Paver Base Calculator
Size the gravel base and bedding sand under a paver patio or walkway.
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What this tool does
Size the gravel base and bedding sand under a paver patio or walkway. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
How to use the Paver Base Calculator
- Enter or select length in ft.
- Enter or select width in ft.
- Enter or select gravel base depth in in.
- Enter or select bedding sand depth in in.
- Enter or select base compaction allowance (%).
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
base yd³ = area × baseDepth/12 / 27 × (1 + compaction/100); base tons = yd³ × 1.35; sand yd³ = area × sandDepth/12 / 27
- length
- Length (ft, before metric conversion)
- width
- Width (ft, before metric conversion)
- baseDepth
- Gravel base depth (in, before metric conversion)
- sandDepth
- Bedding sand depth (in, before metric conversion)
- compaction
- Base compaction allowance (%)
Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
Worked example
For paver base calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Length: 20; Width: 10; Gravel base depth: 4; Bedding sand depth: 1; Base compaction allowance (%): 20.
Inputs
- Length20 ft
- Width10 ft
- Gravel base depth4 in
- Bedding sand depth1 in
- Base compaction allowance (%)20
Result
- Gravel base2.96 cu yd
- Gravel base weight4 US tons
- Bedding sand0.62 cu yd
- Bedding sand weight0.8 US tons
- Patio area200 sq ft
Results explained
- Gravel base
- Gravel base from the formula above, expressed in yd3 before metric conversion. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
- Gravel base weight
- Gravel base weight from the formula above, expressed in ton before metric conversion. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
- Bedding sand
- Bedding sand from the formula above, expressed in yd3 before metric conversion. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
- Bedding sand weight
- Bedding sand weight from the formula above, expressed in ton before metric conversion. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
- Patio area
- Patio area from the formula above, expressed in sqft before metric conversion. Published layer guidance: 4 in compacted base for patios/walkways, 6 in+ for driveways, and a 1 in bedding sand layer (screeded, not compacted). Gravel density ≈ 1.35 tons/yd³.
Frequently asked questions
4 inches compacted for patios and walkways on decent soil, 6 inches for driveways and poor clay soil. Depth is measured after compaction — loose gravel shrinks about 20%.
At 4 in compacted with a 20% compaction allowance, about 1.48 yd³ (roughly 2 tons) of base gravel, plus 0.31 yd³ of bedding sand.
The 1 in screeded sand bed is the industry standard (ICPI): thicker beds compact unevenly and pavers rock; thinner beds don't level out base irregularities.
Bedding should be coarse concrete sand. Stone dust packs hard when wet, drains poorly and is no longer recommended as bedding by paver associations.
Joint sand is separate from bedding sand: a 50 lb bag of polymeric sand covers roughly 25–35 sq ft of typical joints. It is not included in the bedding figure.