Paving Calculator
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Find out how many pavers, cubic feet of bedding sand, and bags of jointing sand you need from area, paver size, and laying pattern.
Quick answer: A 100 sq ft patio with 12×12 in. pavers laid in a stretcher bond pattern needs about 110 pavers after the standard 10% wastage allowance, roughly 9.6 cu ft of bedding sand at a 1 in. depth, and about 2 bags of polymeric jointing sand at roughly 90 sq ft per 50 lb bag.
Total Pavers Needed
Includes layout wastage allowance
Bedding sand in cubic yards:
📐 Formula
Pavers per sq ft = 1 ÷ (paver width in ft × paver height in ft). Total pavers = ceil(area × pavers per sq ft × (1 + wastage %)). Bedding sand (cu ft) = area × (sand depth in in. ÷ 12) × 1.15 compaction factor. Jointing sand bags = ceil(area ÷ 90 sq ft per 50 lb bag).
How to Use the Paving Calculator
Choose area or length × width mode
Enter a direct square footage if you already know your paving area, or switch to length × width mode and enter both dimensions in feet so the calculator can multiply them into area for you.
Select your paver size
Choose from common US sizes — 12×12 in., 16×16 in., 6×9 in. interlocking, or 4×8 in. brick paver — since paver size directly determines how many pavers are needed per square foot.
Choose your laying pattern
Pick stretcher bond/stack (grid) at 10% wastage, or herringbone at 15% wastage, since herringbone's 45° cuts at every edge waste more material per paver.
Enter sand bedding depth and review results
Enter your sand bedding depth in inches, then review the total paver count, bedding sand volume, and jointing sand estimate for your order.
Why Paver Size Determines How Many Pavers You Need
Every paver size covers a different amount of ground, so the number of pavers per square foot swings widely across common US formats. A 12×12 in. paver covers exactly 1 sq ft, so a 100 sq ft patio needs roughly 100 pavers before wastage. Step up to a 16×16 in. paver and each piece covers about 1.78 sq ft, cutting the base count to about 56 pavers for the same area. Go smaller instead, to a 6×9 in. interlocking paver — common on driveways for its locking pattern — and you'll need around 267 pavers per 100 sq ft, since each piece covers only 0.375 sq ft. A 4×8 in. brick paver, the smallest of the four common sizes, needs about 450 pieces per 100 sq ft, but its classic look and tight, versatile shape make it a popular choice for walkways, borders, and edging around larger-format paving.
If you're not sure of your patio or driveway's exact dimensions before pricing pavers, it's worth measuring carefully first, since a small measuring error compounds fast once it's multiplied by pavers-per-square-foot. Once you've settled on pavers, a lot of hardscaping projects also involve an adjoining tiled surface — our tile calculator works out tile count, thin-set mortar, and grout the same way this tool works out pavers, sand, and jointing material.
Why Herringbone Needs More Wastage Than Stretcher Bond
A stretcher bond or stack (grid) layout runs paver edges parallel to the paved area's boundary, so the only cuts needed are at the actual edge — a clean, mostly straight cut that wastes only a thin sliver of each border paver. Herringbone, by contrast, sets every paver at a 45° angle in an interlocking zigzag pattern. That means almost every paver touching an edge or corner needs an angled cut instead of a straight one, and each of those angled cuts typically discards close to half a paver rather than a narrow strip. Multiply that extra loss across the full perimeter of a patio or driveway and the difference adds up quickly, which is why this calculator applies a 15% wastage allowance to herringbone instead of the 10% used for stretcher bond or a simple grid.
Herringbone's extra cutting cost buys real structural benefit on driveways and other vehicle-load areas, though: the interlocking angle resists shifting under wheel load far better than a straight-line pattern, which is one reason it's the standard choice for load-bearing paving rather than purely a style preference.
Why a Compacted Sub-Base Matters
This calculator covers the materials that sit above the sub-base — pavers, bedding sand, and jointing sand — but a compacted gravel sub-base of about 4–6 inches is standard underneath the sand bedding layer for any pedestrian or light-vehicle paving project, and skipping it is one of the most common DIY paving mistakes. Without a properly compacted sub-base, the ground beneath the pavers keeps settling unevenly under foot or wheel traffic and after every freeze-thaw cycle or heavy rain, and the sand bedding layer alone can't stop that movement — sand cushions and levels, it doesn't structurally support the load the way compacted crushed stone does. The result of skipping the sub-base is pavers that sink, rock, and heave out of level within a season or two, forcing a costly relay.
A properly built sub-base also handles drainage, letting water pass through the compacted stone instead of pooling under the pavers, which is what causes frost heave in colder climates and erosion of the bedding sand in wetter ones. For heavy vehicle loads or poor drainage conditions, a deeper or reinforced sub-base is usually required — that's a site-specific decision best made with a contractor, not something a generic materials calculator can size for you.
Coarse Sand vs. Play Sand for Paver Bedding
Not all sand behaves the same way once pavers are laid on top of it and traffic starts crossing it. Coarse sand — sometimes labeled concrete sand or bedding sand at building-supply stores — is made of irregular, angular grains that interlock and compact into a firm, stable layer that holds its shape under repeated load. Play sand and other fine, rounded sands are the opposite: their smooth grains slide past each other rather than locking together, so the layer gradually shifts, compacts unevenly, or pumps out from under the pavers over time, especially where water passes through the joints. The visible symptom is pavers that start rocking underfoot or sink slightly at their edges months after installation, even though the sub-base underneath was built correctly.
Jointing sand — brushed into the gaps between pavers after they're laid — is a separate product from bedding sand and usually finer, often a polymeric sand that hardens slightly when activated with water to resist washing out and to discourage weed growth between joints. Don't use leftover bedding sand for jointing or vice versa; each is formulated for a different job in the paving system.
Worked Example: Paving a 100 Sq Ft Patio
Take a 100 sq ft patio being paved with 12×12 in. pavers in a stretcher bond layout, with a standard 1 in. sand bedding depth:
Pavers per sq ft = 1 ÷ (1 ft × 1 ft) = 1 paver per sq ft.
Pavers before wastage = 100 sq ft × 1 paver/sq ft = 100 pavers.
Total pavers with 10% wastage = ceil(100 × 1.10) = 110 pavers — matching the Quick Answer above.
Bedding sand = 100 sq ft × (1 in. ÷ 12) × 1.15 compaction factor = 9.6 cu ft (about 0.35 cu yd).
Jointing sand = ceil(100 ÷ 90 sq ft per 50 lb bag) = 2 bags.
A larger or smaller patio scales the same way — double the area and you'll need roughly double the pavers, bedding sand, and jointing sand, since all three quantities are driven directly by square footage.
Common US Paver Sizes and Coverage
Paver size isn't purely a style choice — it also changes how many pieces you're laying, cutting, and carrying for the same footprint. Larger pavers like 16×16 in. mean fewer pieces and faster laying, while smaller pavers like 4×8 in. brick style need more pieces but handle curves, borders, and tight spaces more gracefully.
| Paver Size | Sq Ft per Paver | Pavers per Sq Ft | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12×12 in. | 1.00 | 1.00 | General patios, walkways, most projects |
| 16×16 in. | 1.78 | 0.56 | Larger patios, fewer pieces to lay |
| 6×9 in. (interlocking) | 0.375 | 2.67 | Driveways, high-traffic areas needing interlock |
| 4×8 in. (brick paver) | 0.222 | 4.50 | Walkways, borders, classic brick look |
Choosing the Right Paver Size and Pattern for Your Project
For a straightforward patio or walkway with mostly rectangular edges, a larger paver like 12×12 in. or 16×16 in. laid in stretcher bond keeps both material waste and labor low. For a driveway or any area that will see vehicle loads, an interlocking 6×9 in. paver laid in herringbone resists shifting under wheel weight far better than a straight-line layout, even though it needs more pavers and a higher wastage allowance. A 4×8 in. brick paver works well as a border or accent around a larger-format paver, or as the main material for a narrow walkway where its small size makes curves and tight cuts easier to manage.
Once you know your paver and sand quantities, it's worth planning the rest of the hardscaping project too — many patios and walkways sit adjacent to a tiled entryway or covered porch. Browse the full set of tools in our renovation calculators hub for paint, tile, and other project-planning calculators that use the same area-based approach as this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pavers per square foot depends entirely on paver size, calculated as 1 ÷ (paver width in feet × paver height in feet). A 12×12 in. paver covers exactly 1 sq ft, so you need 1 paver per sq ft. A 16×16 in. paver covers about 1.78 sq ft, needing roughly 0.56 pavers per sq ft. Smaller 6×9 in. and 4×8 in. pavers need about 2.67 and 4.5 pavers per sq ft respectively. Always add a wastage percentage on top of this base count before ordering.
A compacted sand bedding layer of about 1 inch is the standard US recommendation for most patios and walkways, screeded level just before the pavers are laid. This sand bedding layer sits on top of a separate compacted gravel sub-base — typically 4–6 inches deep — that provides the real structural support and drainage beneath pedestrian or light-vehicle paving. Deeper sand doesn't add strength; it's the compacted sub-base underneath that prevents settling and heaving over time, so don't substitute extra sand depth for a proper base.
Use coarse sand (sometimes called concrete sand or bedding sand) for the layer directly under your pavers, not play sand or fine sand. Coarse sand has irregular, angular particles that lock together and compact into a stable, load-bearing layer that holds its shape under foot traffic or vehicle weight. Fine sand, like play sand, has smooth rounded particles that shift and pump out from under the pavers over time, causing them to sink, rock, and settle unevenly. For jointing between pavers, a separate, finer polymeric sand is typically used instead.
Herringbone lays pavers at a 45° angle in an interlocking zigzag, which means nearly every paver touching a wall, edge, or corner needs an angled cut rather than a straight one. Each angled cut typically wastes close to half a paver instead of a thin sliver, and that extra loss adds up fast across a patio or driveway's full perimeter. That's why this calculator applies a 15% wastage allowance to herringbone layouts, compared with the standard 10% used for stretcher bond or grid patterns, which only need straight edge cuts.
Yes, for any real patio, walkway, or driveway paving project. A compacted gravel sub-base, typically 4–6 inches deep, sits below the sand bedding layer and does the actual structural work — spreading load, resisting frost heave, and allowing water to drain away instead of pooling under the pavers. Skipping the gravel base and laying pavers directly on sand over bare soil is a common mistake that leads to sinking, shifting, and an uneven surface within a year or two. This calculator covers the materials above the sub-base; the gravel base itself is a separate, essential step.
Sources & Methodology
Coverage rates used in this calculator are based on typical published figures from US paving-material manufacturers and standard hardscaping construction practice, not a government or standards body — home-improvement figures like these come from the trade itself rather than a regulator, the same as the other calculators in this category. The approximately 90 sq ft per 50 lb bag jointing-sand figure and the 1.15 sand-compaction factor reflect commonly cited industry coverage rates; actual coverage varies by joint width, paver spacing, and specific product.