{
  "slug": "paver-base-calculator",
  "title": "Paver Base Calculator",
  "heading": "Paver Base Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/paver-base-calculator",
  "summary": "Crushed stone base tonnage for a patio or walkway built under pavers.",
  "description": "A stable paver patio or walkway depends on a properly compacted crushed stone base layer beneath the sand bedding and pavers themselves, and that base is typically the largest material quantity in the whole project by weight. This calculator takes your patio or path area and your target compacted base depth, commonly 4 inches for walkways and light-traffic patios or 6-8 inches for driveways and areas with vehicle loads, then converts to cubic yards and multiplies by crushed stone's density (around 1.4 tons per cubic yard) to get the tonnage to order. Because base material is spread and then compacted with a plate compactor, the calculator includes a compaction allowance since the loose delivered volume needs to exceed your finished, compacted depth target by roughly 15-20% to account for how much crushed stone settles under a vibrating plate. Skimping on base depth is one of the most common causes of paver settling and unevenness down the road, so it's worth ordering slightly generous rather than exactly to the calculated minimum.",
  "formula": "Cubic Yards = (Area × Compacted Depth ft) ÷ 27. Tons = Cubic Yards × Density × (1 + Compaction%).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-06",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=paver-base-calculator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "area",
      "label": "Patio/path area",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 200,
      "unit": "sq ft",
      "min": 5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "depthIn",
      "label": "Compacted base depth",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 2,
      "max": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "density",
      "label": "Base stone density",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.4,
      "unit": "tons/cu yd",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "compactionPct",
      "label": "Compaction allowance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 30
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "tons",
      "label": "Base stone needed",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": "tons",
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "cubicYards",
      "label": "Compacted cubic yards",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "area",
      "label": "Area covered",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": "sq ft",
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Patio/path area: 200 sq ft",
      "Compacted base depth: 4 in",
      "Base stone density: 1.4 tons/cu yd",
      "Compaction allowance: 15 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Base stone needed: 3.98",
      "Compacted cubic yards: 2.47",
      "Area covered: 200"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter patio/path area (sq ft).",
      "Enter compacted base depth (in).",
      "Enter base stone density (tons/cu yd).",
      "Enter compaction allowance (%).",
      "Read your base stone needed on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "area": 120,
        "depthIn": 2.4,
        "density": 1,
        "compactionPct": 9
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "area": 200,
        "depthIn": 4,
        "density": 1.4,
        "compactionPct": 15
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "area": 320,
        "depthIn": 6.4,
        "density": 2,
        "compactionPct": 24
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How deep should paver base be?",
      "a": "4 inches compacted is the general minimum for pedestrian patios and walkways; driveways or areas with vehicle traffic should use 6-8 inches or more, often in two compacted lifts."
    },
    {
      "q": "What type of stone is used for paver base?",
      "a": "Crushed, angular stone with fines (often called crusher run, road base, or Class II base) compacts and locks together far better than clean, rounded gravel, which won't form a stable interlocking layer."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why order extra for compaction?",
      "a": "Loose base material takes up noticeably more volume than it will once run over with a plate compactor, so ordering only the finished depth's volume will leave you short once it's compacted down."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I still need a sand layer on top of the base?",
      "a": "Yes, a thin 1-inch bedding sand layer goes on top of the compacted base to allow pavers to be leveled precisely; the base itself provides structural support while the sand layer provides fine adjustment."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gravel-tons-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sand-tons-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/decomposed-granite-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Paver Base Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/paver-base-calculator)"
}