Paver Calculator
A 10 by 12 ft patio has 120 square feet and needs 132 nominal 12 by 12 inch pavers when 10% waste is added. Enter a rectangular project length and width in feet, one paver's nominal length and width in inches, and a waste percentage. The calculator converts both areas to square feet, applies waste, and rounds the piece count up to a whole paver. This is a face-area estimate. It assumes each paver covers its stated length multiplied by width with no adjustment for joints, spacer lugs, mixed-size patterns, edge restraints, or manufacturer coverage specifications. A supplier may quote square feet per pallet based on installed dimensions rather than simple nominal dimensions. Confirm the chosen product's coverage and package quantity before ordering.
Quick answer
Patio area is the length times the width in feet.
What this tells you
- •Patio area is the length times the width in feet.
- •Paver area in square feet is the paver length times width in inches, divided by 144.
- •Pavers needed is the patio area plus waste, divided by the area of one paver, rounded up.
- •The patio input describes one rectangle. Measure irregular sections separately and add them.
- •The paver dimensions are treated as face coverage with no joint-width adjustment.
- •Waste is applied to project area before division, then the final count is rounded upward.
- •Supplier bundles and pallets may require ordering more than the calculated piece count.
How to Use
- 1Enter the patio length and width in feet.
- 2Enter the paver length and width in inches (12 by 12 is a common size).
- 3Set a waste percentage to cover cuts and breakage (10% is typical).
- 4Click Calculate to see how many pavers to order.
- 5Check the product sheet for actual installed coverage, joint spacing, and pieces per pallet.
- 6Increase waste when the layout has curves, diagonals, borders, or many short edge cuts.
- 7Round the result to the next available bundle or pallet quantity when placing the order.
How It Works
Formula
Patio Area = Length(ft) x Width(ft)
Paver Area = Paver Length(in) x Paver Width(in) / 144
Pavers Needed = ceil(Patio Area x (1 + Waste% / 100) / Paver Area)The patio area and each paver are both converted to square feet, then the patio area is divided by the paver area to get a paver count. A waste factor is added before rounding up so the order covers edge cuts and broken pieces.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
10 by 12 ft patio with 12 by 12 in pavers
Patio area is 120 sq ft. Each 12 by 12 in paver covers 1 sq ft. Pavers = ceil(120 x 1.10 / 1) = 132.
10 by 10 ft patio with 6 by 6 in pavers
Patio area is 100 sq ft. Each 6 by 6 in paver covers 0.25 sq ft. Pavers = ceil(100 x 1.10 / 0.25) = 440.
12 by 15 ft patio with 6 by 9 in pavers
The patio area is 180 sq ft. Each paver covers 54 / 144 = 0.375 sq ft. Adding 10% gives 198 sq ft, and 198 / 0.375 equals exactly 528 pavers.
8 by 10 ft walkway with 4 by 8 in pavers
The project covers 80 sq ft. A 4 by 8 inch paver covers 32 / 144, or about 0.2222 sq ft. The waste-adjusted area is 84 sq ft, and 84 divided by 32/144 equals 378.
An order that requires whole-paver rounding
The area is 99 sq ft and becomes 108.9 sq ft after waste. Each paver covers 256 / 144, or about 1.7778 sq ft. The raw result is about 61.26, so the calculator rounds up to 62 whole pavers.
No added waste
The 100 sq ft rectangle divides evenly by 1 sq ft per paver. A zero waste input adds no allowance for cuts, selection, breakage, or future repairs.
Pavers per 100 sq ft by Paver Size
Approximate paver counts for 100 square feet of coverage with a 10% waste allowance.
| Paver Size (in) | Pavers per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|
| 12x12 | 110 |
| 6x6 | 440 |
| 6x9 | 294 |
| 4x8 | 495 |
| 16x16 | 62 |
Counts include 10% waste. Round to full bundles or pallets when you order.
Coverage, layout, and installation allowances
Paver count starts with the area of the patio and the area of a single paver. Once both are in the same units, the patio area divided by the paver area gives the raw count. The waste percentage covers the partial pavers you cut to fit along curved or angled edges.
Pavers also need a compacted base. A common approach is 4 to 6 inches of crushed gravel topped with about 1 inch of bedding sand, though the depth depends on the soil and the load the patio carries. Estimate the gravel and sand separately so the base order is not left out.
Order full bundles or pallets rather than exact counts. Suppliers sell pavers in set quantities, and having a few spares on hand makes future repairs easier when a single paver cracks or settles.
Joint spacing can change installed coverage. Some concrete pavers have molded spacer lugs and are sold with a stated number of pieces per square foot. Natural stone and products with variable dimensions may use wider joints. Use the manufacturer's installed coverage when it differs from nominal face area.
Pattern choice affects waste. A straight running bond on a clean rectangle may use fewer cuts than a 45-degree herringbone layout, circular feature, fan, or multi-size modular pattern. Borders and soldier courses also consume pieces in a different orientation, so calculate those zones separately when the design is detailed.
The count does not size the base, bedding layer, joint sand, edge restraint, geotextile, drainage, or excavation. Soil conditions, freeze-thaw exposure, slope, and expected loads determine the installation specification. A driveway commonly needs a different base and paver thickness than a pedestrian patio.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to add waste, which leaves no pavers for edge cuts or breakage
- Mixing units by entering paver size in feet instead of inches
- Ignoring the gravel and sand base, which is a separate material order
- Ordering an exact count instead of rounding up to full bundles or pallets
- Using nominal paver face dimensions when the supplier publishes a different installed coverage rate
- Ignoring joint width, spacer lugs, borders, and mixed-size pattern ratios
- Applying a low waste allowance to diagonal patterns, curves, or layouts with many small cuts
- Counting cut offcuts as reusable without checking whether their size and finished edges suit another location
- Treating the paver count as a complete estimate for bedding, base, restraints, drainage, and labor
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