How many 4x8 pavers do I need per square foot?

A 4×8-inch paver covers 32 square inches, so you need 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 100-square-foot patio takes about 450 pavers, or roughly 495 after adding 10% for cuts and breakage.

How deep should the base be under pavers?

Plan a 4–6 inch compacted gravel base for patios and walkways, and 8–12 inches for driveways, topped with 1 inch of bedding sand. Total excavation equals base + 1 inch of sand + paver thickness.

How much sand do I need under pavers?

Use a 1-inch layer of concrete (bedding) sand: about 0.31 cubic yards per 100 square feet. Do not use play sand or fine sand — it washes out and shifts.

Do I need polymeric sand for paver joints?

It is strongly recommended. Polymeric sand hardens after wetting, locking joints against weeds, ants, and washout. One 50-lb bag fills the joints of roughly 50–100 square feet, depending on paver size and gap width.

Can I lay pavers directly on dirt?

No. Pavers laid on bare soil shift, sink, and heave with freeze-thaw cycles within a season or two. A compacted gravel base with bedding sand is what keeps a paver surface flat for decades.

Paver Calculator – Pavers, Base & Sand

Use this paver calculator to find how many pavers, plus the gravel base and bedding sand, you need for a patio or walkway. Enter your dimensions, pick a paver size, and you get the full materials list: paver count with 10% waste included, base gravel in cubic yards and tons, sand, and edge restraint length.

Patio length (ft)

Patio width (ft)

Paver size

How to calculate pavers by hand

pavers = patio area (sq ft) ÷ paver area (sq ft) × 1.10\ngravel base (yd³) = area × depth (ft) ÷ 27

Worked example: a 16 ft × 12 ft patio is 192 sq ft. A 4" × 8" paver covers 32 sq in = 0.222 sq ft, so 192 ÷ 0.222 = 864 pavers; add 10% for cuts → 951 pavers. The 4-inch base needs 192 × 0.333 ÷ 27 ≈ 2.4 cubic yards of gravel, and the 1-inch sand layer about 0.6 yd³.

Pavers per square foot by size

Paver size	Area each	Pavers per sq ft	Per 100 sq ft (+10%)
4" × 8"	32 sq in	4.5	495
6" × 6"	36 sq in	4.0	440
6" × 9"	54 sq in	2.67	294
12" × 12"	144 sq in	1.0	110
16" × 16"	256 sq in	0.56	62
24" × 24"	576 sq in	0.25	28

The layers under a paver patio

A paver surface is only as good as what is underneath. From bottom to top: compacted soil, landscape fabric (optional but helpful on clay), 4–6 inches of compacted gravel base (crusher run or road base, compacted in 2-inch lifts), 1 inch of concrete bedding sand, then the pavers themselves with polymeric sand swept into the joints. Driveways need 8–12 inches of base instead.

Your total excavation depth = base depth + 1" sand + paver thickness (usually 2 3/8"). For a patio that is typically about 7–9 inches below finished grade.

FAQ

How many 4×8 pavers per square foot?

4.5 per sq ft. A 100 sq ft patio needs ~450, or ~495 with 10% waste.

How deep should the base be?

4–6" compacted gravel for patios, 8–12" for driveways, plus 1" bedding sand.

How much sand under pavers?

1" of concrete sand ≈ 0.31 yd³ per 100 sq ft. Never use play sand.

Do I need polymeric sand?

Strongly recommended for joints — it hardens and blocks weeds, ants, and washout. One 50-lb bag does ~50–100 sq ft.

Can pavers go directly on dirt?

No — they will shift and sink within a season or two. The gravel base is what keeps them flat.

Need the base materials? Use the gravel calculator for your base layer, or browse all landscape material calculators.