Calculator
Paver & Brick Calculator
Paver count from patio area seems like simple division, but the layout pattern changes waste percentage significantly — a running-bond pattern (bricks offset in straight rows) wastes relatively little, while herringbone wastes noticeably more because nearly every border paver needs an angled cut, similar to why herringbone tile wastes more than a straight tile lay.
This calculator sizes paver count from patio area, unit size, and pattern-specific waste, and separately estimates the paver-base gravel layer beneath the pavers, since that's a distinct volume calculation from the pavers themselves. Cross-reference the sand calculator for the bedding and joint sand layers, and see paver patterns and waste guide for a side-by-side comparison.
Calculate your quantity
5% for running bond, 10-12% for herringbone.
Pavers needed
972 pavers
- Area
- 200 sq ft
Shopping summary
- • 972 paver(s)
This is an estimate — confirm structural work with a professional.
How this calculation works
Base paver count = patio area / area per paver, plus a pattern-specific waste percentage: running bond typically runs about 5%, basketweave a bit more, and herringbone 10-12% or higher, since its diagonal border cuts are less efficient to reuse as offcuts elsewhere in the field.
Beneath the pavers themselves sits a compacted gravel base layer, typically 4-6 inches deep depending on soil and expected load (foot traffic vs. vehicle), calculated the same way as the gravel calculator (area x depth / 27 for cubic yards) — this base layer is what actually keeps the patio from settling and shifting over time, and skipping or under-building it is a common reason paver patios fail early.
The formula
pavers = ceil( area × (1+wastePct/100) / (paverLength × paverWidth / 144) )
- paverLength × paverWidth / 144
- One paver's own face area in square feet, computed from its length and width in INCHES — this is a per-unit figure, unlike the roofing or siding calculators' per-100-sq-ft squares, so this result is a piece count you take to the pallet, not an area unit.
- area
- The patio's total surface footprint, entered directly rather than derived from length and width — this calculator has no separate room-dimension fields, so an irregular patio shape needs its true area worked out before this number goes in.
- wastePct
- The single field carrying the entire pattern effect — running bond, basketweave, and herringbone all use this same formula, and the only thing distinguishing them in the calculator's output is what waste percentage is typed in.
Where these numbers come from
- 5% running bond, 10-12%+ herringbone waste
- Trade convention; herringbone's higher figure reflects that its diagonal border cuts are less reusable as offcuts than running bond's straight cuts, the same relationship that drives the tile calculator's pattern-based waste.
- paver face area from length × width in inches
- This figure is read straight from the function's own inputs, not a lookup table: standard, thin, and large-format pavers all have genuinely different face dimensions, so this calculator takes the specific product's size directly rather than assuming a common 4×8 brick paver.
- no gravel-base or sand-layer volume included
- Trade convention, stated plainly: this figure is field pavers only — the compacted gravel base beneath them and the bedding and joint sand around them are each their own calculation, on the gravel and sand calculators respectively, not folded into this piece count.
Worked examples
A 160 sq ft patio, running bond, small paver
| Patio area | 160 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Paver length | 9 in |
| Paver width | 4.5 in |
| Waste factor | 5 % |
| Pavers needed | 598 pavers |
|---|---|
| Area | 160 sq ft |
This 9×4.5 inch paver covers 0.28 sq ft each — small enough that a modest 5% running-bond waste still adds up to nearly 30 extra pavers over the 569 the bare area alone would need, landing at 598.
That per-paver area is worth checking against the supplier's pallet count before ordering: a small paver like this one needs more than double the piece count of a larger unit for the identical patio, which changes how many pallets the order actually fills.
The same 160 sq ft patio, herringbone pattern
| Patio area | 160 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Paver length | 9 in |
| Paver width | 4.5 in |
| Waste factor | 13 % |
| Pavers needed | 643 pavers |
|---|---|
| Area | 160 sq ft |
Same patio, same paver — raising waste from 5% to 13% for the diagonal cuts a herringbone border demands adds 45 more pavers, 643 against 598, without changing the footprint or the paver size at all.
That 45-paver gap is the pattern's real cost, isolated from every other variable: on a bigger patio the same 8-point waste difference would scale up proportionally, which is worth pricing before committing to herringbone purely for its look on a large area.
Common mistakes
- Using a flat waste percentage regardless of pattern — herringbone genuinely needs more pavers than running bond for the same area.
- Skimping on the compacted gravel base to save cost, which is the single most common reason a paver patio settles unevenly within a couple of seasons.
- Forgetting edge restraints (plastic or metal paver edging), which hold the field pattern in place and aren't optional on most installs.
- Not buying a few extra pavers beyond the waste allowance for future repairs, since paver colors and finishes get discontinued.
- Not sloping the base and paver surface slightly away from the house or a structure, which is a drainage requirement independent of quantity and, if missed, can direct water toward a foundation.
- Compacting the base in one thick pass instead of multiple thinner compacted lifts, which typically doesn't achieve the same density and can lead to settling later even though the raw material quantity was correct.
Shopping summary
Order pavers rounded up from area plus pattern-specific waste (5% running bond, 10-12%+ herringbone), plus compacted gravel base by cubic yard at 4-6 inch depth, plus bedding/joint sand from the sand calculator and edge restraints by patio perimeter.
Worked example: a 200 sq ft patio using 4x8 inch pavers (0.22 sq ft each) in running bond needs a base count of 200/0.22 ≈ 909 pavers, plus 5% waste = 954, rounding to whole units per your supplier's pack size. The same patio in herringbone at 11% waste needs about 200/0.22 x 1.11 ≈ 1,009 pavers — roughly 55 more units purely from the pattern choice.
FAQ
Why does herringbone need more pavers than running bond?
Because herringbone's diagonal pattern meets every border edge at an angle, requiring more individual cuts, and those angled offcuts are less likely to be reusable elsewhere in the field than the straight offcuts a running-bond pattern produces.
How deep should the gravel base be under a patio?
4-6 inches of compacted base is typical for a foot-traffic patio, with deeper bases (and sometimes a different base material) called for if the area will see vehicle weight, like a driveway extension.
Should I buy extra pavers beyond the waste allowance, like the tile advice on this site?
Yes, for the same dye-lot reason covered in why you always need 10% extra tile — paver colors and finishes are periodically discontinued or reformulated, so holding back a small stack of extras from the original order is the only reliable way to guarantee a matching repair paver years later.
Do I need edge restraints on every side of a paver patio?
Yes — a complete perimeter of edge restraint is standard practice, since any unrestrained edge allows the field pattern to shift and gap over time under normal foot traffic and seasonal ground movement.
How are pavers typically sold — by the piece, the pallet, or the square foot?
Most suppliers sell pavers by the pallet (a fixed quantity covering a set square footage for that specific size and shape) with individual pieces available for small top-ups, so round your calculated count up to the nearest whole pallet for the bulk of the order rather than trying to buy the exact calculated piece count individually.
Where to go next
The projects this number is a step of, the guides that explain the method behind it, and the rest of its trade group.