Paver Patio Cost: Price Pavers, Base & Sand from Your Quotes

How much does a paver patio cost?

A paver patio costs the materials you can count (pavers, base gravel, bedding sand, edge restraint and joint sand) plus the work: excavation, compaction, cutting, laying and haul-off. We do not print a national average, because paver prices span plain concrete holland stones to large-format slabs, and labor depends on access, soil and pattern. The calculator above counts the materials for your size and pattern; this page turns those counts and your supplier’s price list into a total, a cost per square foot and a cost per square metre.

Patio cost = pavers × price per paver + base tons × base price + sand tons × sand price + edging + joint sand + excavation and haul-off + labor

1. Count the materials. Enter length, width, paver size and pattern above. The base and sand default to Iowa State Extension’s 5 in and 1 1/2 in.
2. Price each line. Ask your yard for the paver price (each, per ft² or per pallet), base and sand per ton delivered, and edging and joint sand.
3. Add labor from installer quotes.
4. Divide the total by the area for cost per ft², and multiply by 10.764 for cost per m².

Tons use the calculator’s typical 1.6 t/yd³ for crusher run and 1.35 t/yd³ for sand; orders are rounded up to the half ton. Your supplier’s weights win.

How much do pavers cost per square foot?

Paver cost per square foot is the price per paver times how many cover a square foot. That is why a small cheap paver can cost more per square foot than a large one. Multiply your price per paver by the factor in the table:

Counts are nominal (joints ignored), as in the calculator. If your yard quotes by the square foot or by the pallet, use that directly: divide the pallet price by the square feet per pallet on the label. Add the pattern allowance on top: at 10%, a $2.70 per ft² paver becomes $2.97 per ft² of patio.

How much do common paver patio sizes cost in materials?

These totals use 4 × 8 in pavers with a 10% allowance, 5 in of base and 1 1/2 in of sand, and the example prices above. Swap in your prices; the counts do not change.

Figures come from scripts/paver-patio-cost.ts, which uses the same functions as the calculator. Not included: edge restraint, joint sand, geotextile, delivery fees, equipment rental, excavation, haul-off and labor. The per-ft² figure eases slightly on larger patios because rounding rock orders up to the half ton matters less.

How do pattern and base depth change the cost?

Both change the materials a little and the labor more.

Pattern. More cuts mean more allowance and more saw time. On the 12 × 12 ft patio with 4 × 8 in pavers:

Base depth. Iowa State Extension uses 5 in of compacted gravel; Oregon State Extension gives 4 to 6 in, placed in lifts and compacted between, with a thicker base on soft clay or where vehicles drive. On 144 ft², 4 in is 1.78 yd³ (3 tons ordered), 5 in is 2.22 yd³ (4 tons) and 6 in is 2.67 yd³ (4½ tons). At $40 a ton the difference between 4 and 6 in is $60 in rock, but every extra inch is also more digging and haul-off. Skimping on base to save money is the usual cause of sunken pavers.

What else drives the price of a paver patio?

• Paver product. Plain concrete pavers, tumbled or textured faces, permeable units and natural stone differ widely in price per square foot.
• Excavation and haul-off. You dig out the base depth plus sand plus paver thickness. Ask whether removing the spoil is included.
• Edge restraint. Plastic, aluminum or concrete edging is priced per linear foot of perimeter: 48 ft on a 12 × 12 ft patio, 60 ft on 10 × 20 ft.
• Joint sand. Plain or polymeric sand, priced per bag. Check the bag’s coverage on the maker’s data sheet for your joint width.
• Shape. Curves, borders and steps add cuts and labor beyond the allowance.
• Access. If a skid steer cannot reach the yard, tons of base move by wheelbarrow.
• Site prep. Removing an old slab, regrading for drainage away from the house, or building up a low area adds lines.

ICPI runs a certified installer program; asking whether the crew holds it is a fair quality check when comparing quotes.

Are pavers cheaper than a concrete patio?

Compare two real quotes for the same size, since each has its own labor. For 12 × 12 ft, a 4 in concrete patio needs 1.78 yd³, ordered as 2 yd³, plus forms, a base and finishing on a single day. The paver patio needs 713 pavers, about 4 tons of base and 1 ton of sand, and more hours of hand work. Pavers can be lifted and relaid when a utility repair or a settled spot needs it; a concrete slab is cut and patched. Price the concrete side with concrete patio cost and divide both totals by 144 ft².

Is it cheaper to install a paver patio yourself?

You save the labor line, often the largest on the quote, but buy every material, rent a plate compactor and a masonry saw or splitter, and move the base yourself: about 3½ tons for a 12 × 12 ft patio, before excavating the soil underneath. A straight-lay patio on flat, well-drained ground is a common DIY project; a herringbone patio, a sloped site or a driveway is where installers earn their price.

How do I compare paver patio quotes?

1. Same patio. Area, paver product, pattern and base depth.
2. Itemized lines. Pavers, base, sand, edging, joint sand, excavation, haul-off, labor.
3. Check the counts. Run the calculator with the quote’s size. A bid with far less base than the depth you agreed on is a red flag.
4. Divide by area, for cost per ft² (or per m²).
5. Ask about the base: depth, material and how many lifts are compacted.

Paver patio cost vs related pages

This page prices a paver patio. To count units in detail, use the paver calculator; for the layers underneath, the paver base calculator and paver sand calculator. For a poured patio, see concrete patio cost and concrete cost per square foot, or start from the concrete calculator. If the patio sits behind a wall, price the wall on retaining wall cost.