How do you calculate paver count?
Find the project square footage, divide by one paver's square footage, then add waste for cuts, breakage, and layout. A 4 x 8 inch paver covers about 0.222 square feet, so a 100 square foot patio takes about 450 pavers before waste.
Use 8-10% waste for simple layouts, 15% for diagonal or herringbone layouts, and around 20% for curves, borders, or multi-size patterns.
Why base and bedding sand are separate
The gravel or road base gives the pavers drainage and support. Bedding sand is a thinner leveling layer above the compacted base. If you use extra sand to make up for a low base, the pavers are more likely to settle unevenly.
How much polymeric sand should you buy?
Polymeric sand is best estimated from the bag coverage for your paver size and joint width. The calculator uses 75 square feet per bag as a practical default, but labels vary a lot. Large spacer bars and narrow joints can use less, while wider or deeper joints use more.
How should you read a paver quote?
A quote per square foot is only useful when the scope is similar. Ask whether the price includes excavation, disposal, compacted base depth, bedding sand, edge restraint, drainage, polymeric sand, cuts, steps, borders, and cleanup.
Worked example: 12 x 16 patio
A 12 x 16 patio is 192 square feet. With 4 x 8 inch pavers and 10% waste, the project needs about 951 pavers. A 4 inch base with 10% buffer is about 70.4 cubic feet, or 2.61 cubic yards. A 1 inch bedding layer with 10% buffer is about 17.6 cubic feet, or 0.65 cubic yards. At 75 square feet per bag, polymeric sand rounds up to 3 bags.