How much gravel do I need for a paver base?

For a standard residential paver patio at 4 inches deep, you need 1 yd³ of CA6 (or equivalent) for every 81 sq ft. Add about 0.31 yd³ of concrete sand per 81 sq ft for the 1-inch bedding layer.

What's the best gravel for a paver base?

CA6, 21AA, or Class 5 — these are dense-graded crushed stones with fines. They compact to a near-concrete hardness, which is what pavers need to stay flat. Don't use #57 alone; the lack of fines means it won't compact tightly.

How deep should the base be under pavers?

4 inches of compacted base for pedestrian patios and walkways. 6 inches in clay or freeze zones. 6–8 inches for vehicle traffic. The 1-inch sand setting bed sits on top of the compacted base.

Can I use #57 stone as a paver base?

Not by itself. #57 is open-graded (no fines) and won't compact tightly enough to support pavers — they'll shift over time. Use CA6, 21AA, or Class 5 (dense-graded with fines) for paver bases.

Do I need sand under pavers?

Yes — 1 inch of coarse concrete sand (not play sand, not mason sand) on top of the compacted base, screeded flat. Pavers are bedded into this sand layer.

Polymeric sand vs regular sand for paver joints?

Polymeric sand goes in the paver joints (the gaps between pavers) — it hardens with water and resists weed growth and washout. Regular concrete sand is the bedding layer underneath. They are different products for different jobs.

How much polymeric sand do I need for paver joints?

About 1 bag (50 lb) per 50–100 sq ft of paver area, depending on joint width and paver thickness. Buy from the paver supplier and follow their joint-fill recommendation for the specific paver style.

How deep does the paver base need to be?

4 inches of compacted dense-grade base (CA6, 21AA, or crusher run) for foot-traffic patios and walkways. Driveways and parking pads need 6–8 inches. Plus 1 inch of bedding sand on top, regardless of base depth. Compaction matters more than depth — use a plate compactor in 2-inch lifts.

Can I use crushed concrete as a paver base?

Yes. Recycled crushed concrete (RCA) compacts as well as virgin aggregate and is typically 30–50% cheaper. Make sure it's been processed to remove rebar and graded similar to CA6 or ABC. Some local codes restrict its use under permeable pavers — check with your municipality.

Paver Base Calculator — CA6 + Bedding Sand

How this calculator works for paver bases

A paver patio build: 4 inches of compacted CA6 base + 1 inch of bedding sand under the pavers.

A paver build is two-layer aggregate work. The bottom is 4 inches of CA6, 21AA, or Class 5 — a dense-graded base with fines that compacts to near-concrete hardness. The top is 1 inch of coarse concrete sand (not play sand, not mason sand) as a leveled setting bed. Pavers go on the sand; the joints get polymeric sand swept in.

Use the calculator above for the 4-inch base layer. Then run it again, this time selecting "Concrete Sand" as the material and setting depth to 1 inch for the bedding layer. The two numbers together tell you exactly what to order.

Compact in 2-inch lifts, then screed sand

Compact the base in two 2-inch lifts with a plate compactor. Screed the sand with a 2×4 dragged across pipe screeds — never compact the sand, just screed it once and lay pavers immediately.

For driveways with paver surfaces, increase the base to 6–8 inches — the same lift technique applies.

Recommended depth & material

Use	Depth	Material	Notes
Pedestrian patio / walkway	4" base + 1" sand	CA6 base, concrete sand bedding	Standard residential build.
Patio in clay or freeze zone	6" base + 1" sand	CA6 base, concrete sand bedding	Extra depth resists heave.
Paver driveway (light vehicle)	6" – 8" base + 1" sand	CA6 / 21AA, concrete sand	Compact in 2" lifts.
Paver driveway (heavy / RV)	8" – 10" base + 1" sand	Crushed #4 + CA6 base, concrete sand	Three-layer build with geotextile.
Pool deck pavers	4" base + 1" sand	CA6, washed concrete sand	Pitch slightly away from pool.

How to measure for a paver base

The footprint of the paver area is what you measure — same as a patio. The two-layer math is what makes paver bases different from a generic gravel patio.

Mark the paver footprint. Stake the corners and run string. Important: dig 2 inches wider than the finished paver edge so you have room for restraints (paver edging) on the side.
Measure length × width. In feet. Multi-area mode handles L-shapes, doglegs, or stepped patios.
Run the calculator for the base layer. Set depth to 4 inches (or 6 inches for clay / heavy use). Material defaults to CA6.
Run the calculator again for the sand layer. Same area, but switch to 1 inch depth and choose 'Concrete Sand' as the material.
Add the two orders together. Order both from the same supplier in the same delivery if possible — saves a delivery fee.
Add 10% buffer to each. Compaction loss on CA6 is real; sand also gets lost during screeding. 10% per layer keeps you covered.

Worked example: 12-ft × 16-ft paver patio

192 sq ft of paver area, residential pedestrian build:

Base layer (4" CA6): 192 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.37 yd³. At 2,650 lb/yd³, that is 3.14 tons. With 10% buffer: ~3.5 tons.
Sand layer (1" concrete sand): 192 × 1 ÷ 324 = 0.59 yd³. At 2,700 lb/yd³, ~0.8 tons. With 10% buffer: ~0.9 tons.
Combined: ~3.0 yd³ / 4.4 tons of aggregate + sand.
Cost: at $50/ton, ~$220 in materials. Add ~$25 in polymeric joint sand and ~$60 in plastic paver restraint edging.

Paver Base Gravel Calculator

Paver base calculator (4" base layer)

How this calculator works for paver bases

Recommended depth & material

How to measure for a paver base

Worked example: 12-ft × 16-ft paver patio

Frequently asked questions

Related calculators

Patio Calculator

Gravel Calculator

Driveway Calculator

Shed Base Calculator

Cost Calculator