How to use the paver calculator calculator
- 1
Measure the paved area
Add a section for each part of the project. A patio with a path off it is two sections, and a curved edge is handled well enough as a rectangle plus a segment.
- 2
Enter the paver size
Use the face dimensions of the paver you are buying. Sizes vary widely between products, and many are sized to lay on a module rather than to a round number.
- 3
Add a joint gap if the pattern has one
Pavers set with sand joints repeat at their face plus the gap. Pavers laid tight against each other need no entry, so leave the field blank.
- 4
Choose an allowance for the pattern
A running bond in a rectangle wastes little. A herringbone, a diagonal layout, or a curved edge cuts far more. Pick a percentage that matches the pattern you are actually laying.
- 5
Add your pricing
Enter your price per paver, and any delivery charge, for an estimated total. Pavers are sometimes sold by the pallet or by the square foot, so check what the price covers.
Formula
Pavers = area(sq ft) / (((length + gap) / 12) x ((width + gap) / 12))
With no gap this is simply the area divided by the paver face area.
Worked example
A 200 square foot patio using pavers measuring 8 by 4 inches, laid tight
- 1Paver face area: (8 / 12) x (4 / 12) = 0.2222 square feet.
- 2Pavers per square foot: 1 / 0.2222 = 4.5.
- 3Pavers for the patio: 200 / 0.2222 = 900.
The patio takes 900 pavers laid tight, before any allowance for cuts. That paver size is the one entered for this example.
Worked examples
The same patio with a sand joint
The same 8 by 4 inch pavers with a 0.125 inch joint gap
- 1Module size: 8.125 by 4.125 inches.
- 2Module area: (8.125 / 12) x (4.125 / 12) = 0.2327 square feet.
- 3Pavers per square foot: 1 / 0.2327 = 4.3.
- 4Pavers for the patio: 200 / 0.2327 = 860.
A one eighth inch joint removes 40 pavers from the count, about 4.5 percent. Small joints matter less than mortar joints do on brick, but they are not nothing.
Allowing for a diagonal pattern
The same 900 paver patio laid on a 45 degree diagonal
- 1Base count: 900 pavers.
- 2A diagonal layout cuts every paver along all four edges, not just two.
- 3Choosing a 12 percent allowance: 900 x 1.12 = 1,008.
- 4Round up: 1,008 pavers.
The 12 percent here is a figure chosen for the example, not a published rate. Diagonal and herringbone layouts genuinely waste more than square ones, and the right allowance depends on the shape of your area.
How to measure a paved area
Measure the finished paved surface, to the inside face of any edge restraint. Add a section for each distinct part of the project rather than trying to describe an irregular outline with one length and width.
Curves are approximated well by splitting them. A patio with a rounded corner is a rectangle plus a quarter circle; a fan-shaped landing is a rectangle plus a triangle. You do not need to be exact to the inch, but treating a curve as a straight edge understates the area.
If a border course of a different paver runs around the edge, measure it separately. It is a different product, often a different size, and it needs its own count. The main field area should then exclude the border.
Joints, and when they matter
Pavers are laid either tight against each other or with a deliberate gap that gets filled with joint sand. Which one applies changes the module the paver repeats at, and therefore the count.
The effect is smaller than the equivalent on a brick wall, because paver joints are typically an eighth of an inch rather than three eighths. In the example above, the joint changed a 900 paver patio by 40 pavers. That is worth capturing but it will not wreck an estimate if you get it slightly wrong.
What matters more is being consistent. If you measure the area to the outside of the field and then also add a joint on every paver, you are counting the same space twice at the perimeter. Measure the area, enter the paver size, enter the gap, and let the arithmetic handle it once.
Pattern drives the waste, not the area
Two patios of identical size can need noticeably different paver counts because of how the pavers are laid. A running bond in a plain rectangle produces cut pieces only along two edges, and many of those offcuts start the next row.
A herringbone pattern cuts at every edge and produces angled offcuts that usually cannot be reused. A 45 degree diagonal does the same and adds cuts at every corner. A curved edge cuts continuously along its whole length, and almost none of those pieces are reusable.
This is why the allowance field is empty rather than pre-filled. The right figure depends on the pattern and the shape of the area, both of which you can see and a calculator cannot. Look at the layout, decide, and note what you chose.
Common mistakes
Where paver counts go wrong:
- Using a remembered paver size instead of the product being bought.
- Adding a joint gap while also measuring the area to the outside of the joints.
- Applying a rectangle-pattern allowance to a herringbone or diagonal layout.
- Counting the border course as part of the main field when it is a different paver.
- Treating a curved edge as straight.
- Forgetting that pavers are often sold by the pallet, so the order rounds up to a pallet rather than to a paver.
- Estimating pavers and forgetting the base and bedding entirely.
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from geometry rather than from a product database. Areas use the standard area formulas, counts divide an area by the size of one unit, and unit conversions use exact factors: 12 inches to a foot, 9 square feet to a square yard, and 100 square feet to a roofing square.
YardCalc publishes no product dimensions, coverage rates, or prices. Unit sizes differ between manufacturers and regions, and a figure that is right for one product is wrong for another, so the calculator asks you for the size of the product you are actually buying. Prices are yours alone.
Results are planning estimates, not order quantities. Read how every value on the site is derived and checked in the YardCalc calculation methodology.
Pavers per square foot by paver size
Worked arithmetic for pavers laid tight, with no joint gap, over a 200 square foot area. These sizes demonstrate the calculation and are not standard or recommended products.
| Unit face size | Module with joint | Units per sq ft | Units for 200 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 4 in | 8 x 4 in | 4.5 | 900 |
| 12 x 6 in | 12 x 6 in | 2 | 400 |
| 12 x 12 in | 12 x 12 in | 1 | 200 |
| 16 x 16 in | 16 x 16 in | 0.563 | 113 |
| 24 x 24 in | 24 x 24 in | 0.25 | 50 |
Frequently asked questions
- How many pavers do I need per square foot?
- It depends on the paver size. An 8 by 4 inch paver laid tight is 4.5 per square foot. A 12 by 12 inch paver is 1 per square foot, and a 24 by 24 inch paver is 0.25. Enter your own size above.
- How many pavers for a 10 x 10 patio?
- A 10 by 10 foot patio is 100 square feet. With 8 by 4 inch pavers laid tight that is 450 pavers before any allowance for cuts. Larger pavers need proportionally fewer.
- Do I need to add a joint gap?
- Only if the pattern leaves one. Pavers set with sand joints repeat at their face plus the gap; pavers laid tight do not. A typical small joint changes the count by a few percent, so it is worth entering but not critical to get exactly right.
- How much extra should I order for cuts?
- It depends entirely on the pattern and the shape of the area. A running bond in a plain rectangle wastes little. Herringbone, diagonal layouts, and curved edges waste considerably more. Judge it from your layout and enter your own figure.
- Does this include the base and bedding sand?
- No. Those are volume calculations rather than counts. Use the gravel calculator for the compacted base and the paver sand calculator for the bedding layer.
- Should I count the border separately?
- Yes, if the border uses a different paver. Measure the border and the field as separate sections, since they are different products with different counts.
Paver counts divide your measured area by the module area, which is the paver face you enter plus any gap you enter. No paver size, joint width, pattern allowance, or price is assumed. Counts come from exact geometry using the product dimensions you enter. Confirm the product size, the layout, cutting and breakage, and the final order quantity with your supplier before purchasing.
Results are planning estimates. Last reviewed 2026-08-30.