How to Calculate the Amount of Cement to Use to Pave a Patio

A cement patio is a useful addition to a home, as it provides an area for relaxation, entertaining and play. If you plan to install a patio, one of the first things to do is to estimate the amount of cement you will need for the project. This calculation also helps you to estimate the cost of the materials associated with the job. Determining the amount of cement that you will need in order to build a patio is a process of making a few measurements and mathematical calculations.

Tape measure
Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length and width of the planned patio using a tape measure. Measure in inches.
- 2
  Multiply the length times the width of the patio. For example, if you plan to build a patio that is 120 inches long by 144 inches wide, multiply 120 by 144 to get 17,280 inches.
- 3
  Divide the area from Step Two by 144 to get square feet. In this example, you would divide 17,280 by 144 to get 120 square feet.
- 4
  Divide the number 320 by the planned thickness of the patio in order to find a conversion factor that will enable you to find the cubic yards of cement needed. For example, if you plan to make the patio 4 inches thick, divide 320 by 4 to get a conversion factor of 80.
- 5
  Divide the square footage from Step Three by the conversion factor from Step Four to calculate the number of cubic yards of cement that you'll need, since cement is usually measured in cubic yards. In this example, you would divide 120 by 80 to get 1.5 cubic yards of cement.

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