How to use the paver base calculator calculator
- 1
Measure the paved area
Add a section for each part of the project. Measure the base area rather than the paver area, since the base is normally extended past the edge of the pavers to support the edge restraint.
- 2
Enter the compacted base depth
Use the depth your plan calls for. This calculator does not suggest a base depth, because it depends on the soil, the drainage, and whether the surface will carry foot traffic or vehicles.
- 3
Add an allowance for compaction
Base material is delivered loose and compacted in place, so the loose volume you order exceeds the finished volume you measured. Choose a percentage that reflects your material and how it will be compacted.
- 4
Add a density if you are buying by weight
Aggregate is frequently sold by the ton. Enter a density from your supplier to convert the volume, since YardCalc publishes no density for any aggregate.
- 5
Add your pricing
Enter your quoted price per cubic yard or per ton, plus any delivery charge, for an estimated total.
Formula
Base cubic yards = (square feet x base depth in inches) / 324
Equivalent to area times depth in feet, divided by 27. The bedding layer above the base is a separate calculation.
Worked example
A 200 square foot patio with a 6 inch compacted base
- 1Convert the depth: 6 in / 12 = 0.5 ft.
- 2Find the volume: 200 sq ft x 0.5 ft = 100 cubic feet.
- 3Convert to cubic yards: 100 / 27 = 3.70 cubic yards.
- 4Confirm with the shortcut: 200 x 6 / 324 = 3.70 cubic yards.
The base needs about 3.70 cubic yards, or 100 cubic feet, before any compaction allowance. The 6 inch depth is the figure entered for this example.
Worked examples
What the compaction allowance does
The same 3.70 cubic yard base with a 20 percent allowance
- 1Finished volume: 3.70 cubic yards.
- 2With a 20 percent allowance: 3.70 x 1.20 = 4.44 cubic yards.
- 3Difference: 0.74 cubic yards.
The 20 percent here is a figure chosen for the example, not a published rate. Base material genuinely compacts, so the loose volume ordered exceeds the finished volume, but by how much depends on the material and the compaction method.
Extending the base past the pavers
The same 10 by 20 foot patio with the base run 6 inches past each edge
- 1Paver area: 10 x 20 = 200 square feet.
- 2Base footprint: 11 x 21 = 231 square feet.
- 3Base volume: 231 x 6 / 324 = 4.28 cubic yards.
- 4Difference from the paver area: 0.58 cubic yards.
Extending the base adds about 16 percent here. Whether and how far to extend it is an installation decision, but if your plan calls for it, measure the base footprint rather than the paver area.
How to measure for paver base
Measure the footprint the base will actually occupy, which is often larger than the paved surface. Many installations run the base past the edge of the pavers so the edge restraint has something solid to sit on, and if your plan does that, the extra strip belongs in the area.
Add a section for each distinct part of the project. A patio with a walkway leading to it is two sections, and a curved edge is handled well enough as a rectangle plus a segment. Adding the areas before converting keeps the arithmetic clean.
Where the ground slopes or dips, the depth needed to reach a level base varies across the area. In that case the base is not one uniform layer, and treating it as one understates the material. Split the area into sections with different depths, or measure the worst case and accept the overestimate.
Why the depth is not published here
Base depth is the single most consequential number in this calculation, because volume scales directly with it. Doubling the depth doubles the material.
It is also the number that depends most on things a calculator cannot see. A base over free-draining sandy soil behaves differently from one over clay that holds water. A patio that carries foot traffic is a different problem from a driveway that carries vehicles. Frost depth matters in cold climates and not at all in warm ones.
For those reasons YardCalc does not suggest a base depth, and treats any single figure as misleading. Take the depth from your project plan, the paver manufacturer's installation guidance, or a contractor who has seen your site, then enter it here.
Volume, weight, and how base is sold
The geometry gives you a volume. Whether you need that in cubic yards or in tons depends on how your supplier sells, and many aggregate yards quote by the ton.
Converting between them requires a density, and aggregate density varies with the stone, the gradation, and how wet it is. That is why the density field is empty: entering a figure you have been given by your supplier produces a real answer, while assuming one produces a plausible-looking guess.
When you do convert, remember the calculator applies the density to the allowance-adjusted volume, since that is the quantity you are actually buying. If your supplier quotes tons, ask them for the density they use so the two figures reconcile.
Common mistakes
Where paver base estimates go wrong:
- Measuring the paver area when the plan extends the base past the edges.
- Ordering the finished volume with no allowance, when base material is delivered loose and compacts.
- Treating a sloping or dished area as one uniform depth.
- Using a base depth borrowed from another project rather than one specified for this site.
- Confusing the base layer with the bedding layer and calculating only one.
- Assuming a density to convert to tons instead of asking the supplier.
- Forgetting joint sand, which is a separate material again.
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from geometry, not from a product or materials database. Areas use the standard area formulas, volumes are area multiplied by depth, cylinders use pi times the radius squared times the height, and unit conversions use exact factors: 12 inches to a foot, 27 cubic feet to a cubic yard, and 9 square feet to a square yard.
YardCalc publishes no material density, coverage rate, product dimension, soil swell factor, compaction factor, or price. Those vary by product, by supplier, by soil, and by region, and a figure that is right in one case is wrong in another, so the calculator asks you for the values that apply to your job. Weight estimates appear only when you supply a density.
Nothing here is engineering, safety, or code guidance. Results are planning estimates. Read how every value on the site is derived and checked in the YardCalc calculation methodology.
Paver base cubic yards by area and depth
Cubic yards of finished base for a given area at a given depth, before any compaction allowance. Depth columns are reference values, not recommendations.
| Area | 2 in | 3 in | 4 in | 6 in | 8 in | 12 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.309 | 0.463 | 0.617 | 0.926 | 1.23 | 1.85 |
| 100 sq ft | 0.617 | 0.926 | 1.23 | 1.85 | 2.47 | 3.7 |
| 200 sq ft | 1.23 | 1.85 | 2.47 | 3.7 | 4.94 | 7.41 |
| 300 sq ft | 1.85 | 2.78 | 3.7 | 5.56 | 7.41 | 11.11 |
| 500 sq ft | 3.09 | 4.63 | 6.17 | 9.26 | 12.35 | 18.52 |
| 750 sq ft | 4.63 | 6.94 | 9.26 | 13.89 | 18.52 | 27.78 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 6.17 | 9.26 | 12.35 | 18.52 | 24.69 | 37.04 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much paver base do I need?
- Multiply the base area by the base depth. A 200 square foot patio with a 6 inch base needs 100 cubic feet, which is 3.70 cubic yards, before any compaction allowance. Enter your own area and depth above.
- How deep should a paver base be?
- YardCalc does not recommend a base depth. It depends on the soil, the drainage, the frost depth, and whether the surface carries foot traffic or vehicles, so take it from your plan, the paver manufacturer's installation guidance, or a contractor who has seen the site.
- How many cubic yards of base for a 10 x 10 patio?
- A 10 by 10 foot area is 100 square feet. At 4 inches that is 1.23 cubic yards, at 6 inches 1.85 cubic yards, and at 8 inches 2.47 cubic yards, before any allowance.
- Should I order extra for compaction?
- Usually yes, because base material arrives loose and is compacted in place, so the loose volume exceeds the finished volume you measured. How much extra depends on the material and the compaction method, so the allowance field is yours to set.
- How do I convert base cubic yards to tons?
- Multiply the volume by a density. YardCalc publishes no aggregate density, because it varies with the stone, the gradation, and the moisture, so ask your supplier for the figure they use and enter it above.
- Is the bedding layer included?
- No. The bedding layer the pavers sit in is a separate, thinner layer of a different material. Calculate it with the paver sand calculator.
Base volume is your measured area multiplied by the depth you enter, converted at exactly 27 cubic feet per cubic yard. No base depth, compaction factor, aggregate density, or price is assumed. Quantities come from exact geometry using the dimensions you enter. Confirm product dimensions, installation requirements, local codes, site conditions, safety requirements, and final order quantities with the appropriate manufacturer, supplier, contractor, or professional.
Results are planning estimates. Last reviewed 2026-07-28.