Patio Calculator

This patio paver calculator can help you figure out how many stone, block or brick pavers and how much sand base you’ll need to build a patio. Plan ahead for your project to make sure you get the right amount of materials.

Patio Paver Calculations

To determine how many patio paver stones you need, first multiply the length and width of the patio to calculate its square footage. Then, calculate the surface area of your paver stones and divide it by 144 to find its size in square feet. Finally, divide the size of the patio by the size of a paver to find the total number of pavers.

Patio Sand Base Calculations

To find out how much sand base you will need for your patio, start with the square footage of the patio and multiply it by 144 to convert to inches. Multiply this result by the depth of the sand base, and then finally divide the result by 46,656 to convert to cubic yards. Sound complicated? Don’t worry, the patio calculator can do all the math for you.

Example Calculation

For example, imagine you want to build a 16-foot by 18-foot patio with four-inch by eight-inch pavers with two inches of sand base. Your calculations would look like this:

1. 16 x 18 = 288 square feet

2. 4 x 8 = 32 square inches

3. 32 / 144 = 0.22 square feet

4. 288 / 0.22 = 1,310 pavers needed

And to find the amount of sand base, you would follow these steps:

1. 16 x 18 = 288 square feet

2. 288 x 144 = 41,472 square inches

3. 41,472 x 2 = 82,944 cubic inches

4. 82,944 / 46,656 = 1.78 cubic yards of sand

Common Brick Sizes

Most traditional brick stones come in several typical sizes. The most common is 4 by 8 inches. You can also find pavers that are 8 by 8 inches, 4 by 12 inches, and many other sizes. Some bricks are cut a little short to allow for mortar. And most come in different thickness levels. Choosing the best brick might come down to personal taste and climate.

Base Considerations

The depth of the base gravel you will need usually depends on how you plan to use the area. But for outdoor patios that are designed for foot traffic you will almost certainly need a 4-inch base. Adding a 1-inch sand layer above the gravel is good practice and helps the longevity of your patio.