Paver Base Calculator
Pavers sit on a compacted gravel base topped with a thin sand bed. Enter your area and the layer depths for the crushed stone (by the cubic yard and the ton) and the bedding sand.
Gravel base
3.46tons
- Gravel base
- 2.47 cu yd
- Bedding sand
- 0.62 cu yd
- Area
- 200 sq ft
How these numbers are worked out
The formula
Each layer's volume = area × (depth ÷ 12) cubic feet, ÷ 27 for cubic yards. Crushed stone is sold by the ton, so base tons = base cubic yards × the stone's density (≈1.4 ton/cu yd compacted — editable, confirm with your supplier). The bedding sand is a separate ~1-inch layer over the base.
Constants and sources
- Layer volume = area × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27 (geometry). Base tons = base cu yd × density; density (~1.35–1.45 ton/cu yd compacted) is an editable, supplier-confirmed material property — not baked in.
How it was checked
Last reviewed . Before this calculator was published, its formula, constants and worked example were checked in a separate, AI-assisted review that redid the arithmetic and tested the factual claims; the site owner then approved it for publishing. No engineer or tradesperson reviews these pages. Where a figure depends on the product (a density, a coverage rate, a bag size), it is either an input you can change above or a fixed planning value stated on this page, so check it against your product's label or your supplier.
Spot a wrong number or an outdated figure? Send a correction.
Worked example
A 20 × 10 ft patio (200 sq ft), 4-in base, 1-in sand, 1.4 ton/cu yd: base = 200 × 4 ÷ 12 = 66.7 cu ft = 2.47 cu yd × 1.4 ≈ 3.46 tons; sand = 200 × 1 ÷ 12 = 16.7 cu ft = 0.62 cu yd.
FAQs
- How deep should the gravel base be?
- About 4–6 inches (compacted) for a walkway or patio, and 8–12 inches for a driveway that carries vehicles. Dig deeper in soft or poorly draining soil. These are compacted depths — see the next question.
- Should I order extra for compaction?
- Yes — for the gravel base. It's delivered loose but installed compacted, losing roughly 20% of its volume as it's tamped, so order about 20–25% more than the compacted figure here and compact in lifts (a few inches at a time). The allowance applies to the base only: the bedding sand is a screeded ~1-inch setting bed that isn't compacted under the pavers.
- Why is the base in tons but the sand in cubic yards?
- Crushed stone is normally sold by the ton, so the base is converted using its density; bedding sand is usually bought by the cubic yard or the bag. You can convert the sand to tons too with its own density if your supplier prices it that way.