Installing Pavers 3 - Determine How Much You'll Need

Intro - Patterns - How Much You’ll Need - Prepare Area and Base - Frame Borders and Lay Sand Bed - Lay Brick Pavers - Finishing Up

Pavers

1. Determine the square feet (length x width) of the area you want to pave.
2. Estimate the number of pavers needed:
   For 4" x 8" pavers - 4.5 pavers per sq. ft.
   For 3 5/8" x 7 5/8" pavers - 5.2 pavers per sq. ft.
   For 3 3/4" x 7 1/2" pavers - 5.1 pavers per sq. ft.
   Add 5% extra for chipped or broken pavers.

Example: A 10’ by 20’ patio = 200 sq. ft. x 4.5 pavers/sq. ft. = 900 pavers
An additional 5% (900 x .05) = 45 pavers
Total needed so far = 945 pavers

Typically, you should also include an additional 1 1/2 bricks per linear foot of edge for cutting.

Example: linear footage = 10+20+20+10 = 60 linear feet
60 x 1.5 = 90 pavers
945 + 90 = 1035 total pavers needed for the job.

Edging Material

1. Measure the linear foot of open edges - those not up against a house, curb, driveway, etc. This is the number of feet of edging material you will need. If you plan to edge with brick standing on end (soldier position), calculate one brick for each 4" of edge.
2. For wood or rigid plastic edging, plan on one stake for each 2 to 3 feet of edge.

Sand and Crushed Stone

1. The sand and crushed stone you will use in your project are measured in cubic yards (1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet).
2. For any type of paving project, whether patio, walkway or driveway, you will always use a 1" depth of sand. To determine the number of cubic yards of sand, multiply the square footage by .00309.
   Example: 200 sq. ft. patio x .00309 = 0.62 cubic yards of sand.
3. The amount of crushed stone you will need depends on your type of paving project:
   • For light duty projects, such as walkways or patios, you will use a 4" depth of crushed stone. To determine the cubic yards of crushed stone needed to create a 4" base, multiply the total square footage by .01235.
   • For heavy duty projects such as driveways, you will use an 8" depth of crushed stone. To determine the cubic yards of crushed stone needed to create an 8" base, multiply the total square footage by .02469.
   Example: For a 200 sq. ft. patio, you will want a 4" base of crushed stone.
   200 sq ft. x .01235 = 2.47 cubic yards of crushed stone.
   Example: For a 200 sq. ft. driveway, you will want an 8" base of crushed stone.
   200 sq. ft. x .02469 = 4.94 cubic yards of crushed stone.

(In areas of extreme wetness or severe freeze/thaw, you may need a deeper base. Consult your local brick distributor.)

Intro - Patterns - How Much You’ll Need - Prepare Area and Base - Frame Borders and Lay Sand Bed - Lay Brick Pavers - Finishing Up

Courtesy of The Brick Industry Association

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