Paver/Patio Calculator
Pavers plus base and sand volume needed for a patio, per ICPI depth guidance.
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About the Paver/Patio Calculator
Calculates pavers needed for a patio, plus the compacted base and bedding-sand volume required underneath, following ICPI depth guidance — including the ~20% extra loose material needed to account for compaction shrinkage.
- Enter the patio's length and width in feet.
- Enter the paver's width and length in inches.
- Adjust the waste factor for cuts around edges/curves.
- Enter your compacted base depth and bedding sand depth.
- Read the pavers, base material, and sand needed.
A 12ft × 10ft patio with 12x12in pavers, 10% waste, a 4in compacted base, and 1in bedding sand: 132 pavers, about 1.85 cubic yards of loose base material, and about 0.37 cubic yards of bedding sand.
| Application | Compacted base depth |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian patio / walkway | 4 in minimum |
| Driveway / vehicle traffic | 6-8 in |
Per ICPI guidance, a compacted crushed-stone base of at least 4in is recommended for pedestrian patios, 6-8in for driveways. Compacting shrinks volume by roughly 20%, so 'material to order' already accounts for that. Bedding sand is typically 1-1.5in thick. Doesn't size edge restraints, geotextile fabric, or polymeric joint sand.
- • Order the 'loose' base figure, not the compacted figure.
- • Compact base material in layers no more than about 4in thick at a time.
- • This doesn't size edge restraints or joint sand — budget for those separately.
- San Diego Pavers — The Art of Paver Installation — accessed 2026-08-30