A paver patio with its sand and gravel base shown underneath

Paver base and sand calculator

A 12 × 12 ft paver patio on a 6 in compacted base takes about 5.07 tons of base gravel, 24 bags of bedding sand for a 1 in bed and 3 bags of polymeric sand for narrow joints.

Shape of the area

Length

Width

Gravel base, compacted

Bedding sand

Polymeric sand in the joints

Prices used for the cost estimate

Base gravel, per ton

Quarries averaged $16.78 a ton for crushed stone in 2025 (USGS), before delivery. Ask for a delivered price.

Sand, a 50 lb bag

Online listings in November 2026: $4.89 to $7.21 at 5 stores.

Polymeric sand, a 50 lb bag

Online listings in November 2026: $23.50 to $84.99 at 19 stores.

Sales tax

5.07 tons of base gravel

24 bags of bedding sand

3 bags of polymeric sand

What to order Order 5.5 tons of base gravel, 24 bags of sand (or 0.44 cu yd in bulk) and 3 bags of polymeric sand.

Coverage depends on the paver size and the joint depth; the bag count uses the low end of the maker's range, so you are unlikely to run short.

Cost estimate

Bedding sand: 24 bags × $5.77	$138.48
Polymeric sand: 3 bags × $49.98	$149.94
Total	$288.42

Enter your supplier's price per ton under Prices to cost the base.

All quantities and the working

Area	144 sq ft (16 sq yd)
Base gravel	2.67 cu yd compacted · 5.07 tons of crusher run at 1.9 tons per compacted yard
Bedding sand	0.44 cu yd · 0.60 tons · 24 bags of 50 lb (0.5 cu ft)
Polymeric sand	2 to 3 bags of 50 lb (65 to 85 sq ft a bag)
Dig depth	about 9.38 in below the finished surface, for 2⅜ in pavers

How it was worked out

Area: 12 ft × 12 ft = 144 sq ft

Base: 144 sq ft × 6 in = 72 cu ft ÷ 27 = 2.67 cu yd × 1.9 = 5.07 tons

Sand: 144 sq ft × 1 in = 12 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft a bag = 24 bags

Polymeric sand: 144 sq ft ÷ 65 sq ft a bag = 3 bags at the low end of the coverage

How deep the base should be

Pavers sit on a 1 in bed of coarse sand over a compacted gravel base. Unilock's installation guide calls for 6 to 8 in of base under patios and walkways, 6 to 12 in under pool decks and 10 to 14 in under driveways, using ¾ in crusher run or clear stone. Clay soil that holds water needs the deeper end; your paver supplier can say what works on your ground.

The calculator weighs the base as compacted crusher run at 1.9 tons per cubic yard, the middle of the 1.75 to 2.1 the Wisconsin Department of Transportation measured, because a compacted layer holds more stone than the same yard loose. Order a little extra if your supplier quotes loose tons.

Tons of compacted base gravel
Area	4 in base	6 in	8 in	10 in	12 in
100 sq ft	2.35	3.52	4.69	5.86	7.04
144 sq ft	3.38	5.07	6.76	8.44	10.13
200 sq ft	4.69	7.04	9.38	11.73	14.07
300 sq ft	7.04	10.56	14.07	17.59	21.11
400 sq ft	9.38	14.07	18.77	23.46	28.15
600 sq ft	14.07	21.11	28.15	35.19	42.22

Area: 12 ft × 12 ft = 144 sq ft

Base: 144 sq ft × 6 in = 72 cu ft ÷ 27 = 2.67 cu yd × 1.9 = 5.07 tons

Sand: 144 sq ft × 1 in = 12 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft a bag = 24 bags

Polymeric sand: 144 sq ft ÷ 65 sq ft a bag = 3 bags at the low end of the coverage

Bedding sand and polymeric sand

The bedding layer is 1 in of coarse sand, screeded flat before the pavers go down; a 50 lb bag holds about half a cubic foot. Once the pavers are laid and compacted, polymeric sand is swept into the joints and wetted so it sets. Alliance Gator's data sheet gives 65 to 85 sq ft from a 50 lb bag for narrow joints of ⅛ to ⅜ in, and 22 to 42 sq ft for wide joints of ¾ to 1¼ in, with standard 2⅜ in pavers; other makers publish similar ranges. Small pavers have more joint per square foot, so expect the low end with 4 × 8 in bricks and the high end with large slabs.

Sand for common patio sizes (bags of 50 lb)
Area	Bedding sand, 1 in (cu yd)	50 lb bags of sand	Polymeric sand, narrow joints	Polymeric sand, wide joints
100 sq ft	0.31	17	2 to 2	3 to 5
144 sq ft	0.44	24	2 to 3	4 to 7
200 sq ft	0.62	34	3 to 4	5 to 10
300 sq ft	0.93	50	4 to 5	8 to 14
400 sq ft	1.23	67	5 to 7	10 to 19
600 sq ft	1.85	100	8 to 10	15 to 28

Online store prices, November 2026
Item	Typical	Range	Stores
50 lb bag of sand (about 0.5 cu ft)	$5.77	$4.89 to $7.21	5
50 lb bag of polymeric sand	$49.98	$23.50 to $84.99	19

How deep to dig

Add the base, the sand and the paver. For a patio with a 6 in base, 1 in of sand and 2⅜ in pavers, dig about 9⅜ in below where the finished surface will be, plus whatever fall you build in to shed water away from the house. A flagstone patio is built the same way; the flagstone calculator counts the stone, the sand and the base together.

What you'll need

A hand tamper compacts a small path; rent a plate compactor for a patio or anything larger.
Screed pipes laid in the sand bed give an even 1 in when you pull a straight board along them.
A rubber mallet taps each paver level with its neighbors without chipping it.
Paver edge restraint holds the outside edge so the pavers can't creep apart.
Polymeric sand is swept into the joints and wetted, at the coverage given above.

Sources

Basic Technical Guide: pavers and walls, Unilock, January 2024. Gravel base of 6 to 8 in for patios and walkways, 6 to 12 in for pool decks, 10 to 14 in for driveways; a 1 in bed of coarse sand; 6 in of base under walls.
Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP 0092-22-05), Wisconsin Highway Research Program, Michigan State University, December 2023. Measured loose and compacted weights of base aggregates, recycled asphalt and recycled concrete; tons per compacted cubic yard.
Gator SuperSand G2 technical data sheet, Alliance Designer Products, revised 6 May 2025. Coverage per 50 lb bag with 2⅜ in pavers: 65 to 85 sq ft for narrow joints (⅛ to ⅜ in), 22 to 42 sq ft for wide joints (¾ to 1¼ in); joints at least 1½ in deep.
Online store listings for bagged concrete, mortar, grout, block, rebar, mesh, gravel, sand, soil, mulch and pavers, Google Shopping results (Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Ace Hardware, Walmart and others), November 2026. Single-item prices by store; the calculators use the median as the default and show the range.