The components behind the price
| Component | Counted from | Why it varies |
|---|---|---|
| Pavers | Area ÷ paver module, plus waste | Paver type, thickness, colour and pattern; thicker and premium units cost more |
| Compacted base | Area × base depth, plus a compaction allowance | Base depth depends on subgrade and use; it is usually the largest material volume |
| Bedding sand | Area × bedding depth | A thin layer, but a real purchase with a delivery implication |
| Edge restraint | Perimeter length, plus waste, in stock pieces | Shape determines how much edge there is, and awkward shapes have more |
| Joint sand | Depends on joint width and paver thickness | Sometimes included with the pavers and sometimes not |
| Waste | Per component, at the rate each one warrants | Cutting at curves, borders and diagonal layouts uses more |
| Delivery | Per load, with a minimum on bulk material | Base and bedding are bulk; pavers are usually a separate delivery |
| Labour and equipment | Excavation, compaction, screeding, laying, cutting, jointing | The most site-specific line: access, ground and drainage all change it |
A 12 ft × 20 ft patio priced by component
The example below applies illustrative unit prices to the quantities the calculator produces, so the structure of the estimate is visible. Replace the prices with your own supplier and installer figures.
12 ft × 20 ft patio priced per paver, per cubic yard and per linear foot
A 240 sq ft patio with 6 in × 6 in pavers, a 6 in base and 1 in of bedding sand. The example uses illustrative prices of 2.10 per paver, 45.00 per cubic yard of base, 48.00 per cubic yard of bedding sand and 6.00 per linear foot of edge restraint. These are demonstration values, not market quotes, and they are displayed in the currency selected at the top of the page.
Inputs
- Patio area
- 12 ft × 20 ft
- Paver size
- 6 in × 6 in
- Joint width
- 0.125 in
- Base depth
- 6 in
- Bedding sand depth
- 1 in
- Waste
- 10%
Results
- Area
- 240 sq ft22.3 m²
- Paver module size
- 37.516 sq inPaver size plus the joint, which is what the count is based on
- Pavers before waste
- 922
- Pavers to order
- 1015
- Paver surface area ordered
- 264 sq ft
- Base material
- 5.5 cu yd5.38 cu yd after the compaction allowance · 7.53 tons
- Bedding sand
- 1 cu yd1.1 tons at the sand planning density
- Edge restraint
- 70.4 linear ft9 pieces at 8 ft stock length
- pavers cost at the entered price
- $2,131.50$2.10 × 1,015 (per paver)
- base cost at the entered price
- $247.50$45.00 × 5.5 (per cubic yard)
- bedding sand cost at the entered price
- $48.00$48.00 × 1 (per cubic yard)
- edging cost at the entered price
- $422.40$6.00 × 70.4 (per linear foot)
| Item | Quantity | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pavers | 1,015 | pavers | 240 sq ft net area with 10% waste. |
| Paver base | 5.5 | cubic yards | 6 in depth with 10.000000000000009% compaction allowance. |
| Bedding sand | 1 | cubic yards | 1 in bedding layer. |
| Edge restraint | 70.4 | linear ft | — |
| Edge restraint pieces | 9 | pieces | 8 ft stock length. |
The result shows cost lines rather than one number, which is the point: pavers priced by the piece, base and bedding priced by the cubic yard, restraint priced by the linear foot. That is also how to check a quote — if the base line is missing, or the edge restraint has been left out, the quote has fewer lines than the job has materials.
Why two quotes for the same patio differ
- Different base depth. A deeper excavation and a thicker compacted base is more material and much more labour, and the finished patio looks identical.
- Different subgrade work. Removing soft material, importing fill or stabilising ground are not visible in the finished job but are heavily priced.
- Different paver specification. Thickness, material, edge profile and colour all vary within a product family.
- Different edge restraint. A continuous concrete restraint, a plastic edge and a stone border are three different details with three different costs.
- Different waste handling. Spoil has to go somewhere, and disposal can be a line item in its own right.
- Different access. Barrowing material around a house takes time and time is labour.
- Different inclusions. Drainage, steps, transitions to lawn and joint sand may or may not be in the price.
The practical response is to ask each quotation to describe the layer depths, the edge detail, the paver specification and what happens to the spoil. Quotes that describe those things are comparable; quotes that do not are not.
Comparing paver patio quotes
Ask for these details from every quote
- Patio area as measured, and the shape it assumes
- Base depth, compaction method and whether spoil removal is included
- Bedding sand depth and the paver thickness, with the finished level confirmed
- Edge restraint type and how the perimeter is measured
- Paver product, colour, thickness and pattern
- Waste allowance stated, particularly for curves, borders and diagonal layouts
- Delivery included or excluded, and how many loads are expected
- Labour as a rate or a fixed sum, and what it covers
- Drainage and falls, and any steps or transitions
Related guides
Keep going
- How to plan a paver patioThe layers and the planning sequence
- How to calculate paver materialsWhere every quantity in a quote comes from
- Paver base: purpose, depth and compaction
- Sand: bedding, leveling and landscaping uses
- Landscaping project cost
- Open the Paver Patio Calculator
Try it: Paver Patio Calculator
Build a complete patio material plan with printable quantities. Every number on this page came from the same engine, so you can replace the example figures with your own measurements and compare.
- Paver Patio CalculatorBuild a complete patio material plan with printable quantities.
- Paver CalculatorPlan pavers, base, bedding sand, edging and cost.
- Paver Base CalculatorEstimate compactable base material for patios and walkways.
- Sand CalculatorCalculate sand for paver bedding, leveling and landscaping.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest cost in a paver patio?
It varies with the project, but the two things that most often dominate are the base material and the labour of excavation and preparation. The pavers are the visible purchase, and they are rarely the whole story. Comparing quotes means comparing the layers as well as the finish.
Are pavers more expensive than concrete?
This site does not publish comparative prices, because both options vary enormously with specification, area, access and labour market. What can be compared honestly is the material list: the concrete calculator and the paver calculators each produce the quantities for their own build-up, and your own quotes can be applied to both.
Why is edge restraint sometimes left out of a quote?
Because it is not visually obvious and it is bought by the linear foot rather than the square foot, so it is easy to overlook when quoting from an area. Leaving it out does not make the patio cheaper; it makes the patio fail later. Ask for it by name.
Does a larger patio cost less per square foot?
Usually the material rate improves because delivery and minimum charges spread across more area, but labour and preparation do not always scale down the same way. Access and excavation complexity often matter more than size. The calculator shows the quantities so a supplier or installer can price them for your specific site.
How much does drainage add?
It depends entirely on the site. A patio that can shed water to a lawn is a different project from one that needs a channel drain and a connection to a drainage system. That is a design and site question rather than a quantity one, and it belongs in the quote as a described item.
Method and limitations
Where this estimate stops being useful
This page describes the components of a paver patio price and does not provide prices, regional estimates or quotations. It does not account for taxes, permits, spoil disposal, drainage connections or site-specific preparation. Unit prices in the worked example are illustrative entries only. Where a patio involves a slope, drainage work or a structure, obtain site-specific design advice and written quotes.
The methodology page documents how volume, waste, compaction and purchase quantities are produced, and the about page explains what this platform does and does not do.