How to measure a patio for pavers
Measure each area, choose the base thickness, then work out the pavers, base stone, sand and polymeric sand to order. A worked example and a free calculator are at the end.
What to bring
- A tape measure or a measuring wheel
- Stakes and string to mark the areas
- Something to note each area: paper, or a MesuPro sheet on your phone
Step by step
Split the layout into rectangles
A patio, a walkway, a landing: each rectangle on its own line. A curved edge is measured at its longest and widest points.
Measure length and width
In feet (or meters), along the edges of the area to pave.
Choose the base thickness
The base stone thickness depends on the soil and the use (walkway or driveway). The template starts at 6 in (25 cm in meters); use the thickness your job calls for.
Read the results
Pavers: the area plus 5% waste. Base stone: area x thickness, at 2.2 metric tons per m³, shown in US tons. Bedding sand: a 3 cm (about 1.2 in) bed. Polymeric sand: one bag per 5.5 m² (about 60 sq ft), rounded up; check the coverage on your bag. Geotextile: 30 cm (about 1 ft) extra on each side, plus 10% overlap. Edging: the perimeter.
The calculation
Pavers = area + 5% waste. Base stone = area x base thickness (6 in, or 25 cm in meters, by default, as in the template), at 2.2 metric tons per m³, shown in US tons. Bedding sand = a 3 cm (about 1.2 in) bed. Polymeric sand = one bag per 5.5 m² (about 60 sq ft), rounded up. Geotextile = 30 cm (about 1 ft) extra on each side, plus 10% overlap. Edge restraint = the perimeter of each area.
Worked example
A 20 x 12 ft patio and a 30 x 4 ft walkway on a 6 in base: 360 sq ft, 378 sq ft of pavers to order, 6.67 cu yd of base stone (12.36 US tons), 1.31 cu yd of bedding sand, 7 bags of polymeric sand, 547.4 sq ft of geotextile and 132 ft of edging.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the edging and the geotextile in the order.
- Mixing up the compacted volume and the weight to order: suppliers sell stone by the ton or by the yard, so ask which.
- Measuring a curved area too tight: round up.
- Mixing feet and inches: 6 in is 0.5 ft.
Landscaping: from the yard to the order
The whole job in MesuPro
Hardscaping: patios & walkways
Patios, walkways and walls: material with waste, base stone in tons, polymeric sand, geotextile and excavation.
Feet and inches by default
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