How Many Pavers Do I Need? Patio Base & Sand Too

Count the pavers

Divide the patio area by one paver's area. A 12 × 12 ft patio is 144 sq ft; with common 12 × 12-inch pavers (1 sq ft each) that's about 144 pavers, plus waste. Add 5% for straight patterns and 10–15% for herringbone or lots of edge cuts.

Try it Paver Patio Calculator → Count pavers plus the gravel base and bedding sand for a patio or walkway, with waste and a rough cost.

Don't skip the base and sand

Pavers are only as good as what's under them. Plan a compacted gravel base of 4–6 inches (deeper for driveways) plus about 1 inch of bedding sand:

• Gravel base: area × depth — a 144 sq ft patio at 4 inches is about 1.8 cubic yards.
• Bedding sand: area × 1 inch is about 0.44 cubic yards for that patio.
• Polymeric sand goes in the joints at the end to lock everything together.

Slope and edges

Pitch the surface about 1/4 inch per foot away from the house for drainage, and use edge restraints so the pavers don't creep outward over time. These don't change the paver count much but they decide whether the patio lasts.