Plan a paver patio or walkway from a rectangle, circle, or several rectangular sections. Subtract one cutout, enter the paver and joint size, choose your own waste allowance, and estimate base, bedding sand, packages, weight, and entered material costs. The result separates geometric need from rounded purchasing.
How to measure
- Split an L-shaped project into non-overlapping rectangles. Measure each once.
- Use Circle for a round patio, or use a rectangular equivalent for an irregular edge.
- Record permanent excluded areas as a cutout.
- Measure the actual paver face and confirm the intended joint with the product system.
- Enter base and bedding depths from the applicable project specification.
The diagram is a labeled measurement reminder. It is not a scaled laying pattern, drainage plan, grade design, or cutting plan.
Worked example
A 12 ft × 10 ft patio is 120 ft². With 8 in × 4 in pavers and a 1/8 in joint, the repeating module is about 33.52 in². The geometric estimate is 516 pavers. A 10% allowance produces 568 purchase pavers after rounding. A 4 in base is 1.48 yd³ and a 1 in bedding layer is 0.37 yd³.
Purchasing and limitations
Compare the result with the package label, pallet quantity, and supplier coverage. Offcuts may not be reusable, especially at borders and curves. Compaction can make loose delivery volume differ from finished compacted volume. The QUIKRETE patio-paver guide shows one manufacturer-specific base and sand assembly and calls for drainage, compaction, and edge restraints. Use it as an example of why the selected product instructions and site conditions matter; do not treat its depths as a universal design.
Common mistakes include overlapping section areas, forgetting cutouts, mixing inches with feet, applying waste before subtracting cutouts, and buying by a nominal package count without checking printed coverage.
The calculator does not size drainage, edge restraints, excavation, or pavement for vehicle loads. Base and sand volumes describe the entered finished depths; delivered loose material can differ after compaction. Density values and prices are user-entered planning inputs, and package coverage takes priority over a piece-count estimate when the manufacturer prints installed coverage.
Examples
Circular walkway area
For a 12 ft diameter circle, area is π × 6² = 113.10 ft² before cutouts.
The paver and package results then use the entered joint and waste values.
Entered costs
The cost table multiplies rounded purchase quantities by your prices. A blank price contributes $0 and is not a supplier quote.
Formula
The planner converts every length to metres internally, subtracts the cutout, and divides net area by the repeating paver module:
net area = sum(section areas) − cutout area
module area = (paver length + joint) × (paver width + joint)
geometric pavers = ceil(net area ÷ module area)
purchase pavers = ceil(geometric pavers × (1 + waste%))
base or sand volume = net area × entered depth
weight = volume × entered density
Package counts always round upward. Coverage-per-package mode uses the printed coverage you enter instead of deriving coverage from piece count.