Paver Base Calculator

A solid paver installation depends almost entirely on what is beneath the pavers, not the pavers themselves. Frost heave, settling, and cracking trace back to an inadequate or uncompacted base layer in nearly every case.

Volume = Length × Width × Depth

The standard recommendations by paver application:

• Pedestrian patios and walkways: 4 inches of compacted crushed stone base
• Driveways (passenger vehicles): 6 inches minimum, 8 inches preferred
• Heavy vehicle areas: 10-12 inches
• Plus 1 inch of bedding sand on top of the base (not included in this calculator: add it separately)

After compaction, crushed stone loses roughly 20-30% of its loose volume. The calculator works out the finished compacted depth you asked for, then adds 25% to get the loose volume you order from the yard. That 25% sits at the gentle end of the range, so on a fluffy material order a little over.

Weight does not change when stone compacts, only volume does. That is why the tonnage here comes off the compacted in-place volume, not the inflated loose figure. Applying the compaction factor to both is a common estimating mistake and it makes you order about a quarter more stone than the job needs.

The base material is typically:

• Crushed stone (¾ inch minus, also called “crusher run” or “road base”): compacts well, good drainage
• Compacted gravel: similar to crushed stone but less angular: harder to compact tightly
• Class 2 base: a specific grading used in California and some western states

Weight of crushed stone: approximately 1.35-1.50 tons per cubic yard (compacted). This calculator uses 1.4 tons per cubic yard as the standard estimate.

For large projects, order in tons and ask the supplier for a compaction factor to adjust your estimate to their specific material.

The bedding sand layer (1 inch) should be concrete sand (not play sand). Calculate it separately as: Length × Width × (1/12) cubic feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards.