How much base do I need for a paver patio?

Multiply the area by the base depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 100 sq ft patio at 4 in needs about 1.2 cu yd — roughly 1.67 tons of crushed stone.

How thick should the bedding sand be?

About 1 in, screeded flat. Bedding sand levels the pavers, not the grade — a thicker layer holds water and lets pavers sink unevenly, so keep it to an inch.

Do I need a base under a paver driveway?

Yes, and a deeper one — 6 in of compacted crushed stone is standard for vehicles, versus 4 in for foot traffic. Skimping on the base is the most common cause of pavers that heave and settle.

Paver Base & Sand Calculator

Size the crushed-stone base and bedding sand under a paver patio.

Inputs

Patio size

ft ×

Patio size, second side

Base depth — 4″ patio · 6″ drive

Bedding sand depth — 1″ typical

Results update as you type — no submit

Base stone

1.2 cu yd

= 1.67 tons crushed stone

Bedding sand

0.3 cu yd

= 0.42 tons bedding sand

Bedding sand0.3 cu yd

Base weight1.67 tons ≈ 1.51 t

Sand weight0.42 tons ≈ 0.38 t

Formula

base = 10 × 10 × (4÷12) = 1.2 cu yd
sand = area × (1÷12) = 0.3 cu yd

Diagram — paver sectionNTS

MeasureShedmeasureshed.com/calculator/paver-base-calculator

Paver base & sand — material listUNITS: FT · SCALE: NTS

Inputs

Patio size10 × 10 ft

Base depth4″

Sand depth1″

Results

Base stone1.2 cu yd (1.67 tons)

Bedding sand0.3 cu yd (0.42 tons)

Paver sectionSECTION · NTS

Shopping list

☐ 1.67 tons crushed-stone base (1.2 cu yd)

☐ 0.42 tons bedding sand (0.3 cu yd)

Formula

base = 10 × 10 × (4÷12) = 1.2 cu yd

sand = area × (1÷12) = 0.3 cu yd

Estimates for planning only — verify before purchaseSHEET 1 OF 1

How it works

A paver patio is only as good as what is under it: a compacted crushed-stone base carries the load, and a thin bedding-sand layer lets the pavers set level. This calculator sizes both. It multiplies the patio area by the base depth for the base volume, and by the sand depth for the sand volume, then converts each to cubic yards and to tons using the aggregate's weight per cubic yard.

The industry rule of thumb, from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, is four inches of compacted base for a walkway or patio and six inches for a driveway that carries vehicles, all over a nominal one-inch bedding-sand setting layer screeded to a uniform depth. Both crushed stone and bedding sand weigh close to 1.35 tons per cubic yard, so the ton figures scale directly with the volumes.

Order the base a little generous — it compacts as it is tamped in lifts — and keep the bedding sand thin, because a deep sand layer lets pavers rut over time.

Worked example

Patio 10 ft × 10 ft · 4″ base · 1″ bedding sand
base = 10 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 33.3 cu ft = 1.2 cu yd (1.67 tons)
sand = 10 × 10 × (1 ÷ 12) = 8.3 cu ft = 0.3 cu yd (0.42 tons)

Questions from the patio

4 in of compacted crushed stone for a patio or walkway, 6 in for a driveway. Build the base in 2 in lifts and compact each one so the finished surface stays true under load.

Estimates for planning only — verify before purchase