Paver Calculator
Estimate the number of pavers plus the bedding and joint sand required to lay a patio, path, or driveway.
Units
m
m
cm
cm
cm
%
Includes waste allowance for cuts and breakage
- 1
Patio area (m²)
5 × 4 = 20 - 2
Effective paver area (m²)
(0.2 + 0.005) × (0.1 + 0.005) = 0.021525Paver footprint including joint gap on two sides. - 3
Waste factor
1 + 5 ÷ 100 = 1.05 - 4
Pavers needed
⌈20 × 1.05 ÷ 0.021525⌉ = 976
How does this calculator work?
Multiply patio length by width for the area, then divide by each paver’s size plus its joint gap and round up. Add 5–10% for waste. For sand, allow about 0.025 m³ per square metre for bedding and 0.005 m³ for jointing. Enter your dimensions above to get exact paver and sand quantities.
Formula
How this is calculated
First the patio area is found by multiplying its length by its width. Each paver effectively occupies its own footprint plus the joint gap on two sides, so the per-paver coverage is (paverL + joint) × (paverW + joint). Dividing the patio area by this coverage and rounding up gives the base count.
A waste allowance (typically 5–10%) is then added on top to cover cuts at edges, breakage, and pattern offcuts, and the total is rounded up to a whole paver. Bedding sand is estimated as the patio area times a 25 mm (about 1 inch) screed layer, giving area × 0.025 m³, while jointing sand to fill the gaps is roughly area × 0.005 m³.
Keep length and width in the larger unit (metres or feet) and paver dimensions and joint gap in the smaller unit (centimetres or inches); the calculator converts internally. Sand figures are guides — round up to whole bags when ordering, and add more for deeper bedding or wider joints.
Frequently asked questions
A 5% allowance suits simple rectangular layouts with straight edges. Increase to 10% or more for diagonal, herringbone, or circular patterns where many pavers must be cut.
Plan on about a 25 mm (1 inch) bedding layer, which is roughly 0.025 m³ of sand per square metre, plus a small amount of fine jointing sand to sweep into the gaps.
Yes. Wider joints mean each paver covers more area, so you need fewer pavers but more jointing sand. The calculator adds the joint to each paver dimension to account for this.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Paver Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/paver-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Paver Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/paver-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Paver Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/paver-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_paver_calculator, title = {Paver Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/paver-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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