Paver Calculator
How many pavers a patio, path or driveway needs, with the sand joint included. Add the pavers per pallet for an order you can place directly.
Switching units keeps your measurements. Nothing is reset.
Areas
Your pavers
The sand joint between pavers. Added to both dimensions.
Optional. Add it to get a pallet count.
Waste allowance
5% covers cuts around the edges of a simple rectangular patio.
Offcuts, breakages, pattern matching and the occasional damaged piece all mean you use more material than the bare area. Keeping a few spare pieces for future repairs is also normal.
This is a planning allowance, not a rule. Adjust it for your layout, your material and your own tolerance for a second trip to the store.
Estimated cost
Cost uses the price you enter. This product never shows invented market prices.
Your result appears here
Enter your measurements to see how much material to buy.
How to use this calculator
- 1
Measure the area to be paved, splitting curves and steps into separate shapes.
- 2
Measure an actual paver. Nominal sizes usually exclude the joint the layout is designed around.
- 3
Enter the joint width you are laying to, then adjust the waste allowance for the amount of cutting your shape needs.
- 4
Add the pavers per pallet if your supplier sells that way, and remember the base and bedding layers are separate calculations.
A worked example
A 200 ft² patio in 8 in × 4 in pavers laid tight, with a 5% waste allowance:
Measured area
200 ft²200 ft²
Add the waste allowance
200 ft² × 1.05210 ft²
Divide by the space one piece occupies
210 ft² ÷ 0.222 ft²945
Round up to whole pieces
round up 945945
You will need
945 pavers
This example is produced by running the calculator above, so it always matches what the tool does.
The formula
Each paver occupies its width plus a joint by its length plus a joint. The patio area, with the waste allowance applied, is divided by that footprint and rounded up. Pallet counts are then the paver count divided by the pallet quantity, rounded up again.
Planning a patio
The base matters more than the pavers
A paved surface is only as good as the compacted base and bedding layer under it. Those are separate materials at their own depths, so calculate them with the gravel calculator rather than adding depth here.
Curves and circles waste far more
The default allowance suits a rectangle with straight cuts. A circular feature, a curved edge or a herringbone pattern all cut many more pavers, and the allowance should rise accordingly.
Edging is what keeps it there
Without a restrained edge, a paved area spreads and the joints open. Measure the perimeter and treat the edging as its own line on your material list.
Common questions
- How many pavers do I need per square foot?
- It depends entirely on the paver. An 8 in × 4 in paver laid tight covers two ninths of a square foot, so a square foot takes four and a half of them. Enter your own size above rather than using a rule of thumb.
- Do I need base gravel as well?
- For almost any patio or driveway, yes, plus a bedding layer. Both are separate materials at their own depths; the gravel calculator handles them.
- How much extra should I order?
- Enough for the cuts your shape needs, plus a few spares. Pavers vary in shade between batches, so replacing a broken one later from a different pallet rarely matches.