Paver Base Calculator
Enter the paved area and pick the project type.
Landscaping
Paver Base Calculator
Quick answer: base gravel (tons) = area × base depth (ft) ÷ 27 × 1.2 for compaction × 1.4 tons/yd³. A 12 × 16 ft patio with a 4 in base needs 2.84 yd³, about 3.98 tons of base, plus 0.65 yd³ of bedding sand for a 1 in layer and 56 ft of edging.
Everything that goes under and between the pavers: compacted gravel base, screeded bedding sand, polymeric joint sand, and edge restraint. To count the pavers themselves, use the paver calculator.
Paver section
How to calculate paver base and sand
A paver installation is three layers. A compacted crushed-stone base carries the load and drains water; a thin, screeded layer of coarse sand gives the pavers a smooth bed; and joint sand locks the pavers together. Each layer is area × depth, but the base must be bought loose and compacted down, so it gets a compaction allowance.
Base tons = A × (D ÷ 12) × 1.2 ÷ 27 × 1.4
A = area in ft², D = compacted base depth in inches; bedding sand = A × (1 ÷ 12) × 1.1 ÷ 27 yd³
- Measure the paved area in square feet. Installation guides call for the base to extend past the paver edge, often by about the base depth, so the edge restraint sits on stone; enter the larger dimensions if you want that extra stone included.
- Choose base depth by use and soil: 4 in for walkways and patios, 6 in for patios on clay or in frost areas, 6–8 in for driveways.
- Base volume = area × depth ÷ 12 × 1.2, divided by 27 for yd³. Multiply by 1.4 for tons.
- Bedding sand = area × 1 in ÷ 12 × 1.1 for screeding losses, then ÷ 27 for yd³ or ÷ 0.5 for bags.
- Polymeric sand = area ÷ coverage per bag from the product label.
- Edge restraint = perimeter, minus any side that butts a house, wall, or existing slab.
Worked example: 20 × 20 ft paver parking pad
An 8 in base on clay soil, 1 in bedding sand, and one 20 ft side against the garage slab:
- Area: 20 × 20 = 400 ft²
- Base: 400 × 0.667 × 1.2 = 320 ft³ ÷ 27 = 11.85 yd³ × 1.4 = 16.59 tons
- Bedding sand: 400 × 0.0833 × 1.1 = 36.7 ft³ = 1.36 yd³ (1.83 tons) — or 74 bags at 0.5 ft³, so order bulk
- Polymeric sand at 50 ft² per bag: 400 ÷ 50 = 8 bags
- Edging: 80 ft perimeter − 20 ft against the slab = 60 ft
- Excavation: 8 + 1 + 2.375 = 11.4 in below finished grade
Base, sand, and dig depth per 100 ft² of pavers
Base with a 20% compaction allowance at 1.4 tons/yd³. Every row also needs about 0.34 yd³ (0.46 tons, or 19 half-cubic-foot bags) of bedding sand for a 1 in layer with 10% extra. Dig depth assumes 2-3/8 in (60 mm) pavers.
| Project | Base depth | Base yd³ per 100 ft² | Base tons per 100 ft² | Total dig depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway or patio | 4 in | 1.48 | 2.07 | 7-3/8 in |
| Patio on clay, cold climate | 6 in | 2.22 | 3.11 | 9-3/8 in |
| Driveway, firm soil | 6 in | 2.22 | 3.11 | 9-3/8 in* |
| Driveway, clay or frost areas | 8 in | 2.96 | 4.15 | 11-3/8 in* |
* Driveways often use 3-1/8 in (80 mm) pavers; add 3/4 in to the dig depth if you use them.
Choosing base and sand materials
Base: use a dense-graded crushed stone with fines — sold as paver base, 3/4 in minus, crusher run, or road base. It compacts into a firm layer. Clean, round gravel and pea gravel do not lock together and should not be used under pavers. Place the base in 2–4 in lifts and run a plate compactor over each lift. Bedding sand: industry guidance calls for coarse, washed concrete sand (ASTM C33), screeded to a uniform 1 in. Avoid stone dust and fine mason or play sand, which hold water and can cause the pavers to shift. Joint sand: polymeric sand is swept into dry joints after the pavers are compacted, then misted to activate its binder; coverage depends heavily on paver size and joint width, so trust the product label over any rule of thumb.
For the same base under a gravel or crushed-stone surface instead of pavers, see the crusher run calculator.
Common paver base mistakes
- Using sand to fix low spots. The bedding layer should be an even 1 in. Correct grade in the gravel base; thick sand pockets settle into dips.
- Skipping the slope. Grade the base about 1/8 to 1/4 in per foot away from the house so water runs off the surface.
- Base only as wide as the pavers. Extend the base past the paver edge so the edge restraint sits on compacted stone, not soil.
- Underestimating polymeric sand. Tumbled pavers with wide, irregular joints can use two to three times as much as tight-jointed square pavers. Buy an extra bag and return it unopened if allowed.
- Forgetting excavation. Every inch of base and sand has to be dug out first. The tool shows dig depth and in-place excavation volume; use the excavation calculator for haul-off.
Paver base FAQ
How much paver base do I need?
Multiply the patio area by the compacted base depth in feet, add about 20% for compaction, and divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 12 × 16 ft patio with a 4 inch base needs about 2.84 cubic yards, or roughly 4 tons at 1.4 tons per yard.
How deep should the base be for pavers?
A 4 inch compacted gravel base is the usual minimum for walkways and patios on well-drained soil. Use about 6 inches for patios on clay or in cold climates and 6 to 8 inches for driveways. Add 1 inch of bedding sand and the paver thickness to find the total dig depth.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
Pavers sit on a screeded 1 inch layer of coarse bedding sand. That is about 0.31 cubic yards per 100 square feet, or 0.34 yards with 10% extra — roughly 19 half-cubic-foot bags. A 400 square foot patio needs about 1.36 cubic yards with the allowance.
How many bags of polymeric sand do I need?
Divide the paver area by the coverage printed on the bag. A 50 lb bag commonly covers somewhere between about 35 and 100 square feet depending on paver size, joint width, and paver depth, so the range is wide. At 50 square feet per bag, a 192 square foot patio needs 4 bags.
Can I use only sand as a paver base?
Not for a durable installation. Sand alone does not carry loads or drain like compacted crushed stone, so pavers set on sand only tend to settle and rut. Sand is just the 1 inch bedding layer on top of a compacted gravel base.
How we built this calculator: results use the standard volume, area, and coverage formulas shown on this page, with typical U.S. material densities, bag yields, and waste factors that you can override. Written and checked by the YardsCalculator editorial team. Last reviewed: October 2026.