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Planning for a Paver Patio or Walkway

Marc McCollough

By Marc McCollough
Updated May 12, 2023

Building a paver patio or walkway is a simple way to make your landscape more inviting and define an outdoor living space. Learn how to calculate estimates for the materials you need to turn your paving stone ideas into reality.

Paving Stone Walkway.

Sizing the Paver Project

Design a patio large enough to accommodate the furnishings you want. For example, if you plan to have meals on your patio, you’ll need enough space to comfortably use a dining set. The chart below indicates examples of estimated space requirements, factoring in space for the chairs to slide out and people to walk around them. Add room for any other furnishings you want on your patio, such as additional furniture, planters or a fire pit. If you’re creating a walkway, the standard width is 36 inches, but 48 inches will allow two people to walk comfortably side by side. A wheelchair needs a walkway that’s at least 36 inches wide with a 60-inch-wide turnaround area.

Once you decide on the size, shape and design of your patio or walkway, estimate the amount of the materials you’ll need. The examples below are estimates for a rectangular patio measuring 12 feet by 8 feet. Use the examples as guides and adjust them to fit your project. Your needs may vary depending on your specific design.

Before you buy materials or begin work, check local building codes and your homeowners association regulations to see if there are any restrictions or requirements you need to follow. Some areas may require a permit. You can estimate the materials you need using our Paver Calculator.

Patio Space for a Dining Set

Patio Space for a Dining Set
Good to Know

Pavers can be heavy. Enlist a helper and have your materials delivered.

Caution

Before beginning any excavation, call 811 to check for underground utilities.

Calculating the Project Area

Calculate the total area of your project in square feet. This measurement determines the number of pavers and the amount of paver base and paver sand you need.

(length of area in feet) x (width of area in feet) = area in square feet

For example: 12 ft x 8 ft = 96 sq ft

Good to Know

If your design has an irregular shape, break it down into multiple sections. Calculate the area of each individual section and add these together.

Determining Paver Size

Determine the square footage per piece of your pavers. You may find paver dimensions listed as "common" or "nominal" with a slightly smaller actual measurement. Use the actual dimensions of the paver when calculating this figure. These examples use pavers that are 7.7 inches long and 3.8 inches wide. (A square foot equals 144 square inches.)

(length of paver in inches) x (width of paver in inches) ÷ 144 = square footage per piece

7.7 in x 3.8 in ÷ 144 = 0.20 sq ft

Estimating How Many Pavers You Need

Use our Paver Calculator to help estimate how many pavers your project will require. You’ll need to know the length and width of your patio, as well as the paver size.

Good to Know

Purchase 10% more pavers than your estimate. The excess should account for breakage, pavers that you need to cut and replacements for future repairs.

Estimating the Paver Base

Paver base is gravel that creates a solid footing for the project and helps the area drain properly. The paver base for a patio or walkway should be 6 inches deep when compacted. The calculation below factors in compaction.

(length of project in inches) x (width of project in inches) x [(depth of base material in inches) + (depth of base material in inches x 0.20)] ÷ 1728 = cubic feet of base material

144 in x 96 in x [6 in + (6 in x 0.20)] ÷ 1728 = 57.60 cu ft

Good to Know

Interlocking paver base panels are an alternative to gravel base. They're lightweight and require less sand and less digging. Use the calculation from Estimating How Many Pavers You Need above to estimate how many panels are needed for the project. Simply replace the square footage per piece value with the square footage of a single paver panel. See How to Design and Build a Paver Walkway to learn how to use the panels.

Caution

An uneven base can lead to pavers and stones breaking, so be sure to level the area prior to installation.

Estimating the Paver Sand

Paver sand holds the pavers in place and allows you to adjust them. The final paver sand depth needs to be 1 inch and you need to account for sand filtering into the paver base and into the joints between the pavers. Make your calculations using a sand depth of 2 inches or 0.1667 feet.

(area of project in square feet) x 0.1667 = cubic feet of paver sand

96 sq ft x 0.1667 = 16 cu ft

Good to Know

If you're planning on using paver base panels instead of a gravel base, you only need a 1/2-inch (0.0417-foot) layer of sand. You don't need to allow for sand collecting in the paver joints or base. The calculation is:

(area of project in square feet) x 0.0417 = cubic feet of paver sand

96 sq ft x 0.0417 = 4 cu ft

Determining the Perimeter

The perimeter of the patio or walkway project defines how much paver edge restraint you need.

(length of side in feet) + (length of side in feet) + (length of side in feet) + (length of side in feet) = perimeter

12 ft + 8 ft + 12 ft + 8 ft = 40 ft

Good to Know

If you're installing a patio or walkway against a structure or another hardscape feature, you only need to include the open edges of the project in your perimeter calculations.

Estimating Required Paver Restraints

Base this estimate on the perimeter of the project and the edge restraints you choose. The example below uses paver edge restraints available in 6-foot sections.

(perimeter of project in feet) ÷ (length in feet of an individual edge restraint section) = number of sections of edge restraint

40 ft ÷ 6 ft = 6.7 sections