How we worked it out
Updated as you change the numbers.
- Area = length × width = 12 ft × 10 ft = 120 sq ft.
- Each paver covers 4 in × 8 in ÷ 144 = 0.2222 sq ft.
- Pavers = 120 ÷ 0.2222 = 540; with 10% extra, rounded up: 594.
- Base = 120 sq ft × 4 in ÷ 12 × 1.15 ÷ 27 = 1.7 yd³.
- Sand = 120 sq ft × 1 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = 0.37 yd³.
Method and assumptions
A paver patio has three layers: a compacted crushed stone base, a thin screeded layer of bedding sand, and the pavers. The calculator divides the area by the area of one paver (plus any joint), adds your allowance for cuts, and works out each layer as area × depth.
Weights use typical densities of 1.4 tons per cubic yard for crushed stone and 1.35 for sand. Your supplier may quote different figures for their material.
The base is usually laid wider than the patio, by about the depth of the base on each side, so edges have support. Add that width to your measurements if you want it included.
Tips
- Use crushed stone with fines (often sold as road base, crusher run or 3/4 in minus), not round pea gravel, for the base: it locks together when compacted.
- Compact the base in layers of 2 to 3 in with a plate compactor.
- Fill the joints with polymeric sand or joint sand after the pavers are laid and compacted.
Questions
How many 4 × 8 pavers are in a square foot?
4.5. A 4 × 8 in paver covers 32 sq in, and a square foot is 144 sq in: 144 ÷ 32 = 4.5. A 100 sq ft patio needs 450, or 495 with 10% extra.
Sources
- Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI): design and installation guidance
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: unit conversions
Method and figures checked on . Every worked answer on this page is covered by an automated test. Found a mistake? Tell us.