DIY paver guide

Paving Stone Calculator

Last updated June 2, 2026

A paving stone calculator should estimate more than stone count. Use this page to compare pavers, gravel base, bedding sand, polymeric sand, edging, and material cost for common patio sizes.

Quick answer

A 10x10 patio needs about 495 standard 8x4 paving stones with 10% waste.
A 12x16 patio needs about 951 paving stones, 4.17 tons of base, and 0.65 cu yd of bedding sand.
Use the estimator below for custom stone size, base depth, sand depth, waste, and prices.

Paving stone material estimates by patio size

Patio size	Paving stones	Base	Bedding sand	Polymeric sand	Materials range
10x10 ft	495	2.17 tons	0.34 cu yd	2 bags	$700-$980
12x12 ft	713	3.13 tons	0.49 cu yd	2 bags	$970-$1,340
12x16 ft	951	4.17 tons	0.65 cu yd	3 bags	$1,280-$1,770
16x20 ft	1,584	6.95 tons	1.09 cu yd	5 bags	$2,075-$2,880

Assumes 8x4 in paving stones, 4 in base, 1 in bedding sand, 10% waste, and default material prices.

Complete project estimator

Paver Material Calculator

One input set for base, bedding sand, polymeric sand, pavers, edging, material cost, and installed estimate.

Imperial Metric

Popular patio sizes:

Patio length (ft) Measure the longest side. Patio width (ft) Use the average width for irregular shapes. Paver length (in) Face dimension of one paver. Paver width (in) Face dimension of one paver.

Advanced settings

Base depth (in) Recommended starting point depends on use. Bedding sand depth (in) A 1 inch screeded bed is common. Joint width (in) Average open joint width. Joint depth (in) Depth filled with polymeric sand. Waste allowance (%) Covers cuts, compaction, and ordering buffer. Base density (tons/cu yd) Supplier density for crushed aggregate. Base bag size (cu ft) Only needed for bag count. Sand bag size (cu ft) Only needed for bag count. Polymeric sand coverage (sq ft/bag) Use the product coverage chart. Paver price ($/sq ft) Set to 0 for quantities only. Base aggregate price ($/ton) Bulk supplier price. Bedding sand price ($/cu yd) Bulk supplier price. Polymeric sand price ($/bag) Retail price per bag. Edge restraint price ($/linear ft) Perimeter edging cost. Labor price ($/sq ft) Set to 0 for DIY material-only estimate.

Example base1.36 cu yd2.17 tons

Example pavers~495 pcs10x10 patio + waste

Example sand0.34 cu ydbedding layer

Example joint sand2 bagsdepends on joint width

Example for a 10x10 patio before you calculate your own project.

Change the length, width, paver size, or project type to create a supplier-ready order list.

Paving stone count formula

Divide patio square footage by the face area of one paving stone, then multiply by the waste allowance. A standard 8x4 in paver covers about 0.22 sq ft.

For a 100 sq ft patio, that is about 450 stones before waste or 495 stones with a 10% allowance.

Why the material list matters

Stone count alone does not finish the project. Most patios also need compacted aggregate base, bedding sand, polymeric joint sand, edge restraint, and spikes.

Use the full estimator when comparing store pickup, bulk delivery, and contractor quotes.

Helpful next step

Use the complete paver material calculator when you want one combined order list for pavers, base, bedding sand, polymeric sand, edging, and cost. Use the focused calculators when you need to tune one material at a time.