Calculations For Pavers

Design

• The design of the area in which you are are using pavers affects your calculations. The easiest design for estimating the number of pavers required is a square or rectangular. You also can plan your design to reduce the need to cut the pavers or worry about wasting partial pavers. If your design isn't a square or rectangle, break it up into easier areas to measure. For example, mark off a main rectangular area for measurement. Create smaller rectangular, circular or triangular shapes so you can estimate those separately.

Measuring Coverage

• Use a tape measure to measure the area the pavers will cover as the basis for your calculations. Measure both the length and width of the area. Calculate the measurements in feet because most pavers are sold based on the square footage they cover. Multiply the length and width to get the area. If the resulting area is not a whole foot, round up. If you measure areas of the patio in sections, add the square footage of each to arrive at the total.

Extras

• Adding a small overage accounts for mistakes you make in cutting or measuring the area. The overage is particularly important if you have areas that will require cutting the pavers. You may be able to fit in the partial pavers in other areas, but you may have to discard them if they don't fit anywhere else. Calculate a 5 percent overage for a basic paver project or 10 percent if you will be making many cuts. To figure the amount, multiply the total square footage by either 0.05 or 0.10. Add that amount to the original square footage. For example, if you have a 150-square-foot area and you want a 10 percent overage, you would multiply 150 by 0.10 for a total of 15. This means you would need to buy enough pavers to cover another 15 square feet.

Paver Coverage

• Pavers come in various sizes, making the coverage slightly more difficulty to calculate. Most home improvement stores list pavers in terms of the square footage they will cover. Use this information to determine how many pavers to buy. For example, if a bundle of pavers covers 15 square feet and you need 300 square feet total, you would divide 300 by 15 to get 20. This means you would need 20 bundles to cover the area. If you aren't sure how much to purchase, bring your measurements with you and ask a store employee to help estimate how many you need to buy.