About this planner
A paver patio is a layered system — excavation, fabric, a compacted gravel base, a screeded sand bed, the pavers, edge restraints and joint sand — and a shopping list that misses any layer means a second trip or a patio that shifts. This planner works out every layer at once from your patio size, paver style and use, prices each line, and tells you how deep to dig and how much soil you’ll need to get rid of.
It applies the practices recommended by the concrete paver industry: the base extends past the edges of the patio, it’s ordered with a compaction allowance, and driveways get a thicker base and thicker pavers. Each quantity links back to a single-purpose calculator if you want to check the math.
How to use it
- Enter the patio’s length and width. For an L-shape, plan each rectangle separately and add the lists.
- Pick the paver style and the laying pattern — angled patterns need more cuts, so the planner orders more.
- Choose what the patio is for. Anything that will carry a vehicle needs a deeper base and 80 mm pavers.
- Open Your local prices and replace the typical prices with your supplier’s to get an accurate total, then print the shopping list.
Order of work
- Call 811 (in the US) a few days before digging to have buried utilities marked. Check whether your town needs a permit.
- Lay out the patio with stakes and string, 6 in larger than the finished size on every side, and set the strings to the finished height with a slope of about ¼ in per foot away from the house.
- Excavate to the dig depth shown above, measured down from the strings, and compact the exposed soil.
- Roll out geotextile fabric if your soil is clay or stays wet, overlapping seams by about 12 in.
- Build the base in 2 in layers, dampening and compacting each layer with a plate compactor until it’s firm and follows the slope.
- Screed the bedding sand to an even 1 in over pipes used as rails; fill the pipe grooves as you go and don’t walk on the finished sand.
- Lay the pavers from a straight edge or corner, working on the pavers already placed. Keep joints and pattern lines straight with a string.
- Cut the edge pavers with a masonry saw or block splitter, then install edge restraints with a spike every foot.
- Compact the pavers with a plate compactor (with a protective pad), sweep polymeric sand into the joints, compact again, and activate the sand with water as the bag directs.
Tools you’ll need
- Plate compactor (usually rented by the day) — essential; a hand tamper only suits very small areas
- Masonry saw with a diamond blade, or a block splitter, for cuts
- Two 1 in pipes as screed rails and a straight 2×4 or aluminum screed board
- Round-point and flat shovels, steel rake, wheelbarrow
- Stakes, mason’s line, line level and a 4 ft level
- Tape measure, marking paint, rubber mallet
- Push broom and leaf blower for polymeric sand
- Safety glasses, hearing protection, dust mask and gloves for cutting
How the quantities are worked out
Pavers = patio area × (1 + pattern allowance) ÷ area of one paver
Base = (length + 1 ft) × (width + 1 ft) × base depth × 1.15, at 1.5 tons per cu yd
Bedding sand = patio area × 1 in × 1.10, at 1.35 tons per cu yd
Polymeric sand = patio area ÷ coverage per bag
Edging = length of edges to restrain ÷ 8 ft pieces; 1 spike per foot
Dig depth = base depth + 1 in sand + paver thickness
Soil to haul = base footprint × dig depth × 1.25
The base extends 6 in beyond each edge so the edge restraints sit on solid gravel, and it’s ordered 15% heavy because loose aggregate compacts. Excavated soil “swells” by roughly a quarter once it’s dug, which is what matters when you size a dumpster or trailer. Densities are typical supplier figures — ask for your supplier’s tons-per-yard number if you want to be exact.
Worked example
These are the planner’s starting values and the results they produce:
| Patio length | 12 ft |
|---|---|
| Patio width | 12 ft |
| Paver style | Holland / brick paver, 4 × 8 in |
| Laying pattern | Straight – running bond, basket weave (+10%) |
| What it’s for | Patio or walkway (4 in base) |
| Sides that need edging | All four sides |
| Pavers, per sq ft | $4.00 |
| Paver base gravel, per ton | $45.00 |
| Bedding sand, per ton | $50.00 |
| Polymeric sand, per 50 lb bag | $35.00 |
| Polymeric sand coverage per bag | 50 sq ft |
| Edge restraint, per 8 ft piece | $12.00 |
| Item | Buy | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pavers (4 × 8 in)158.4 sq ft, incl. 10% for cuts | 713 | $633.78 |
| Paver base (crusher run)2.4 cu yd for a 4 in compacted base | 3.6 tons | $161.96 |
| Bedding sand (coarse concrete sand)13.2 cu ft — or 27 × 50 lb bags | 0.66 tons | $33.00 |
| Polymeric joint sand50 lb bags at 50 sq ft each | 3 bags | $105.00 |
| Edge restraint + spikes48 ft of edging, 48 spikes (1 per ft) | 6 × 8 ft | $72.00 |
| Geotextile fabric (recommended on clay soil)186 sq ft in 4 × 50 ft rolls | 1 roll | — |
| Estimated materials total | $1,005.74 |
Tips before you buy
- Order base and sand in bulk for anything over about 60 sq ft; bags are only economical for tiny patios.
- Ask the supplier to deliver onto a tarp near the patio, and schedule the plate compactor rental for the base day and the paver day.
- Buy a few more pavers than the list if they’re a special order — color varies between production runs.
- For driveways, use pavers rated for vehicles (80 mm) and consider a professional if your soil is soft or poorly drained.
- Don’t use play sand or stone dust as the bedding layer; coarse concrete sand drains and compacts correctly.
Frequently asked questions
What materials do I need for a 12×12 paver patio?
About 713 standard 4 × 8 in pavers (with 10% for cuts), 3.6 tons of paver base for a 4 in base, 0.66 tons of bedding sand, 3 bags of polymeric sand, six 8 ft pieces of edge restraint with 48 spikes, and a roll of geotextile fabric if you have clay soil.
How much does a DIY paver patio cost in materials?
Using typical prices — $4 per sq ft for pavers, $45–50 per ton for base and sand — a 12 × 12 ft patio comes to roughly $1,000 in materials, or about $7 per sq ft. Pavers are the biggest cost, so enter your own prices for an accurate total.
How deep do I dig for a paver patio?
For a walkway or patio: 4 in of base plus 1 in of sand plus the paver thickness (2⅜ in for standard pavers) — about 7⅜ in below the finished surface. Driveways need 8 in of base and 80 mm pavers, about 12 in in total.
How much gravel do I need under pavers?
Plan on a 4 in compacted base for foot traffic, extending 6 in past the patio on every side, plus 15% for compaction. For a 12 × 12 ft patio that’s about 2.4 cubic yards, or 3.6 tons, of crusher run.