Paver Calculator

A paver is a manufactured concrete stone, clay brick, or cut natural stone unit designed for interlocking outdoor flatwork on patios, walkways, driveways, and pool decks. Pavers are installed dry over compacted gravel and bedding sand, providing flexible, freeze-thaw resistant paving that does not crack like poured concrete slabs.

A 20x20 paver patio (400 square feet) typically costs between $4,000 and $10,000 total. DIY materials (pavers, gravel base, bedding sand, polymeric sand, and edging) cost approximately $1,600 to $3,200 ($4 to $8 per square foot). Professional turnkey installation (including excavation, grading, materials, and labor) averages $12 to $25+ per square foot ($4,800 to $10,000+).

To build a paver patio: (1) Mark out and excavate the area 7 to 8 inches deep with a 1/4-inch per foot slope for drainage. (2) Lay geotextile fabric and add 4 inches of crushed stone base, compacting in 2-inch lifts. (3) Screed 1 inch of uncompacted coarse bedding sand. (4) Lay pavers from one corner in your chosen pattern. (5) Cut border pavers with a wet saw and install spiked perimeter edge restraints. (6) Sweep polymeric sand into joints, compact with a plate compactor, and mist with water to set.

Paver stones can be cut using three primary tools: (1) A wet tile/masonry saw with a diamond blade for the cleanest, most precise cuts. (2) An angle grinder or circular saw equipped with a dry diamond masonry blade (score the top and bottom 1/2 inch, then snap with a chisel). (3) A mechanical guillotine paver splitter for fast, rustic textured cuts without dust.

In hardscaping, “paver sand” refers to two distinct materials: Bedding sand (coarse, angular concrete sand meeting ASTM C33 standards spread 1 inch deep under pavers) and Joint sand (fine polymeric sand with activated polymers swept into paver joints to lock stones together and block weed growth and ant hills).

For a patio or walkway, 4 inches of compacted crushed-stone base; for a driveway, 8 inches. Order about a quarter more loose stone than the compacted figure, because the base shrinks under the plate compactor. The calculator above includes the base for the paved area; the paver base calculator sizes it on its own, in tons and bags, for a different depth or a bigger pad.

One inch of coarse bedding sand under the pavers: area (sq ft) × (1 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 gives cubic yards, so a cubic yard covers about 324 square feet and a ton roughly 220 to 260. The sand calculator converts that to tons and 50 lb bags. Joint sand is separate: a 50 lb bag of polymeric sand typically fills 50 to 80 square feet of standard pavers.

You can build a low-impact paver patio without full deep excavation by using high-density polypropylene paver base panels (such as Brock PaverBase). Remove existing grass and topsoil (approx. 2 inches), level and compact the subgrade, screed 1/2 inch of bedding sand, lay interlocking base panels, and place pavers directly on top. Note: This method is suitable only for pedestrian foot traffic, not driveways.

A 12x12 paver patio (144 square feet) costs between $1,500 and $3,600 professionally installed ($10 to $25 per square foot). If built as a DIY project, materials (pavers, gravel, sand, edging, and sealer) cost between $600 and $1,200 ($4 to $8 per square foot).

Lay pavers starting from a fixed 90-degree reference edge (such as your house foundation or straight driveway). Work outwards while kneeling on previously laid pavers, never stepping onto screeded bedding sand. Drop stones straight down flush against neighboring stones and check lines every few rows with a straightedge.

Clean paver patios by sweeping away loose leaves and dirt, wetting the surface, and applying a specialized paver cleaner or mild dish soap with warm water. Scrub with a stiff-bristle nylon brush (avoid wire brushes that scratch concrete). Rinse with a garden hose or pressure washer on a wide fan tip (under 1,500 PSI) held at an angle to avoid blasting joint sand out.

Install paver edging immediately after laying the main paver field: (1) Scrape away excess bedding sand outside the perimeter down to the compacted gravel base. (2) Place rigid plastic or aluminum L-shaped edge restraints tight against the outer paver stones. (3) Drive 10-inch or 12-inch heavy steel spikes through the edging holes into the compacted base every 12 inches (every 6 inches for curves). (4) Backfill with topsoil or sod.

Wait at least 30 to 60 days after installation for efflorescence (white mineral salts) to dissipate. Clean the patio thoroughly and allow 24 to 48 hours of dry weather. Apply breathable water-based or solvent-based paver sealer evenly using a low-pressure pump sprayer and back-roll with a 3/8-inch nap roller. Allow 24 hours to cure before foot traffic and 48 to 72 hours for vehicles.

Poured concrete is typically cheaper initially ($6 to $12 per sq ft for plain broom-finish concrete vs $12 to $25 per sq ft for pavers). However, interlocking pavers are cheaper to maintain and repair over their 30 to 50+ year lifespan: if ground settles or a pipe needs service, pavers can be lifted and re-laid seamlessly, whereas cracked concrete requires costly demolition and replacement.

Find the area first. A circle is 3.14 × radius × radius, so a 12 ft diameter patio (6 ft radius) is about 113 square feet. For a ring around a fire pit, subtract the inner circle from the outer one: a 3 ft pit inside a 9 ft ring is 63.6 − 7.1 = 56.5 square feet. Enter that area and pick the 45° herringbone or diagonal pattern, which carries the 15% waste a curved edge actually cuts.