Concrete & Masonry
Calculate patio pavers, 4-inch gravel base, bedding sand, edge restraints, and cutting waste for patios and walkways.
Enter patio length, width, and select common paver dimensions. The calculator figures total pavers to order, gravel base tons, bedding sand tons, and perimeter edge restraints.
Calculation and worked example reviewed 2026-11-14. See our calculation methodology.
900 base pavers before 10% cutting & border waste (4.5 pavers/sq ft).
Subbase materials: ~4 tons crushed gravel (4" depth) · ~0.8 tons bedding sand (1" depth).
Formula and example
This estimator converts your entered jobsite inputs (patio or walkway length, patio or walkway width, paver dimensions, gravel base depth, bedding sand depth, waste & cutting allowance) into consistent US trade units, computes the exact geometric baseline first, and then applies any selected waste or order allowance so you can verify both numbers before purchasing materials.
where:
Patio area = length × width; paver area = (length in × width in) ÷ 144; base pavers = patio area ÷ paver area; order pavers = ceil(base pavers × (1 + waste% ÷ 100)); edge restraint ft = 2 × (length + width); gravel base tons = (area × (gravel depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27) × 1.4 × 1.15; bedding sand tons = (area × (sand depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27) × 1.3.
A 20 ft × 10 ft patio (200 sq ft) with standard 4 × 8 in pavers and 10% waste requires 900 base pavers (order 990). Base materials require ~4.0 tons of 4-inch compacted crushed stone and ~0.8 tons of bedding sand.
Estimates for common rectangular patios with 10% cutting allowance, 4 in gravel base, and 1 in bedding sand.
| Patio Dimensions | Square Footage | 4 × 8 Pavers (w/ 10%) | Gravel & Sand Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft × 10 ft walkway | 80 sq ft | 396 pavers | ~1.6 tons gravel · ~0.3 tons sand |
| 10 ft × 10 ft patio | 100 sq ft | 495 pavers | ~2.0 tons gravel · ~0.4 tons sand |
| 12 ft × 16 ft patio | 192 sq ft | 951 pavers | ~3.8 tons gravel · ~0.8 tons sand |
| 20 ft × 20 ft courtyard | 400 sq ft | 1,980 pavers | ~8.0 tons gravel · ~1.6 tons sand |
Assumes rectangular layout on a prepared level subgrade. Permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICP), multi-size patterned kits, steep slope stabilization, and vehicular driveway loadings require specific bedding and base design.
A 10 ft × 10 ft patio is 100 square feet. Because each 4 × 8 in paver covers 0.222 sq ft (4.5 pavers per sq ft), you need 450 base pavers. Adding a standard 10% cutting waste brings the order to 495 pavers.
According to ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) guidelines, pedestrian patios and walkways require a minimum of 4 inches of compacted crushed aggregate (crusher run or road base) beneath 1 inch of uncompacted coarse bedding sand. Driveways require at least 6 to 8 inches of gravel base.
Plan for a consistent 1-inch thick layer of coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33) screeded over the compacted gravel base. One cubic yard of sand covers roughly 300 square feet at 1 inch depth, weighing approximately 1.3 to 1.4 US short tons.
A running bond or stack bond parallel to the patio edges produces the least amount of cutting waste (around 5% to 8%). Diagonal lay and 45° or 90° herringbone patterns create more perimeter cuts and typically require a 10% to 15% waste allowance.
Method references: ICPI: Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute patio guide