Paver Base Calculator: Gravel & Bedding Sand

Work out the compacted gravel base and bedding sand in cubic yards under a paver patio, from the area and your base and bedding depths.

Planning estimate: this is a planning estimate. Coverage varies by product (bag size, compaction, waste, slope and how tightly you pack). Buy about 5–10% extra and confirm the coverage printed on the product before you order.

Calculator

sq ft
The paved area you are building on.
in
Labeled typical 4–6 in compacted; deeper for driveways or soft soil.
in
About 1 in of bedding sand under the pavers.
Base gravel3.70 cu yd
Bedding sand0.617 cu yd
Coverage200 sq ft, 6.0 in base + 1.0 in sand

A 6.0 in compacted gravel base plus 1.0 in bedding sand under 200 sq ft of pavers is about 3.70 cu yd of gravel and 0.617 cu yd of sand. Gravel compacts ~20–25%, so order a little extra.

A paver patio only stays flat if the layers underneath are right: a compacted gravel base that spreads the load and drains, and a thin bedding sand the pavers set into. This calculator turns your area and two depths into cubic yards of each, using the same area × depth ÷ 324 identity as every bulk-material tool on the site.

The defaults — about 4–6 in of gravel and roughly 1 in of bedding sand — are labeled planning typicals for a foot-traffic patio. Driveways, soft or clay soils, and cold climates with frost want a deeper base, so adjust the base depth to match your conditions.

Formula

Each layer is its own volume:

gravel_cu_yd = area_sqft × base_depth_in ÷ 324
sand_cu_yd = area_sqft × bedding_depth_in ÷ 324

  • 324 — the conversion so square feet × inches lands in cubic yards (12 in/ft × 27 cu ft/cu yd).
  • base_depth_in — the compacted gravel thickness (4–6 in typical).
  • bedding_depth_in — the sand the pavers seat in (~1 in).

Worked example

For a 200 sq ft patio with a 6 in gravel base and 1 in of bedding sand:

  1. Gravel: 200 × 6 ÷ 324 = 3.70 cu yd.
  2. Bedding sand: 200 × 1 ÷ 324 = 0.617 cu yd.

Because compacting the gravel shrinks it by roughly 20–25 %, order a little extra — closer to 4.5 cu yd of gravel here — and dig the excavation deep enough to hold the full base plus the paver thickness.

Background & practice

Compaction eats volume — and it is what makes the patio last. Loose gravel settles about 20–25 % when you plate-compact it in lifts, so the delivered volume needs to be higher than the finished dimensions suggest. Compact in 2–3 in lifts; a base dumped in one deep layer never densifies properly and the patio ripples later.

Use the right stone and sand. A crushed, angular road-base gravel (with fines) locks together and compacts hard; smooth pea gravel does not and should not be your base. The bedding layer is coarse, sharp concrete sand — not the polymeric jointing sand that goes between the pavers at the end, and not fine mason sand, which can wash and rut.

Go deeper for heavier use and worse soil. 4–6 in suits a walkway or a foot-traffic patio on decent soil; a driveway, a patio on soft clay, or a frost-prone climate wants 8–12 in and often a geotextile fabric under the gravel to stop it mixing into the subgrade.

Fabric, edges and a flat screed. On soft or clay soil, roll a geotextile separation fabric over the subgrade before the gravel so the two never mix and pump — it is cheap insurance against a base that sinks. Carry the compacted base a few inches past the finished paver edge so the edge restraint has solid ground to spike into; without a locked perimeter, pavers creep and joints open. When you set the bedding sand, screed it to a consistent thickness with pipe rails and a straightedge and do not compact it — the pavers seat into that thin, uncompacted layer, and any high or low spot in the sand shows up as a lump or a dip in the finished surface.

Base slope, not yard drainage. Pitch the finished base about a quarter-inch per foot away from the house so surface water sheds off the pavers. That surface pitch is part of good hardscaping; sub-surface yard drainage is a separate trade. Next, count the pavers with the paver calculator, price the gravel with the gravel calculator, and finish the joints with the polymeric sand calculator.

Reference table

Compacted gravel base for 200 sq ft at common depths (labeled typicals — order ~20–25% extra for compaction). Bedding sand at 1.0 in = 0.617 cu yd.

Base depthGravel volume
4 in2.47 cu yd
6 in3.70 cu yd
8 in4.94 cu yd
10 in6.17 cu yd

Frequently asked questions

How deep should a paver base be?
About 4–6 in of compacted gravel suits a foot-traffic patio or walkway on decent soil. Go to 8–12 in for driveways, soft clay soils or frost-prone climates, and add a geotextile fabric under the gravel in poor soil.
How much gravel do I need for a 200 sq ft patio?
At a 6 in base, 200 × 6 ÷ 324 = about 3.70 cu yd of gravel. Because it compacts 20–25 %, order closer to 4.5 cu yd so the finished base holds depth.
How much bedding sand goes under pavers?
Roughly 1 in of coarse concrete sand. For 200 sq ft that is 200 × 1 ÷ 324 = about 0.617 cu yd. Keep it a consistent 1 in — a thick sand layer lets pavers sink unevenly.
Is bedding sand the same as polymeric sand?
No. Bedding sand is the coarse, sharp sand the pavers set into under the surface. Polymeric sand is the jointing sand swept between the pavers at the end — size that with the polymeric sand calculator.
Why order extra gravel?
Compacting the base in lifts shrinks the loose volume by about 20–25 %, so the delivered amount must exceed the finished dimensions. Rounding up also covers an uneven subgrade.
What kind of gravel makes the best paver base?
A crushed, angular road-base with fines (often called dense-grade or 3/4-in minus) locks together and compacts hard. Avoid smooth pea gravel for the base — it never densifies and lets the pavers shift.
Should I overdig the excavation?
Dig deep enough to hold the full compacted base, the 1 in of bedding sand and the paver thickness, and extend the base a few inches past the paver edge so the edge restraint has something solid to sit on.
Do I need a geotextile fabric under the gravel?
On firm, well-draining soil you can often skip it, but on soft, silty or clay subgrade a separation fabric is cheap insurance: it stops the gravel base from mixing down into the soil, which is what causes a base to lose thickness and the patio to sink. Roll it over the compacted subgrade before you place the first lift of gravel.
How do I keep the finished surface flat?
Compact the gravel base in thin lifts so it is uniformly dense, then screed the 1 in of bedding sand to a consistent thickness with pipe rails and a straightedge without compacting it. The pavers seat into that even sand layer, so any high or low spot there telegraphs straight into the finished patio.

Related calculators

Paver CountHow many pavers do you need? Enter your patio area, choose a paver size and a waste factor, and get an exact paver count with the formula and a worked example.Polymeric SandFind how many bags of polymeric sand you need to fill paver joints, from your patio area and the coverage printed on the bag. Formula and example included.