About the Paver Calculator
Paver count comes down to dividing the patio's total area by a single paver's area - simple in principle, but easy to get wrong when mixing units between feet and inches.
How It Works
The calculator converts the paver's dimensions from inches to square feet, divides the total patio area by that figure, and adds a waste allowance for cutting and breakage.
Examples
A rectangular patio
A 15×10 ft patio using 12×12 in pavers (1 sq ft each) with 10% waste needs about 165 pavers.
Smaller pavers
The same patio with 6×9 in brick pavers needs significantly more individual units, since each one covers less area.
Advantages
- Handles any custom paver size, not just one standard dimension
- Adjustable waste allowance for simple vs. complex patterns
- Converts paver dimensions automatically from inches to square feet
Common Mistakes
- Mixing up inches and feet when entering paver dimensions
- Using too low a waste allowance for curved or complex patterns
- Not accounting for joint width between pavers
Edge Cases to Watch For
- This assumes pavers are laid edge-to-edge - patterns with wide sand-filled joints have a slightly smaller effective paver footprint, so order a bit beyond the waste allowance for those layouts.
- Curved borders and complex patterns (herringbone, basket weave) waste more material from cuts than a simple running-bond pattern in a rectangular area.
- Paver dimensions can vary slightly by manufacturer even for a "standard" size - always check the actual product dimensions before finalizing an order.
Common Use Cases
- Ordering pavers for a new patio or walkway
- Comparing material needs between different paver sizes
- Budgeting a paver project before purchasing