Patio Paver Calculator - How Many Pavers Do You Need?

The Homesteady paver calculator determines the amount of pavers, stone, sand, and polymeric sand bags needed for your patio project. The paver calculator uses the running bond pattern to determine its estimates.

How the paver calculator works

The paver calculator works in three steps:

Calculate the square feet of the patio. - The paver calculator square footage is calculated by multiplying the length of the patio (in feet) by its width (feet).
Calculate the paver size - To find the square footage of the paver, multiply the length of the paver (in feet) by its width (in feet).
Determine the number of pavers needed - Divide the patio square footage by the square feet of a single paver. The number is exact, so round up and include some extra pavers.

Estimating sand and gravel for patio

Experts recommend adding a 4 inch layer of gravel and then a 1 inch layer of sand to the base of the patio. These calculations are typically measured in cubic yards.

To calculate the gravel, divide the square footage of the patio by 3, and then divide the result by 27 to get the cubic yards of gravel.

To calculate the sand, divide the square footage of the patio by 12, and then divide the result by 27 to get the cubic yards of sand.

Estimating number of polymeric sand bags for Paver Patio

Polymeric sand is used to fill the joints between the pavers. Typically a 50lb bag will cover 25 to 50 square feet. The Homesteady paver calculator divides the square footage of the patio by 35 to determine the number of bags needed.

Frequently Asked

How many 4x8 Pavers make a square foot?

Three 4x8 pavers cover a square foot because the 4 inch width is three times less than 12 inches or 1 foot.

What is the area of a 12x12 patio in square feet?

The square footage of a 12x12 patio is 144 square feet.

Helpful Homesteady recommendations for next steps:

For DIY Brick Pavers, plan your project, ensure you have a base of crushed gravel, masonry sand, and the tools to help excavate the patio area to a depth of 5 inches, plus the depth of your chosen bricks.

Homesteady recommends renting a heavy duty plate compactor. A plate compactor exerts force on the ground through a vibrating steel plate. The force compacts the soil by eliminating air pockets. You can rent one at your favorite hardware store.

Patios often have a slight angle so water runs toward a safe drainage outlet.