Paver Calculator

Paver calculator: pavers from area

A paver calculator divides the area you want to cover by the area of a single paver. This one assumes a 12 × 12 inch paver, which covers exactly 1 square foot, so a 20 × 10 ft patio of 200 sq ft takes 200 pavers. Tick the waste box and the count rises by 10 percent, to 220.

Pavers are sold as whole units, so the calculator never shows a fraction.

The formula in plain words

Think of laying floor tiles on a table. Each tile covers a fixed patch of table. Divide the table’s area by the patch and you know how many tiles to buy.

• Area = length × width, in square feet
• Pavers = area ÷ area of one paver (1 sq ft here)
• With waste = pavers × 1.10, rounded up
• Cost = pavers × price per paver

Worked examples

1. Patio, 20 ft × 10 ft, $3.50 per paver

• Area: 20 × 10 = 200 sq ft
• Pavers: 200 ÷ 1 = 200, which is $700.00
• With waste: 200 × 1.10 is 220 pavers, or $770.00

2. Walkway, 30 ft × 4 ft

• Area: 30 × 4 = 120 sq ft
• Pavers: 120, or 132 with waste (120 × 1.10 = 132.0)

For other sizes, divide your area by the actual paver face. A 4 × 8 in brick-style paver covers 0.222 sq ft, so the same 120 sq ft walkway takes 540 of them.

Pavers per 100 square feet by size

Paver size	Area each	Per sq ft	For 100 sq ft	With 10% waste
4 × 8 in	0.222 sq ft	4.50	450	495
6 × 6 in	0.250 sq ft	4.00	400	440
6 × 9 in	0.375 sq ft	2.67	267	294
12 × 12 in	1.000 sq ft	1.00	100	110
12 × 24 in	2.000 sq ft	0.50	50	55
16 × 16 in	1.778 sq ft	0.56	57	63

Nominal sizes ignore the joint. If a product list gives its coverage per pallet or per square foot, use that number instead of the dimensions.

Other materials a patio needs

Item	How to size it
Gravel base	Area × base depth, see the paver base calculator
Bedding sand	Area × 1 inch, see the paver sand calculator
Edge restraint	Perimeter: 2 × (length + width), so 60 ft for a 20 × 10 patio
Joint sand	Sold by coverage, see the polymeric sand calculator

How to measure your patio

• Measure the finished surface. Include any border or soldier course that will also be pavers.
• Break up irregular shapes. Split into rectangles, run each, and add the counts.
• Subtract fixed obstacles. Take out firepit footprints or planters before ordering.
• Check layout. Round up so you end with whole pavers at the edge rather than slivers.
• Note the pattern. Herringbone and diagonal layouts generate more cuts than a running bond.

Common mistakes

• Counting the base footprint. The base is wider than the pavers, but you only buy pavers for the visible area.
• Using nominal size for coverage. A product listed as 6 × 9 may be sold by the square foot, so follow the seller’s coverage.
• Skipping the leftover stock. Keep a few spare pavers for future repairs, because color lots can differ.
• Forgetting the edge restraint. Without it, the outer rows spread and the joints open.
• Buying the exact count. Even a straight layout has breakage, so allow some extra.

Where the waste comes from

A 20 × 10 ft patio in 12 × 12 in pavers lays out as 20 columns and 10 rows. In a plain grid that is 200 whole pavers with no cuts at all.

The allowance covers breakage in transport, pavers cut to fit curves and borders, and a few spares for later repairs. A rectangular patio may need little. A curved or angled edge can use far more, so adjust the waste figure to your own shape.

Related calculators

Plan the layers beneath with the paver base calculator and paver sand calculator. For narrow brick-style pavers, try the brick paver calculator, and for a full budget, the paver patio cost calculator.