Paver Base Calculator
A 12×16 paver patio needs about 4.3 tons of gravel base, or 2.84 cubic yards, at 4 inches compacted. That is 154 bags of 0.5 cu ft. A 20×20 patio needs 8.9 tons. Enter your size, use and soil to get tons, cubic yards and bags of paver base.
Last updated: October 10, 2026
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Pro Tips
- Patios get 4 inches of base and driveways 8; add 2 on clay soil.
- Order 20% more loose gravel than the finished volume, because it compacts.
- Use crushed stone with fines, never pea gravel or round rock.
- Compact in thin lifts with a plate compactor, not the full depth at once.
- Above a couple of tons, bulk delivery beats hauling bags.
Paver base (gravel)
4.3 tons
2.84 yd³ at 4 in compacted · 154 bags (0.5 cu ft)
192 sq ft · Concrete pavers
Next layer: bedding sand →Full material list
Pavers
538
6 × 9 in, +5%
Base gravel
4.3 tons
4 in compacted
Bedding sand
0.8 tons
1 in layer
Polymeric sand
3 bags
50 lb
Edge restraint
56 ft
DIY materials
$1,000–2,600
installed: $1,550–4,200
Based on 2026 U.S. installed-cost data. See methodology.
For the full background, read our concrete pavers material guide and concrete patio vs pavers comparison.
How Much Paver Base Do I Need? Base by Patio Size
Paver base is ordered by volume or weight: the area times the base depth, plus an allowance for compaction. The table assumes a 4-inch compacted base for a patio on well-drained soil, converted to tons at 1.5 tons per cubic yard.
| Size | Base volume | Base weight | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 1.48 yd³ | 2.2 tons | 81 bags |
| 10 × 12 ft | 1.78 yd³ | 2.7 tons | 96 bags |
| 12 × 12 ft | 2.13 yd³ | 3.2 tons | 116 bags |
| 12 × 16 ft | 2.84 yd³ | 4.3 tons | 154 bags |
| 14 × 20 ft | 4.15 yd³ | 6.2 tons | 224 bags |
| 16 × 20 ft | 4.74 yd³ | 7.1 tons | 256 bags |
| 20 × 20 ft | 5.93 yd³ | 8.9 tons | 321 bags |
| 20 × 30 ft | 8.89 yd³ | 13.3 tons | 480 bags |
Landscape yards sell crushed base by the ton or the cubic yard; home centers sell 0.5 cu ft bags. A 10×10 patio needs 2.2 tons, which is still 81 bags. To count the pavers that go on top, use the paver calculator.
How Deep Should Paver Base Be? Depth by Use and Soil
Depth depends on the load and on the ground underneath. Foot traffic on a patio or walkway needs 4 inches of compacted base. Cars need 8 inches. Clay soil, poor drainage or deep frost adds 2 more inches, because wet clay loses strength and heaves when it freezes.
| Use and soil | Base depth | 12 × 16 ft base | 12 × 16 ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio or walkway, well-drained soil | 4 in | 4.3 tons | 154 |
| Patio or walkway, clay or freeze-thaw soil | 6 in | 6.4 tons | 231 |
| Driveway, well-drained soil | 8 in | 8.5 tons | 308 |
| Driveway, clay or freeze-thaw soil | 10 in | 10.7 tons | 384 |
On clay, the same 12×16 patio goes from 4.3 to 6.4 tons. Many installers also lay a geotextile fabric over clay before the base to keep the soil from pumping up into the gravel. Dig out base depth plus the bedding sand layer plus the paver thickness, and slope the excavation away from the house so water drains off.
Compaction Allowance: Why You Order More Than the Hole Holds
Loose crushed stone shrinks when a plate compactor shakes the fines into the gaps. The calculator multiplies the finished volume by 1.2, so you order enough loose material to end up at full depth after compaction.
| Size | Compacted volume | Order volume (loose) | Order weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 1.23 yd³ | 1.48 yd³ | 2.2 tons |
| 12 × 12 ft | 1.78 yd³ | 2.13 yd³ | 3.2 tons |
| 12 × 16 ft | 2.37 yd³ | 2.84 yd³ | 4.3 tons |
| 16 × 20 ft | 3.95 yd³ | 4.74 yd³ | 7.1 tons |
| 20 × 20 ft | 4.94 yd³ | 5.93 yd³ | 8.9 tons |
Skipping the allowance is the most common reason DIY projects run short halfway through. Running short means a second delivery fee, and a base topped off later rarely compacts as evenly as one placed in a single session.
Paver Base Bags vs. Bulk Delivery
Bags are convenient for small walkways and repairs. They are easy to load in a car and need no tarp on the driveway. For a full patio, the bag count gets large fast: the default 12×16 patio is 154 bags versus 4.3 tons from a yard.
| Size | 0.5 cu ft bags | Bulk tons | Bulk delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 20 ft | 64 | 1.8 tons | $90–230 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 81 | 2.2 tons | $90–250 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 116 | 3.2 tons | $110–290 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 154 | 4.3 tons | $140–340 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 256 | 7.1 tons | $190–470 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 321 | 8.9 tons | $230–550 |
| 20 × 30 ft | 480 | 13.3 tons | $320–750 |
Bulk prices use $20–45 per ton plus a $50–150 delivery fee. Because the delivery fee is flat, bulk gets cheaper per ton as the job grows. On a short walkway bags can be competitive; on a patio, bulk nearly always wins on both cost and labor.
What Material to Use for Paver Base
The right base is crushed stone with fines, sold under regional names such as road base, crusher run, dense-graded aggregate or "paver base". The angular stone interlocks and the fines fill the voids, so it compacts into a hard, stable layer that still drains.
| Material | Use as paver base? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone with fines (road base, crusher run, dense-graded base) | Yes, the standard | Angular pieces plus fines lock together when compacted |
| Clean crushed stone (no fines) | Only in permeable systems | Drains fast but needs a matching open-graded bedding layer |
| Pea gravel or river rock | No | Round stones roll and never compact |
| Sand alone | No | Washes out and ruts under load |
| Recycled concrete aggregate | Often, if graded | Compacts like crushed stone; check for debris |
Ask the yard for a base material that meets local DOT road-base specs; that grading is made to compact. If you are weighing pavers against a poured surface, our concrete patio vs pavers comparison covers the tradeoffs. Pouring a slab instead? Use the concrete slab calculator on SlabCalc for cubic yards of concrete.
How to Compact Paver Base in Lifts
- Compact the subgrade first. Run the plate compactor over the excavated soil before any gravel goes in.
- Lay fabric on soft soil. Geotextile over clay keeps the base from mixing into the subgrade.
- Spread base in thin lifts. A plate compactor only reaches so deep. Place a few inches, compact, then add the next lift.
- Moisten the gravel. Slightly damp base compacts much tighter than dry or soaked base.
- Make several passes. Overlap each pass and change direction until the surface no longer moves underfoot.
- Check slope and flatness. Use string lines and a straightedge; fix high and low spots in the base, never in the sand.
A well-compacted base is what keeps pavers flat for decades. The concrete pavers guide covers the rest of the build.
Paver Driveway Base Calculator
Driveways carry vehicles, so the base goes to 8 inches, more on clay. A 20×24 two-car paver driveway needs about 21.3 tons of base, or 14.22 cubic yards.
| Size | Base volume | Base weight | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 20 ft | 5.93 yd³ | 8.9 tons | 321 bags |
| 12 × 24 ft | 8.53 yd³ | 12.8 tons | 461 bags |
| 16 × 24 ft | 11.38 yd³ | 17.1 tons | 615 bags |
| 20 × 24 ft | 14.22 yd³ | 21.3 tons | 768 bags |
| 24 × 24 ft | 17.07 yd³ | 25.6 tons | 922 bags |
At this weight, bulk delivery and a rented heavy plate compactor or roller are the norm. For the full price of a paver driveway, see the paver driveway cost calculator, and browse driveway design ideas for layouts.
Paver Base for Walkways
Walkways use the same 4-inch base as patios. Because they are long and narrow, the edges matter more: extend the base a few inches past the pavers on each side so the edge restraint sits on compacted stone.
| Size | Base volume | Base weight | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 15 ft | 0.67 yd³ | 1 ton | 36 bags |
| 3 × 20 ft | 0.89 yd³ | 1.3 tons | 48 bags |
| 4 × 20 ft | 1.19 yd³ | 1.8 tons | 64 bags |
| 4 × 30 ft | 1.78 yd³ | 2.7 tons | 96 bags |
| 4 × 50 ft | 2.96 yd³ | 4.4 tons | 161 bags |
A 4×30 walkway needs 2.7 tons, or 96 bags. The paver walkway cost calculator prices the whole job, and the concrete walkway guide covers layout and width.
Cost of Paver Base Material
Crushed base is one of the cheaper parts of a paver project, at $20–45 per ton in 2026, before delivery. The table shows gravel cost only for patio and driveway depths.
| Size | Patio base (gravel only) | Driveway base (gravel only) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 2.2 t · $40–100 | 4.4 t · $90–200 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 3.2 t · $60–140 | 6.4 t · $130–290 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 4.3 t · $90–190 | 8.5 t · $170–380 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 7.1 t · $140–320 | 14.2 t · $280–640 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 8.9 t · $180–400 | 17.8 t · $360–800 |
Add $50–150 for delivery on bulk orders. For the default 12×16 patio, base gravel delivered comes to about $140–340. The paver patio cost calculator rolls base, sand, pavers and labor into one installed price.