is the usual choice for driveways.
Edging, fabric and joint sand
- Edge restraint. Without it, the outer pavers creep and the joints open. Plastic or aluminum edging is spiked into the base about every foot, set on the base rather than on bare soil. A concrete curb or a soldier course set in concrete does the same job.
- Geotextile. On clay or wet soil, a woven fabric under the base stops the gravel from pushing down into the mud. The calculator turns it on for clay and for driveways. On firm, sandy soil it is optional.
- Polymeric sand. Swept into the joints after the pavers are compacted, it hardens when misted and resists weeds and ants. One 50 lb bag covers about 65 to 85 sq ft with narrow joints and as little as 20 to 40 sq ft with wide joints. Small pavers have more joint per foot, so the calculator uses 65 sq ft for 4 x 8 pavers and more for slabs.
What a paver patio costs
National ranges in 2025–2026. Grading, drainage, tear-out of an old slab and steps or walls cost extra.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Concrete pavers | $3–$6 per sq ft |
| Clay brick pavers | $4–$8 per sq ft |
| Natural stone pavers | $7–$16 per sq ft |
| Installation labor | $5–$15 per sq ft |
| Patio, installed | $8–$24 per sq ft |
| Driveway, installed | $10–$40 per sq ft |
DIY saves the labor, which is often half the bill, but a paver patio is hard work. A 200 sq ft patio means moving 7 to 8 tons of stone and about as much soil, by wheelbarrow. Most of the failures we see, sunken spots and wavy edges, trace back to a thin or poorly compacted base, not to the pavers.
Tips from the pros
- Call 811 before you dig. It is free, and buried gas, power and water lines are often shallower than the 9 to 18 inches a paver job goes down.
- Slope away from the house. Build in about 1/4 inch of fall per foot so rain runs off the patio and away from the foundation.
- Compact in lifts. Spread the base 3 to 4 inches at a time, dampen it and run the plate compactor over each lift.
- Screed, don't walk. Level the sand with pipes and a straight board, then stay off it. Lay pavers from the pavers you already set.
- Pull from several pallets. Colors vary between pallets. Mix them as you lay so you don't end up with a patchy patio.
- Compact the pavers too. After cutting the edges and before the joint sand sets, run the compactor over the pavers (with a pad if the maker asks for one) to seat them.
Common questions
How many pavers do I need for a 12x12 patio?
A 12 x 12 patio is 144 square feet. With 5% extra for a running bond you need about 151 square feet of pavers: 681 standard 4 x 8 inch pavers, 341 pavers of 8 x 8, or 86 slabs of 16 x 16.
How deep should the base be for pavers?
For patios and walkways, plan on 4 to 6 inches of compacted gravel base on firm, well-drained soil and up to 10 inches on clay. Driveways need about 8 to 12 inches, and up to 14 inches on clay. Add 1 inch of bedding sand and the paver thickness to get the digging depth.
How much paver base do I need?
Multiply the base area in square feet by the depth in inches, divide by 12 and by 27 to get cubic yards, then add about 20% for compaction. A 12 x 16 patio with a 6 inch base needs about 4.3 cubic yards, or roughly 6.5 tons of crushed stone, plus a little more where the base runs past the edges.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
Screed a 1 inch layer of coarse concrete sand. That is about 0.31 cubic yards, or 8.3 cubic feet, per 100 square feet, before about 10% extra. Do not use the sand to fix low spots in the base; fix the base.
How much polymeric sand do I need?
A 50 lb bag usually covers about 65 to 85 square feet of pavers with narrow joints, less with small pavers or wide joints and more with large slabs. A 200 square foot patio of 4 x 8 pavers takes about 3 or 4 bags.
How much does a paver patio cost?
Installed by a pro, most paver patios cost about $8 to $24 per square foot, with labor at about $5 to $15 per square foot. Doing it yourself, concrete pavers, base, sand and edging often come to $5 to $9 per square foot.
Sources and assumptions
Prices checked in October 2026 and vary a lot by region. Every price in the calculator can be edited.
- Base depth by soil and use (6, 8 and 10 in for walks and patios; 8, 12 and 14 in for driveways) and 1 in bedding layer: Unilock, paver base guide.
- 4 in minimum base for patios and walks, 1 in nominal bedding sand, and paver thickness of 2-3/8 in for pedestrian areas and driveways: ICPI construction tolerance guide (ICPI is now part of the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association). 4–6 in for foot traffic, 8–12 in for vehicles and lifts of no more than 4 in: Rochester Concrete Products installation guide.
- Polymeric sand coverage (65–85 sq ft per 50 lb bag for 1/8 to 3/8 in joints, 22–42 for wide joints): Alliance Gator. Our 75 and 100 sq ft defaults for medium pavers and slabs are estimates.
- Paver and supply prices from Menards in October 2026: 4 x 8 paver $0.68, 4 x 16 and 8 x 8 $1.89, 16 x 16 $6.49, 16 x 24 $9.59, 0.5 cu ft paver base and leveling sand $3.89, 50 lb polymeric sand $19.97–$30.99 (we use $25), 8 ft paver edging $10.49–$11.98. The 6 x 9 ($1.25) and 12 x 12 ($2.75) prices are our estimates.
- Paver material, labor and installed costs per sq ft: LawnLove, paver patio cost, updated December 2025. Driveway labor of $8–$20 per sq ft is our estimate from LawnLove's $10–$40 installed range; Inch Calculator (updated August 2023) puts paver labor at $9 to $10 per sq ft for standard areas and up to $15 for detailed ones.
- Crushed stone base at $30 per ton, 1.5 tons per cubic yard with 20% compaction allowance, delivery $150 per load of up to 15 tons, woven geotextile $0.25 per sq ft and plate compactor rental $86 per day: same assumptions and sources as our gravel calculator. Concrete sand at $40 per ton and 1.35 tons per cubic yard is an estimate in the $25–$50 range most yards charge.
- Fixed in the calculator: base extends 6 in past every edge that gets edging; 10% extra on bedding sand; edging spikes at about one per foot, $6 per 10 (estimate); each bulk material is its own delivery; one compactor day per 600 sq ft.