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Contractors & trades / Paver Calculator

Paver Calculator

Count pavers, gravel base and bedding sand for a patio or walkway, then add labor and markup to price the install.

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

Paver size (inches)

Enter a number from 1 to 48

Enter a number from 1 to 48

%

Enter a number from 0 to 50%

5–10% for straight layouts, 15% for herringbone or curved edges.

Enter a number from 0 to 24

Belgard: 4–6 in; Unilock: 6–10 in for walkways and 8–14 in for driveways, the deeper end on clay.

Enter a number from 0 to 4

Belgard and Unilock both use about 1 in of coarse bedding sand.

$

Enter a number of at least 0

$

Enter a number of at least 0

$

Enter a number of at least 0

h

Enter a number from 0 to 5000

$

Enter a number of at least 0

Your cost for an hour of crew time, payroll taxes and insurance included.

%

Enter a number from 0 to 500%

Price the paver job at
$2,941.34
1,188pavers
2.96 + 0.74 yd³base + sand
$12.26per sq ft
$0job price $2,941.34
  • Materials
  • Labor
  • Profit
Patio area · 4.5 pavers per sq ft240 sq ft
Pavers · 1,188 × $0.65$772.20
Gravel base · 2.96 yd³ at 4 in$133.33
Bedding sand · 0.74 yd³ at 1 in$37.04
Labor · 24 h × $55.00$1,320.00
Profit · 23.1% margin$678.77
Job price$2,941.34

Base gravel loses volume when compacted, so order some extra; your supplier can say how much. Edge restraint and polymeric joint sand are extra.

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How the paver calculation works

  1. Area = length × width

    A 20 × 12 ft patio is 240 sq ft.

  2. Pavers = area × 144 ÷ (paver length × width)

    A 4 × 8 in paver covers 32 sq in, so there are 4.5 per sq ft: 240 sq ft needs 1,080, or 1,188 with 10% waste.

  3. Base and sand = area × depth ÷ 27

    Convert depth to feet. 4 in of base over 240 sq ft is 2.96 cubic yards; 1 in of sand is 0.74 cubic yards.

  4. Price it with labor and markup

    Add the crew hours at your cost per hour, then apply your markup to the whole cost.

Worked example. A 20 × 12 ft patio of 4 × 8 in pavers needs 1,188 pavers with 10% waste ($772.20 at $0.65), 2.96 yd³ of base ($133.33) and 0.74 yd³ of sand ($37.04). With 24 labor hours at $55 the cost is $2,262.57, and a 30% markup prices the patio at $2,941.34, about $12.26 per sq ft.

Paver FAQ

How many pavers do I need?

Divide 144 by the paver's length × width in inches to get pavers per sq ft, multiply by the area and add 5–15% waste. 240 sq ft of 4 × 8 in pavers needs 1,188 with 10% waste.

How much paver base do I need?

Multiply the area by the base depth in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards. 240 sq ft at 4 inches is 2.96 yd³ before compaction.

How much does a paver patio cost to install?

Add pavers, base, sand, labor and your markup. The default 240 sq ft patio comes to about $12.26 per sq ft; regional prices vary widely.

How deep should a paver base be?

Belgard calls for 4–6 inches of compacted gravel. Unilock suggests 6–10 inches for walkways and patios and 8–14 inches for driveways, using the deeper end on clay soil. Follow the spec of the paver you buy.

How much sand do I need for pavers?

Belgard and Unilock both use a bedding layer of about 1 inch of coarse sand. That is 0.74 cubic yards for a 240 sq ft patio, or about 0.31 cubic yards per 100 sq ft.

How much polymeric sand do I need?

It depends on joint width and paver shape. Techniseal rates its RG+ polymeric sand at 60–120 sq ft per 50 lb bag for narrow joints, so a 240 sq ft patio needs about 2–4 bags. Wide joints need more; check the bag's coverage chart.

How much does a paver driveway cost?

Use the same steps with a deeper base: set the base to 8 inches or more, enter the driveway size, your paver price and the crew hours. Local material and labor prices vary widely, so use your own quotes.

Sources: Belgard: paver and wall installation guidelines · Unilock: how to install a paver patio base · Techniseal: RG+ polymeric sand for interlocking pavers

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