CalcStack — free, instant, no signup. The interactive calculator loads automatically.
Pavers on top, tons of base underneath — the full order.
Paver jobs fail from below, not above: the base is 80% of the work and most of the material weight. This calculator runs the full stack — paver count with cutting waste, compacted gravel base tonnage at your depth, and the 1-inch bedding sand layer — so nothing gets forgotten between the patio and the quote.
DIY patio builders use this because the base is what everyone forgets: the pavers are the cheap, visible 20% — the tonnage underneath is the job. Landscapers use the full-stack output (pavers, base, sand) as a bid starting point.
A 4×8-inch paver covers 0.222 sq ft, so 4.5 pavers per square foot — order 4.8 with the 7% waste factor, or about 5 per sq ft for herringbone patterns that generate more cuts.
4 inches of compacted crushed gravel for pedestrian patios and walkways, 6+ inches for driveways. Compact in 2-inch lifts — one thick lift never compacts properly and the pavers will telegraph the failure within a season.