About this calculator
A complete takeoff for a paved driveway, patio or path in interlocking pavers: pavers, compacted base, bedding sand, joint sand and edging, all in one go.
How it’s calculated
Each paver plus its joint covers (width + joint) × (length + joint). The number of pavers is the area divided by that, plus waste. Road base is counted at the depth entered, with no compaction allowance: ask your supplier how much loose material gives that compacted depth. Joint sand is worked out from the joint share of the surface × paver depth.
Worked example
With these inputs:
- Area length
- 5 m
- Area width
- 4 m
- Paver width
- 100 mm
- Paver length
- 200 mm
- Paver thickness
- 60 mm
- Joint width
- 3 mm
- Road base depth (crushed stone)
- 100 mm
- Bedding sand depth
- 25 mm
- Include edge restraint
- Yes
- Waste allowance
- 10%
the result is:
- Pavers needed
- 1,053 pavers
- Area
- 20 m²
- Base material (incl. compaction)
- 2 m³
- Base weight
- 4.2 t
- Bedding sand
- 0.5 m³
Tips from the trade
- Herringbone and diagonal patterns waste more: use 12–15%.
- Driveways need a deeper, well-compacted road base than patios and paths, because they carry vehicles. Follow your paver supplier’s or engineer’s base thickness.
- Compact the base in layers no thicker than 50–75 mm.
- Laying course sand is screeded, not compacted, before the pavers go down.
Common questions
How many block pavers per m²?
Suppliers quote 50 for 200 × 100 mm interlocking pavers, with no joint. With 3 mm joints, a 200 × 100 mm paver works out to about 48.
Results are estimates for planning and pricing. Check quantities against your drawings, the manufacturer’s data and SANS 10400 (the National Building Regulations) and your local municipality before ordering.