How to measure for your paver base (gravel & sand) project
- Measure your paver area. Measure the length and width of the patio or walkway in feet and multiply to get square footage. For an L-shaped or irregular area, split it into rectangles, calculate each, and add them together. Make the area a few inches larger on each side than the pavers themselves — you will compact the base beyond the paver edge.
- Choose your base depth. Enter the gravel base depth in inches. Use 4 inches for a standard patio or walkway; bump up to 6 inches for a driveway or in climates with heavy frost or clay soil that drains poorly. The calculator always adds a 1-inch bedding-sand layer on top of that gravel, which is standard practice.
- Read the gravel and sand totals, then order with waste. You will get base gravel in cubic yards and tons, plus bedding sand in cubic yards and half-cubic-foot bag counts. Add about 10% to both figures before ordering — compaction losses, uneven excavation, and slight over-digs always consume extra material.
How the paver base (gravel & sand) calculator works
Both layers use the same volume formula: area (sq ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards. The gravel depth is whatever you enter (4 inches = 4 ÷ 12 ft); the bedding sand is always 1 inch (1 ÷ 12 ft). To convert gravel cubic yards to tons, multiply by 1.4 — that is the typical bulk density of compactable crushed stone. For a worked example, take a 100 sq ft patio at a 4-inch base: gravel = 100 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 100 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards, and 1.23 × 1.4 = 1.73 tons. The 1-inch sand layer adds 100 × (1 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 0.31 cubic yards — or about 17 half-cubic-foot bags.
Which type are you estimating?
Standard patio or walkway — compactable crushed stone base
The go-to sub-base for most DIY paver projects is compactable crushed stone — sold as "paver base," crusher run, #21A, or dense-grade aggregate depending on your region. It locks together when compacted, creating a firm, stable layer that resists shifting. This is the method the calculator defaults to: compact the stone in 2-inch lifts, then screed 1 inch of coarse bedding sand on top.
Enter: Enter your area and 4 in for the base depth (patios / walkways).
Driveway or heavy-load base
Driveways and areas that take vehicle weight need a deeper, stronger sub-base. The standard recommendation is 6 inches of compactable crushed stone, sometimes over a geotextile fabric to separate the stone from soft or clay subsoil. In cold climates with deep frost, local codes may call for 8–10 inches. Add about 10% for compaction loss.
Enter: Enter your area and 6 in (or your local requirement) for the base depth.
Permeable / open-graded base (clean #57 stone)
For a permeable paver system that drains water straight down, some installers skip the compactable stone and use open-graded clean crushed stone (#57 or similar) with no fines. Water passes freely through the voids. The depth math is the same, but you skip the traditional compaction step. Use a chip-stone or coarse ASTM #8 setting bed instead of sand.
Enter: Enter your area and your chosen base depth (typically 4–6 in).
The 1-inch bedding-sand layer
Regardless of what base material you use, the screed layer directly under the pavers should be coarse concrete sand (sometimes called "sharp sand" or ASTM C33 sand) — NOT polymeric sand, not pea gravel, and not play sand. It sits 1 inch thick before the pavers go down; after you set and compact the pavers it compresses slightly. The calculator already factors this in as a fixed 1-inch layer.
Enter: No separate input needed — the calculator always includes 1 in of bedding sand.
Cold-climate or clay-soil projects
Freeze-thaw cycles and poorly draining clay can heave or settle a paver base over time. In these conditions, dig deeper (6–8+ inches of gravel), ensure the sub-base grades away from structures for drainage, and consider a layer of geotextile fabric between the native soil and the gravel. The calculator handles any depth you enter.
Enter: Enter your area and 6–8 in (or your local frost-depth requirement) for the base depth.
Tips & ways to save
- Compact the gravel base in 2-inch lifts — do not dump the full 4–6 inches and compact all at once. Each lift needs several passes with a plate compactor for a solid result.
- Dig the area slightly wider than the paver footprint on all sides — the compacted base should extend 3–6 inches beyond the paver edge so the perimeter does not cave in.
- Use coarse concrete sand (ASTM C33) for the 1-inch bedding layer, not fine play sand or polymeric sand. Fine sand can wash out or compact unevenly, leading to sunken pavers.
- One cubic yard of compacted crushed stone weighs roughly 1.4 tons — order by the ton and ask your supplier for a delivery slip you can check against the calculator total.
- Buy polymeric joint sand separately; it is not included in this estimate. Coverage varies by paver size and joint width — small pavers with 1/4-inch joints use far more than large-format pavers.
Paver base & bedding sand by patio size (4 in base, 1 in sand)
| Patio area | Base gravel (cu yd) | Base gravel (tons) | Bedding sand (cu yd) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.62 | 0.86 | 0.15 |
| 100 sq ft | 1.23 | 1.73 | 0.31 |
| 150 sq ft | 1.85 | 2.59 | 0.46 |
| 200 sq ft | 2.47 | 3.46 | 0.62 |
| 300 sq ft | 3.70 | 5.19 | 0.93 |
Base gravel assumes 4 inches compacted (use 6+ for driveways) at ~1.4 tons per cubic yard, plus a 1-inch bedding-sand layer. Polymeric joint sand is separate — see the FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
How much gravel do I need under pavers?
How much paver sand do I need?
What is the difference between bedding sand and polymeric sand?
How many tons of gravel do I need for a paver base?
How deep should I dig for a paver patio?
Do I need to compact the gravel base?
Sources
Related calculators
Reviewed by the BackyardCalc editorial team. Figures are computed from the formula above and checked against manufacturer yields.