Paver Calculator and Price Estimator

How to Calculate Pavers

This calculator is great for determining the amount of material needed for any paver installation.

Pavers are blocks made of brick, stone, or concrete that can be installed to create walkways, patios, and driveways, amongst other things.

They come in several sizes and colors, as well as shapes, allowing you to customize your project.

To calculate how many pavers you’ll need, simply enter the patio’s size and the paver’s dimensions, and the calculator will find the number of pavers needed.

Enter the price per paver to get a material cost estimate. If you’re planning on installing the pavers yourself, check out this guide on how to install a paver patio to prepare for your installation.

How to Find the Number of Pavers Needed

An important component in planning your project is to determine how many pavers you need. Follow the three simple steps below to easily estimate your materials.

Step One: Calculate Patio Size

The first step to estimate how many pavers you need for any patio, walkway, or driveway installation is to measure the area of the project; you’ll need to measure the length and width of the area in feet.

Patio Square Footage Formula:

Thus, square footage is equal to the length in feet multiplied by the width in feet.

Step Two: Calculate Paver Size

The next step is to find the square footage of the paver you want to use. Measure the dimensions of the paver in inches, then apply a variation of the square footage formula above.

Paver Square Footage Formula:

Since the measurements of the pavers are in inches, you can use the following formula to find their square footage.

So, the square footage of the pavers is equal to their length in inches multiplied by their width in inches, divided by 144.

Step Three: Calculate Pavers Needed

After you have found the square footage of both the project and the paver, determining the number of pavers needed is as simple as dividing the patio’s square footage by the paver’s square footage.

Formula to Estimate Pavers:

Most experts suggest ordering at least 10% more pavers to account for broken pavers or cuts if you are installing the pavers in a straight pattern. If you install them on a diagonal (e.g. herringbone), then you should order at least 20% more pavers to accommodate the extra cuts required by the pattern.

How to Estimate Pavers When Using a Multi-Piece Pattern

Because patterns can consist of different shaped pavers, using one of these patterns can impact how you calculate the number you’ll need.

When the pattern forms a repeating square or rectangle, you can calculate the square footage of this pattern easily by getting the length and width of the total pattern, then multiplying together, and dividing by 144 to get the total square footage of the full pattern.

In some cases, the pattern will not make a square or rectangle, such as a 3-piece pattern using two 4″ x 8″ pavers and one 8″ x 8″ paver, then calculate the square footage of each one individually, and add them together – in this case, 0.89 sq ft per pattern repeat.

Then, divide the total area in square feet by the size of the pattern to find the total number of pattern repeats you’ll need. Then you can multiply that by the number of pavers in the pattern to find the total of each size needed.

As with patterns made of a single size, always order at least 20% more material to account for waste. Keep in mind that patterns sold in multiple pieces like this may require you to order minimums, in which case, it’s often enough to round up to the nearest full pattern required.

How to Estimate the Base for a Paver Installation

When installing pavers, you must have a solid base to support the patio and prevent settling over time. We recommend starting with a base of 4″ to 6″ of compacted gravel topped with 1″ of sand, which is an industry-standard for most patio installations.

To estimate the amount of gravel and sand required, you must find the sq ft of your patio and then find the volume necessary for a 4″ to 6″ layer of compacted gravel and a 1″ layer of sand. Use our paver base calculator to estimate the amount of gravel and sand you need for the base of your paver project.