Step 1: Measure the Area in Square Feet
Everything starts with square footage. Measure the length and width of the paved area in feet and multiply them — a 20 ft × 10 ft patio is 200 square feet. Real patios are rarely a clean rectangle, so break an L-shape or a stepped layout into rectangles, figure each one, and add them together. For a curved edge, use the average widthacross the curve. Measure twice; a tape error here multiplies through every number that follows. If the area is irregular enough that you are guessing, err slightly large — the waste allowance in Step 3 absorbs a little slack.
Step 2: Convert Area to a Paver Count
A standard 4×8 paver covers about 4.5 pavers per square foot, so multiply your area by 4.5 to get the raw count. That 200 sq ft patio needs roughly 900 pavers before waste. For a different size, divide 144(square inches in a square foot) by the paver’s face area in square inches to get pavers per square foot — a 6×9 paver is 54 sq in, so 144 ÷ 54 ≈ 2.7 per sq ft. The Paver Calculator does this automatically and handles mixed-size and modular patterns, so you do not have to run the arithmetic by hand.
Step 3: Add Waste for the Pattern
The raw count assumes perfect coverage, but every field loses pavers to edge cuts and the odd cracked unit. How much depends on the pattern:
- Running bond or stack bond: add about 5%. Whole pavers fill most of the field and only the perimeter gets trimmed.
- 45-degree herringbone, basketweave with borders, or anything with curves and lots of cuts: add about 10%. Every edge paver meets the border at an angle, so cutting — and waste — goes up.
Apply the waste to the count from Step 2, then round up to whole pallets. Buying a couple of extra pavers now is cheap insurance; buying one short pallet later usually means a visible color-lot mismatch. Set the matching waste percentage in the Paver Calculator and it returns the number to order.
Step 4: Size the Base Gravel and Bedding Sand
Pavers are the top of a build, not the whole order. Under the same area you need 4–6 inches of compacted gravel for the base and about 1 inch of bedding sand to set the pavers. Use the deeper base for a driveway that carries vehicles and the shallower end for a pedestrian patio. Size the gravel in tons with the Gravel Calculator (enter your area and the base depth) and the bedding sand with the Sand Calculator (same area, ~1 inch depth). Order these in bulk tons rather than bags on any patio — bagged aggregate is convenient and far more expensive per ton.
Step 5: Add Edge Restraint and Polymeric Sand
Two perimeter-and-surface items complete the order. Edge restraint is sold by the linear foot, so measure the full perimeter of the field — every exposed edge that is not butted against a wall or foundation — and order that length plus the spikes the manufacturer calls for. Polymeric sandfills the joints, locking the pavers together and resisting weeds and washout; order it sized to your area and joint width (the bag coverage depends on both). A long, narrow walkway eats a lot of edge restraint relative to its area; a square patio needs comparatively little — so measure the perimeter, do not guess it from the square footage.
A Worked Example
Say you are building a 16 ft × 12 ft patio in a 45-degree herringbone with standard 4×8 pavers. Area is 192 sq ft. Raw count: 192 × 4.5 ≈ 864 pavers. Herringbone waste at 10% brings it to about 950 pavers, rounded up to whole pallets. Base: 192 sq ft at ~5 inches of gravel — size it in the Gravel Calculator. Bedding sand: 192 sq ft at ~1 inch — size it in the Sand Calculator. Edge restraint: the perimeter is (16 + 12) × 2 = 56 linear feet. Add polymeric sand for 192 sq ft. That is the complete order — pavers, base, bedding, edge, and joint sand — from one set of measurements. See the Paver Patio Installation guide for how it all goes together, or the Flagstone on a Sand Bed guide if you are setting natural stone instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pavers do I need per square foot?
For a standard 4×8 paver, plan on about 4.5 pavers per square foot. So a 200-square-foot patio needs roughly 900 pavers before waste. For other paver sizes, divide 144 by the paver’s face area in square inches to get the per-square-foot figure, or just let the Paver Calculator handle it.
How much extra should I order for waste?
Add about 5% for a straight running-bond or stack-bond pattern and about 10% for a 45-degree herringbone or any layout with curves, borders, and lots of cuts. The waste covers the edge pavers you cut and the occasional cracked one. Round up to full pallets from there, since ordering a partial pallet later often means a color-lot mismatch.
How much base and sand do I need under pavers?
Plan on 4–6 inches of compacted gravel base plus about 1 inch of bedding sand across the full paved area. A vehicle driveway needs the deeper end of the base range; a pedestrian patio can use the shallower end. Size the gravel in tons with the Gravel Calculator and the bedding sand with the Sand Calculator using your area and each depth.
How do I measure for edge restraint?
Edge restraint is sold by the linear foot, so measure the full perimeter of the paved field — every exposed edge that is not against a wall or foundation. Add spikes at the spacing the manufacturer specifies. A long, skinny walkway needs a lot of edge restraint relative to its area; a square patio needs comparatively little.
Related Calculators
- Paver Calculator — Paver count by area, size, pattern, and waste
- Paver Prices by State — Price your order against regional numbers
- Gravel Calculator — Size the compacted base in tons
- Sand Calculator — Size the bedding sand setting layer
- Paver Patio Installation — Put the order together into a finished patio
Written by Daniel McCarney — AceCalc