How to Calculate Square Footage for Pavers and Veneer Stone

Building a patio or walkway out of pavers or veneer stone is a great way to upgrade your landscape and define the outdoor living space.

But just like with any DIY project, it’s important that you know how much material is needed for the entire project. Keep reading to learn how to estimate the amount of material that you need to complete your project.

Determining the size of the paver project

The first step is to decide what shape, size, and design you want your patio or walkway to be. Let’s say you want to design your own patio and you want it to be large enough to accommodate outdoor furniture and a dining set so that you and your family can enjoy meals outside. Consider that you’ll want to have enough room to slide out the chairs and walk around them. If you want planters or a fire pit, take that into account as well. 

If you’re hoping to create a walkway, the standard width is 36 inches, but 48 inches allows two people to walk comfortably side-by-side. Consider that a wheelchair needs a walkway to be at least 36 inches but should also have a 60-inch-wide turnaround area. 

Now that you have an idea how large of an area you are trying to cover, you can get onto estimating the amount of materials you’ll need. We’ve laid out several equations below for you to use as guides and adjust to fit your project but know that your material needs may vary depending on the specifics of your project’s design.

Check before you buy

Before you go out and purchase materials or start working, check local building codes and your local homeowner’s association regulations to see what restrictions or requirements you might need to follow. In some areas, a permit may be mandatory.

Calculate the project area

Use the following formula to calculate the total project area in square feet. This will help determine not only the number of pavers you’ll need to purchase but also the amount of paver base and paver sand.

(length of area in feet) x (width of area in feet) = area in square feet

Pro tip: If you are working with an irregular area that isn’t a perfect rectangle, break the area down into more identifiable shapes, measure each, then add those measurements together

Determine the size of the paver

Most pavers come with a square footage measurement but some may simply list the pavers dimensions as “common” or “nominal.” These pavers are 7.7 inches long and 3.8 inches wide. 

(length of paver in inches) x (width of paver in inches) ÷ 144 = square footage per piece

A square foot equals 144 square inches.

Estimate the number of pavers you need

(area of project in square feet) ÷ (square footage per piece) = estimated minimum number of pavers

Pro tip: You should always purchase more pavers than you calculate. A good rule of thumb is to buy 10% more pavers than you think you’ll need. The excess will account for breakage, pavers you may need to cut, future replacements, and irregularities.