How Many Pavers for a 500 Square Foot Patio?
Pavers to buy
2,419 pavers
500 sq ft of patio, typed 20 by 25, 4 by 8 in pavers, 6 in compacted base, 1 in bedding sand, ten percent waste.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Patio length25 ft
- Patio width20 ft
- Paver length8 in
- Paver width4 in
- Paver thickness2.375 in
- Joint width0.0625 in
- Compacted gravel base6 in
- Bedding sand1 in
- Waste allowance10 %
Pavers to buy2,419 pavers
| Patio area | 500 sq ft |
|---|---|
| One paver covers | 0.227 sq ftface plus one joint |
| Pavers per sq ft | 4.4 |
| Pavers before waste | 2,199 |
| Base gravel, compacted | 9.26 cu yd |
| Base gravel to order | 11.11 cu yd20% added for compaction |
| Base gravel weight | 15.56 tons |
| Bedding sand | 1.54 cu yd4,167 lb |
| Polymeric sand, 50 lb bags | 5100 sq ft per bag |
| Edge restraint | 90 ft |
The material list this produces
| Pavers | 2,419 |
|---|---|
| Base gravel, cu yd | 11 |
| Bedding sand, cu yd | 2 |
| Polymeric sand, 50 lb bags | 5 |
| Edge restraint, ft | 90 |
| Edging spikes | 90 |
| Geotextile fabric, sq ft | 550 |
Patio size compared
Twenty feet across, the large end. Read the two right hand columns together: the area doubles between the top and the bottom of this table while the edge restraint does not come close to doubling, which is the one economy of scale a patio has.
| Patio size | Pavers to buy | Patio area | Edge restraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 by 15 ft | 1,451 pavers | 300 sq ft | 70 ft |
| 20 by 20 ft | 1,935 pavers | 400 sq ft | 80 ft |
| 20 by 25 ft | 2,419 pavers | 500 sq ft | 90 ft |
| 20 by 30 ft | 2,902 pavers | 600 sq ft | 100 ft |
| 20 by 40 ft | 3,869 pavers | 800 sq ft | 120 ft |
What else matters here
Two thousand four hundred and nineteen pavers and 15.56 tons of gravel. At this size there is a buying decision that does not exist on a small patio, and getting it wrong is visible forever.
Concrete pavers are pigmented, and the pigment varies between production runs. Two pallets of the same product from different runs can be noticeably different in shade, and the difference is invisible on a pallet and obvious across a laid patio, because a whole pallet laid in sequence puts all of one run in one block. A patio this size is several pallets, so order the entire quantity at once so it comes from one run where possible, and then lay it drawing from three pallets at a time rather than finishing one before opening the next. Mixing as you go turns any remaining variation into texture instead of a stripe.
The same thinking applies to the waste allowance, which is why it is not a good idea to order tight and top up later. The top up comes from whatever run is in stock that month, and it goes in at the edge of the patio where it is most visible. Order the full 2,419 in one go and keep the leftovers, because they are also the only matching replacements for a paver that cracks in five years.
What this calculator assumes
- The joint default is 1/16 of an inch because concrete pavers are cast with spacer nubs on the sides and that is the joint you get when they are set tight. A hand set joint at 1/8 or wider takes noticeably more polymeric sand, so type the joint you are actually laying.
- Waste is 5 percent for a running bond laid square to the edges, 10 for most patios, and 15 or more for herringbone or a circle kit, because every angled cut throws away most of a paver.
- Base gravel is quoted compacted. Crushed stone loses about a fifth of its loose volume under a plate compactor, so the order line adds 20 percent back.
- Four inches of compacted base suits a foot traffic patio on good soil. Six is the common default, and eight to twelve is driveway and heavy clay territory.
- Polymeric sand is the volume of the joints at the full thickness of the paver, at about 100 pounds per cubic foot.
- Weights use 2,800 lb per cubic yard for crushed stone and 2,700 for bedding sand.
Questions people ask
How many pavers for a 500 square foot patio?
2,419 pavers at 4 by 8 in, including a ten percent waste allowance. The bare coverage is 2,199.
Should pavers be ordered all at once?
Yes on a patio this size. Pigment varies between production runs, and a top up ordered later comes from a different run and goes in at the edge where it shows most.
Why lay from several pallets at once?
Because finishing one pallet before opening the next puts a whole production run in one block. Drawing from three at a time turns any shade variation into texture rather than a stripe.
The paver calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.