Aggregate base
Target volume = base area × entered depth. Loose volume = target volume × supplier factor. Order volume = loose volume × (1 + additional allowance ÷ 100). Do not count compaction again in the allowance.
How much paver base do I need?
Start with the paved area and specified depths. The paver gravel calculator section estimates the aggregate layer; bedding sand is a separate material and order. Rectangular area is length × width. Circular area is π × (diameter ÷ 2)². You can also enter known square feet, square yards or square meters.
If your aggregate base extends beyond the paved surface, enter an extension around every edge. For a rectangle, base area = (length + 2 × extension) × (width + 2 × extension). For a circle, increase the radius by the extension. Bedding sand keeps the paved footprint. In known-area mode, enter a separate aggregate base area rather than guessing a perimeter.
Paver base depth: loose versus compacted
This is a quantity calculator, not a tool that chooses a safe base depth. Enter the depth specified for your product, soil and loading. Example depths in the form are not installation recommendations. A loose-depth entry uses a factor of 1. For a final compacted depth, enter the supplier’s loose-to-compacted volume factor; no universal compaction percentage is preselected.
Bedding sand
Paver sand forms a bedding layer below the pavers. Its depth, bulk density and quote are independent of the aggregate base. Polymeric sand for joints is a different task and is not included.
Weight and bags
Weight = loose order volume × loose bulk density. Bags = required weight or volume ÷ the labelled bag quantity, rounded up. Unknown density means unknown weight, not zero; volume-labelled bags still work.
INDEPENDENT WORKED EXAMPLE
A 20 m² project with two specified layers
For an illustrative base depth of 0.10 m, supplier factor 1.25 and separate 10% allowance: 20 × 0.10 × 1.25 × 1.10 = 2.75 m³ to order. At an illustrative loose density of 1,800 kg/m³, that is 4,950 kg = 4.95 metric tonnes.
For a loose bedding layer of 0.025 m without an additional allowance: 20 × 0.025 = 0.50 m³. At 1,600 kg/m³ this is 800 kg, or 32 whole 25 kg bags. These densities and depths are example inputs, not product specifications.
At example base pricing of $50 per metric tonne, base material costs $247.50. Bedding at $30/m³ costs $15. With one shared $40 bulk delivery, the complete bulk-material estimate is $302.50. Bedding bags at $4 each cost $128; adding $10 bagged delivery gives $138 as a partial bag quote if no base-bag price is entered. Do not add the competing bulk and bagged quotes.
Paver base costs: complete and partial material quotes
Enter a separate bulk price for each material in yd³, m³, US short tons or metric tonnes. A US short ton is 2,000 lb; a metric tonne is 1,000 kg. Mass-priced quotes require bulk density, including when the unit price is zero. Prices are in the selected currency; switching currency changes labels without exchange-rate conversion.
The bulk total includes bulk delivery once; the bagged total includes its separate delivery once. Each total is explicitly partial until all included layers have prices. Pavers, polymeric joint sand, edging, geotextile, excavation, taxes, labor and equipment are excluded. This is not a full paver patio installation cost calculator.
Sources and scope
Belgard’s installation guidance distinguishes aggregate base, bedding and jointing as separate stages and explains that site and application affect the base. Follow the instructions for your actual paving system. This tool does not select construction details for vehicular, permeable, overlay or porcelain systems.
Exact unit factors come from the NIST conversion reference: 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg and 1 yd³ = 0.764554857984 m³. Calculations preserve internal precision; displayed quantities are rounded. Bag counts are rounded up separately for each material. The live preview is a schematic of entered layers, not a compaction simulation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use square feet instead of length and width?
Yes. Select known area and enter square feet, square yards or square meters. If the aggregate footprint is larger, enter its separate area. The calculator will not infer an edge extension from area alone.
How deep should the paver gravel base be?
Use the depth required by your paving-system specification, site conditions and intended loads. This calculator converts that depth to quantities; it does not choose a universal depth or verify structural suitability.
Does adding 20% account for a 20% volume reduction?
No. If the supplier defines a 20% reduction from loose volume, the remaining fraction is 0.80 and the factor is 1 ÷ 0.80 = 1.25. An extra 20% allowance multiplies by 1.20 instead. Confirm which definition the supplier uses.
Is bedding sand the same as polymeric joint sand?
No. Bedding goes underneath pavers; joint sand fills spaces between them. This page calculates aggregate and bedding layers, not joint geometry, polymeric product coverage or the number of pavers.
Can I calculate paver base bags without a density?
Yes if the bag states a volume or volumetric yield. Enter that volume and its unit. Bags labelled by mass and prices by weight require the supplier’s loose bulk density. A generic 50 lb bag does not have a universal volume.
Why is my cost marked as a partial quote?
At least one included layer has no price. The displayed partial total sums only priced materials and the entered shared delivery. Add the missing prices to get a complete material quote, or exclude the bedding layer if it is outside your order.
Can I estimate aggregate without bedding sand?
Yes. Clear “Include bedding sand.” The estimate then uses only the aggregate layer; hidden sand inputs and prices are ignored. Follow the actual installation system rather than assuming sand is always required.