How Many Pavers for a 7x7 Patio?
Pavers to buy
237 pavers
49 sq ft of patio, 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 length7 ft
- Patio width7 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 buy237 pavers
| Patio area | 49 sq ft |
|---|---|
| One paver covers | 0.227 sq ftface plus one joint |
| Pavers per sq ft | 4.4 |
| Pavers before waste | 216 |
| Base gravel, compacted | 0.91 cu yd |
| Base gravel to order | 1.09 cu yd20% added for compaction |
| Base gravel weight | 1.52 tons |
| Bedding sand | 0.15 cu yd409 lb |
| Polymeric sand, 50 lb bags | 149 sq ft per bag |
| Edge restraint | 28 ft |
The material list this produces
| Pavers | 237 |
|---|---|
| Base gravel, cu yd | 1 |
| Bedding sand, cu yd | 0 |
| Polymeric sand, 50 lb bags | 1 |
| Edge restraint, ft | 28 |
| Edging spikes | 28 |
| Geotextile fabric, sq ft | 54 |
Patio size compared
The smallest patios people build, all seven feet across. The last column is edge restraint, and at this end of the range it is the line that hurts: the edging grows almost as fast as the patio does.
| Patio size | Pavers to buy | Patio area | Edge restraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 by 7 ft | 237 pavers | 49 sq ft | 28 ft |
| 7 by 8 ft | 271 pavers | 56 sq ft | 30 ft |
| 7 by 10 ft | 339 pavers | 70 sq ft | 34 ft |
| 7 by 12 ft | 407 pavers | 84 sq ft | 38 ft |
| 7 by 14 ft | 474 pavers | 98 sq ft | 42 ft |
What else matters here
The smallest patio anybody asks about, and the thing worth knowing before starting is that the tool list does not get smaller with it.
A patio this size still needs 1.52 tons of gravel spread and compacted, and gravel compacts properly under a plate compactor and does not compact properly under anything else. Not a hand tamper, not the back of a shovel, not driving over it. A plate compactor is a rental item and it is the same rental whether the patio is 49 sq ft or ten times that, which means the machine cost per square foot on a small patio is the worst it will ever be.
The same goes for the second compaction pass, after the pavers are down and before the joint sand goes in, and for the screed rails and the string line. So if there is any chance of a second patio, a path or a shed pad in the next year, it is worth doing them in the same weekend as this one on the same rental. The gravel is the cheap part here. The machine and the trip are not.
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 7x7 patio?
237 pavers at 4 by 8 in, covering 49 sq ft with a ten percent waste allowance.
How much gravel for a 7x7 patio?
1.09 cu yd ordered, which is 1.52 tons. That is the compacted 6 in base with twenty percent added, because gravel loses volume when it is compacted.
Do I still need a plate compactor for a small patio?
Yes. Gravel does not compact properly under a hand tamper at any size, and the rental is the same whatever the patio measures, which is why a small patio has the worst machine cost per square foot.
The paver calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.