Paver Calculator
Pavers, compacted base, bedding sand, joint sand and edging for a patio, walkway, pool deck or driveway — from one measurement, with ICPI's base depths and a cut allowance that says plainly it is typical practice.
Measure it once
Patios and pool decks, wall runs and pools. Every module below reads these.
Driveways, patios, paths, pads — any straight-sided area.
What are you building?
Pick one or several. Each reads the measurements above.
Pavers
ICPI minimum after compaction on well-drained soil. Manufacturers typically build 4–6″. ICPI Tech Spec 2: in colder climates, continually wet or weak soils will require bases at least 2 to 4 in. thicker than these minimums.
Finished, compacted.
ICPI: nominal 1″, not over 1½″.
ICPI bases are dense-graded aggregate. Crusher run is the default dense-graded material in the Gravel data — change it to the base your supplier sells.
Typical practice — not a published figure. ICPI documents the cutting at every edge but publishes no percentage.
Override when some edges sit against a house or slab.
Paver sizes, pallet coverage and joint-sand coverage vary by product, so none is assumed. Enter them for piece, pallet and bag counts.
What a paver surface is made of
From the ground up: a compacted dense-graded aggregate base, a thin screeded layer of bedding sand, the pavers, sand swept into the joints, and an edge restraint that stops the field from creeping outward. The calculator gives a quantity for each — and only asks for product details (paver size, pallet coverage, joint-sand coverage) that vary by product, rather than guessing them.
Base depth by use
| Use | ICPI minimum | Manufacturer typical |
|---|---|---|
| Patio, walkway or pool deck ICPI: pedestrian areas and residential driveways use units 2⅜ in. (60 mm) thick. | 4″ | 4–6″ |
| Residential driveway ICPI: 2⅜ in. (60 mm) units for residential driveways; at least 3⅛ in. (80 mm) where vehicular traffic is heavier. | 6″ | 8–12″ |
ICPI Tech Spec 2: in colder climates, continually wet or weak soils will require bases at least 2 to 4 in. thicker than these minimums. ICPI Tech Spec 2: bases for pedestrian areas and residential driveways compacted to at least 98% standard Proctor density (ASTM D698).
Depths are finished, compacted depths. A dense-graded base loses volume as it is compacted, so the loose tonnage to order is more than the compacted volume suggests — the calculator handles that exactly as the Gravel Calculator does, because it is the same engine.
The cut allowance
| Allowance | Extra | When |
|---|---|---|
| None | 0% | Only for a rectangle laid in a pattern that needs no cuts. |
| Typical | 5% | Typical practice for straight edges — not a published figure. |
| More cuts | 10% | Herringbone, borders or a few curves — typical practice, not published. |
| Complex | 15% | 45° patterns, many curves or openings — typical practice, not published. |
These percentages are typical practice, not published figures. ICPI documents the cutting but publishes no percentage, and we do not cite other calculators. The default is 5% rather than zero because pavers are always cut at their edges — defaulting to nothing would under-order every job.
Bedding sand
ICPI construction specification: bedding sand screeded to a nominal 1 in. (25 mm), not exceeding 1½ in. (40 mm). Bedding sand is screeded to depth, not compacted as a base course, so no compaction allowance is applied when it goes through the Gravel engine.
Joint sand and edging
Joint sand coverage depends on joint width, joint depth and paver shape, and polymeric sand manufacturers publish it per product and per joint geometry. There is no universal figure.
Not every edge needs restraint — an edge against a house, an existing slab or a pool coping does not. A known-area or a general triangle has no calculable perimeter at all. The override exists because the right number genuinely depends on the site.
Frequently asked questions
How many pavers do I need?
Measure the area in square feet and add a cut allowance. Pavers are sold by the square foot or the pallet, so that square footage is the order. If you enter the paver size, the calculator also divides the area by the size of one paver for a piece count; if you enter what a pallet covers, it gives pallets, rounded up.
How much extra should I order for cuts?
The calculator defaults to 5 percent and labels it as typical practice, because no ICPI publication or manufacturer guide we reviewed publishes a figure. The need is real — ICPI instructs installers to fill every uneven edge and opening with cut pavers — but the amount depends on the pattern and the shape. Straight edges in running bond cut least; herringbone at 45 degrees, curves and openings cut most. Choose 0, 5, 10 or 15 percent, or ask your supplier.
How deep should the base be under pavers?
ICPI Tech Spec 2 gives minimums after compaction over well-drained soil: 4 inches of dense-graded base for patios, walkways and pool decks, and 6 inches for residential driveways. Manufacturers such as Unilock typically build 4–6 and 8–12 inches. ICPI Tech Spec 2: in colder climates, continually wet or weak soils will require bases at least 2 to 4 in. thicker than these minimums.
How many tons of base gravel is that?
The base runs through the same engine as the Gravel Calculator: it starts from the finished compacted depth, adds back the compaction of the material you choose, and converts loose volume to tons with that material's density range. Crusher run is the default because ICPI bases are dense-graded; change it to what your supplier sells.
How much bedding sand do I need?
ICPI's construction specification calls for bedding sand screeded to a nominal 1 inch and no more than 1.5 inches. The calculator uses 1 inch and warns if you enter more, because thick bedding sand ruts under load — fix low spots in the base instead. Bedding sand is screeded, not compacted, so no compaction allowance is added.
How many bags of polymeric joint sand?
Enter the coverage printed on the bag and the calculator divides your area by it, rounding up. There is no default: joint sand coverage depends on joint width, paver thickness and shape, and polymeric sand makers publish it per product and per joint size.
How much edge restraint do I need?
The calculator adds up the perimeter of every rectangle, circle and ring you measure. Override it with your own figure where an edge runs against a house, a slab or pool coping, since those edges need no restraint. A known square footage or a triangle has no perimeter the calculator can derive, so it tells you which areas are excluded.
Can I use this for a pool deck?
Yes — a paver pool deck is a pedestrian area. Measure the deck as a rectangle or a ring around the pool, or as a known square footage, and use the pedestrian base depth. On the Hardscaping workspace you can add the pool itself as well and get coping from its perimeter.
Sources
- ICPI Tech Spec 2 — Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements — Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (now Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association). "Sidewalks, patios and pedestrian areas should have a minimum base thickness (after compaction) of 4 in. (100 mm) over well-drained soils. Residential driveways on well-drained soils should be at least 6 in. (150 mm) thick." Bases 2–4 in. thicker on wet or weak soils in colder climates. 60 mm units for pedestrian areas and residential driveways; at least 80 mm for vehicular. 98% standard Proctor.
- ICPI Guide Construction Specification — Interlocking Concrete Pavement — Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. Bedding sand screeded to a nominal 1 in. (25 mm) thickness, not exceeding 1½ in. (40 mm).
- ICPI Installation Manual — Selection and Installation of Concrete Pavers — Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. Cut pavers fill gaps against uneven edges and around openings — the mechanism behind a cut allowance. Publishes no percentage.
- Unilock paver installation guidance — Unilock (manufacturer). Typical base ranges of 4–6 in. for pedestrian areas and 8–12 in. for driveways; bedding course 1 in.
Other calculator websites were used only to compare features and cross-check arithmetic, and are never cited. See the methodology page.
Last reviewed September 16, 2026.
Related
- Hardscaping Calculator — pavers, walls and pools on one order sheet.
- Retaining Wall Block Calculator — a low wall beside the patio.
- Pool Calculator — shell, finish and coping for the pool the deck surrounds.
- Gravel Calculator — base stone on its own.