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Paver Base Calculator

A paver patio is three layers: compacted gravel, a thin bed of sand, then the pavers. Enter the area and the layer depths; you get each material in cubic yards, the dig depth and the soil you'll need to haul away.

Calculator

QUIKRETE's paver sand data sheet: 2 to 4 in of gravel or crushed rock, compacted, then 1 to 2 in of sand.

Measure one of your pavers. Needed for the dig depth only.
Your call — we add exactly what you enter, to gravel and sand.
Optional. Ask the yard — it depends on the stone.
Area
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Gravel, cubic yards
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Gravel, tons
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Sand, cubic feet
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Sand, cubic yards
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Dig depth below finished surface
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Soil to remove, cubic yards
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How the number is worked out

area = length × width
gravel (ft³) = area × gravel depth ÷ 12
sand (ft³) = area × sand depth ÷ 12
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
dig depth = gravel + sand + paver thickness
soil to remove = area × dig depth ÷ 12 ÷ 27

The gravel depth you enter is the depth after compacting. Loose gravel packs down when you tamp it, so you'll spread more than the finished depth; the extra box is there if you want to allow for that. We don't put a number on it because we haven't found a published figure we can cite.

Worked example

A 12 ft × 12 ft patio with 4 in of gravel, 1 in of sand and pavers 2.375 in thick:

  • Area: 144 ft²
  • Gravel: 144 × 4 ÷ 12 = 48 ft³ = 1.78 yd³
  • Sand: 144 × 1 ÷ 12 = 12 ft³ (0.44 yd³)
  • Dig depth: 4 + 1 + 2.375 = 7.375 in
  • Soil out: 144 × 7.375 ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = 3.28 yd³

The soil you dig out is almost twice the gravel you bring in. Plan where it goes before you rent the equipment.

Why there's no tons figure by default

Gravel is sold by the ton as often as by the yard, and the conversion depends on the stone, its size and how wet it is. We looked for a published density we could quote word for word and didn't find one we'd stand behind, so the calculator only converts to tons when you enter your supplier's figure.

What this calculator is not for

The layer depths above are for a patio. Driveways and anything that carries vehicles need a deeper, engineered base; so do soft or poorly drained soils. It also assumes a flat rectangle — split curved or L-shaped areas into rectangles and add them up. Check your paver maker's instructions for their own base and sand depths.

Sources

  1. QUIKRETE, QUIKRETE® Patio Paver Sands (No. 1150-49, -59) — Product Data Sheet. Checked 2026-09-24.
    “Excavate the area to a depth of 4 to 7 inches (100 mm to 175 mm) below the desired final grade. … Place 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm) of QUIKRETE® All Purpose Gravel (No. 1151) or crushed rock as an underlayment base. Compact the base material using a tamper. … Spread QUIKRETE® Patio Paver Sand to a depth of 1 to 2 inches (25 mm to 50 mm) over the compacted base.”
  2. NIST, NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C — General Tables of Units of Measurement. Checked 2026-09-24.
    “1 728 cubic inches (in3) = 1 cubic foot (ft3) 27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard (yd3)”