The math behind your estimate
The inputs, allowance, and rounding stay visible.
- Area
- Area = Length × Width, summed over every paved area
- Per paver
- Coverage per paver = (Width + joint) × (Length + joint)
- Pavers
- Pavers = Area ÷ coverage per paver, × (1 + waste %), rounded up
- Packs
- Packs = Pavers ÷ pavers per pack, rounded up
Assumptions
- Most concrete pavers are laid butted tight with sand swept into the joints, so the default joint spacing is zero. Set a joint only if you are deliberately spacing pavers for polymeric sand or planting.
- Waste percentages are starting recommendations, not fixed facts. They track how much of each cut paver becomes unusable: a square patio in running bond wastes little, while a diagonal or herringbone layout cuts both ends of many pavers along every edge.
- Pack and pallet quantities are not standardised between manufacturers, so this calculator asks rather than assumes. Leave the field empty for a loose paver count.
- Pavers need a compacted base and bedding layer beneath them — typically 4 in of compacted gravel for a patio and considerably more for a driveway, plus about 1 in of bedding sand. Those are separate materials; use the base gravel link to size them for the same area.
Frequently asked questions
- How many pavers do I need for a 12 × 10 ft patio?
- 120 ft² with 4 × 8 in pavers laid tight is 540 pavers before waste. A running-bond layout at 5% waste puts you at 567; a herringbone pattern at 20% needs 648. The layout matters more than most people expect.
- How much waste should I allow for pavers?
- 5% for a rectangular patio in running bond, 10% where there are curves or angled edges, and 15–20% for diagonal or herringbone layouts. Every angled cut throws away part of a paver, so patterns that meet the edge at 45° waste the most.
- How much gravel base goes under pavers?
- Typically 4 inches of compacted gravel for a patio or walkway, and 8–12 inches for a driveway that carries vehicles, plus about 1 inch of bedding sand. Use the base gravel link above to size it from the same area you just entered.
- Why does the purchased coverage exceed my project area?
- Because pavers come in packs and the waste allowance is added before rounding. The excess shown is what you should expect left over — worth keeping, since paver colours vary between production batches and a later repair rarely matches.
Sources
- Common concrete paver formats (4 × 8 in Holland, 12 × 12 in, metric 200 × 100 mm)
- Interlocking concrete pavement base-depth conventions (patio vs driveway)