Paver Patio & Walkway Estimator
Calculate how many pavers you need, plus the bedding sand and polymeric joint sand, for any patio or walkway. Pick a paver size, add a waste allowance, and get counts, cubic yards, tons, and bag totals.
How to Estimate a Paver Patio or Walkway
Every paver job comes down to three materials: the pavers, the bedding sand they sit in, and the joint sand that locks them together. Enter your patio or walkway size, pick a paver, and the calculator above returns the paver count with a waste allowance, the bedding sand in cubic yards and tons, and the bags of polymeric joint sand. Measure each area in feet, or type a total square footage if you already have it, and add separate areas for an L shaped patio or a path that changes width.
Pavers per Square Foot by Size
The number of pavers per square foot depends only on the face size. Divide 144 by the length times width in inches, then multiply by your area. A 4 by 8 brick paver takes 4.5 per square foot, so a 300 square foot patio needs about 1,350 before waste and 1,485 with a 10 percent cut allowance.
| Paver Size | Pavers per Sq Ft | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 8 in (brick paver) | 4.5 | Walkways, borders, herringbone patios |
| 6 x 6 in | 4.0 | Small unit patios, accents |
| 6 x 9 in | 2.67 | Running bond patios and paths |
| 12 x 12 in | 1.0 | Open patios, large format fields |
| 16 x 16 in | 0.56 | Modern slab patios, stepping fields |
Bedding Sand and Polymeric Joint Sand
Pavers sit on a 1 inch bed of coarse sand screeded flat over the compacted base. One inch across 100 square feet is about 8.3 cubic feet, and a cubic yard of sand weighs roughly 1.4 tons, so read the tonnage off the cubic yards the calculator gives and add a little for screeding.
Polymeric sand fills the joints and hardens to lock the pavers and hold back weeds. Coverage depends on paver size and joint width, since bigger pavers have fewer joints per square foot. A 50 pound bag covers roughly:
- 4 x 8 brick: about 80 sq ft per bag
- 6 x 6: about 90 sq ft per bag
- 6 x 9: about 100 sq ft per bag
- 12 x 12: about 120 sq ft per bag
- 16 x 16: about 150 sq ft per bag
Base and Sub-Base Under Pavers
A patio lasts only as long as the stone base beneath it. Excavate and lay 4 to 6 inches of compacted crusher run or dense grade for a patio or walkway, and 6 to 8 inches for anything that carries vehicles. Compact in 2 inch lifts, slope the surface a quarter inch per foot for drainage, then screed the bedding sand on top. Order the base by the ton with the gravel and crushed stone calculator.
What a Paver Patio Costs
Materials for a paver patio usually run about $8 to $15 per square foot. Pavers are the largest line, followed by base stone, bedding sand, and a bag or two of polymeric sand per hundred square feet. Installed by a contractor, a paver patio or walkway typically runs $15 to $30 per square foot depending on paver grade, pattern, and site prep.
Price the pavers first from the count above, then add the sand and base tonnage, and multiply by your local rates for a full project estimate before you order.
Paver Patio FAQ
Divide 144 by the paver length times width in inches to get pavers per square foot, then multiply by your patio area and add 5 to 10 percent for cuts. A 4 by 8 brick paver is 4.5 per square foot, so a 300 square foot patio needs about 1,485 pavers with a 10 percent waste allowance.
For bedding, plan a 1 inch layer of coarse sand under the pavers. One inch across 100 square feet is about 8.3 cubic feet, so a 300 square foot patio needs roughly 25 cubic feet, close to 0.93 cubic yards or 1.3 tons. Order a little extra so you can screed a clean, even bed.
A 50 pound bag of polymeric joint sand covers about 80 square feet of 4 by 8 brick pavers, and more on larger pavers because they have fewer joints. Figure about 90 square feet for 6 by 6, 100 for 6 by 9, 120 for 12 by 12, and up to 150 for 16 by 16 slabs. A 300 square foot brick patio needs about 5 bags.
Lay 4 to 6 inches of compacted crusher run under a patio or walkway and 6 to 8 inches under anything that carries vehicles. Compact in 2 inch lifts and slope the surface a quarter inch per foot so water drains off.
Materials usually run about $8 to $15 per square foot, and a contractor installed patio typically runs $15 to $30 per square foot depending on paver grade, pattern, and site prep. Doing your own base and laying the field is where most of the savings come from.
Large format pavers like 12 by 12 and 16 by 16 cover ground fast and suit open patios, while 4 by 8 brick and 6 by 6 give more joints and a classic look for walkways and borders. Mix sizes only when the manufacturer sells them as a matched pattern set.