How paver patio cost is worked out
A paver patio has four costs, not one: the pavers, the labour, the base gravel, and the delivery. The billable area is the patio area plus 10% extra for cuts and waste: pavers are cut to fit the edges, and the offcuts are waste. The paver materials are the billable area times the paver price, and the labour is the actual area times the labour rate, because the crew lays the patio, not the offcuts. The base gravel volume is the billable area times the depth in feet, and the gravel cost is the cubic yards times the price per yard, worked out from the unrounded cubic yards. The total adds the delivery: $5,280.00 + $3,200.00 + $271.60 + $75.00 = $8,826.60.
At the defaults — 400 sq ft, pavers $12.00/sq ft, labour $8.00/sq ft, base 4 in deep, gravel $50.00/cu yd, delivery $75.00, 10% extra — the billable area is 400 × 1.10 = 440.00 sq ft, the paver materials are 440.00 × $12.00 = $5,280.00, the labour is 400 × $8.00 = $3,200.00, the gravel is 146.67 cu ft, which is 5.43 cu yd, which is $271.60, and the total is $8,826.60 — which is $8,826.60 ÷ 400 = $22.07/sq ft all-in. The patio takes 440 pavers of 12 by 12 in, and the gravel weighs about 15,210 lb, or 7.60 tons.
| Job | Billable | Materials | Labour | Gravel | Total | Per sq ft | Pavers |
|---|
| 400 sq ft, $12, $8 (default) | 440.00 sq ft | $5,280.00 | $3,200.00 | $271.60 | $8,826.60 | $22.07 | 440 |
| 300 sq ft, $12, $8 | 330.00 sq ft | $3,960.00 | $2,400.00 | $203.70 | $6,638.70 | $22.13 | 330 |
| 400 sq ft, $18, $8 | 440.00 sq ft | $7,920.00 | $3,200.00 | $271.60 | $11,466.60 | $28.67 | 440 |
| 400 sq ft, $12, $12 | 440.00 sq ft | $5,280.00 | $4,800.00 | $271.60 | $10,426.60 | $26.07 | 440 |
| 400 sq ft, no delivery | 440.00 sq ft | $5,280.00 | $3,200.00 | $271.60 | $8,751.60 | $21.88 | 440 |
The worked example, line by line
Setup: 400 sq ft, pavers $12.00/sq ft, labour $8.00/sq ft, base 4 in deep, gravel $50.00/cu yd, delivery $75.00, 10% extra.
Line 1 — the billable area. 400 × 1.10 = 440.00 sq ft to order.
Line 2 — the paver materials. 440.00 × $12.00 = $5,280.00.
Line 3 — the labour. 400 × $8.00 = $3,200.00, on the actual area, not the billable area.
Line 4 — the gravel volume. 440.00 × 4 ÷ 12 = 146.67 cu ft, which is 146.67 ÷ 27 = 5.43 cu yd.
Line 5 — the gravel cost. 5.43 × $50.00 = $271.60, worked out from the unrounded cubic yards.
Line 6 — the total. $5,280.00 + $3,200.00 + $271.60 + $75.00 delivery = $8,826.60, or $22.07/sq ft all-in.
Line 7 — the pavers and the weight. 440.00 sq ft at 1 paver per sq ft is 440 pavers, and the gravel weighs 5.43 × 2,800 = 15,210 lb, or 7.60 tons.
Line 8 — the budget. An $8,000 budget minus $75 delivery is $7,925, and $7,925 ÷ 21.8790123 = 362.22 sq ft of patio. A $15,000 budget buys 682.16 sq ft.
Every branch, checked
300 sq ft: the billable area is 300 × 1.10 = 330.00 sq ft, the materials are $3,960.00 and the labour is $2,400.00, the gravel is 110.00 cu ft, which is 4.07 cu yd, which is $203.70, and the total is $6,638.70, or $22.13/sq ft all-in. A smaller patio costs less in total, but a little more per foot, because the $75 delivery is spread over fewer feet.
Paver $18.00/sq ft: the billable area is the same, but the materials rise to 440.00 × $18.00 = $7,920.00, so the total is $11,466.60, or $28.67/sq ft all-in. Dear pavers are still the same pavers to lay: the price is the stone and the yard, not the laying.
Labour $12.00/sq ft: the labour rises to 400 × $12.00 = $4,800.00, so the total is $10,426.60, or $26.07/sq ft all-in. Dear labour is the crew and the ground, not the pavers: a patio on a slope costs more to lay than a patio on flat ground.
No delivery: with no delivery charge, the total is the materials, labour and gravel alone: $8,751.60, or $21.88/sq ft all-in. Picking it up yourself saves $75, but the gravel weighs about 15,210 lb, so 5.43 cu yd is about seven and a half tons — bring a truck, not a car boot.
Reverse — the $8,000 budget: the delivery takes $75 of the budget, leaving $7,925, and $7,925 ÷ 21.8790123 = 362.22 sq ft of patio. A $15,000 budget buys 682.16 sq ft, which is 319.94 sq ft more than the $8,000 budget. The per-foot cost of 21.8790123 is 1.10 × $12.00 of pavers, plus $8.00 of labour, plus 1.10 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 × $50.00 of gravel.
What the defaults assume
The model assumes a flat patio on level ground: a slope, a patio with a curved edge, or a patio that follows a wall changes the cuts, because the pavers are cut to fit and the offcuts are waste. It assumes 12 by 12 in pavers, one per square foot, which is right for square pavers but not for rectangular pavers, which need more or fewer per foot. It assumes a cubic yard of gravel weighs 2,800 lb, which is right for crushed stone but not for wet gravel, which can weigh 3,000 lb a yard. It assumes the delivery is one load: a yard that charges per load, not per yard, will charge the same $75 for 5 cu yd and for 10 cu yd. It assumes the pavers are laid the day they arrive: pavers left in a pile chip, and the extra you ordered does not cover pavers that broke. Rounding convention: money is rounded to cents, areas and volumes to 2 decimals, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|
| Billable area | area × (1 + extra ÷ 100) | 440.00 sq ft. |
| Paver materials | billable × paver price/sq ft | $5,280.00. |
| Labour | area × labour rate/sq ft | $3,200.00. |
| Gravel volume | billable × depth ÷ 12 | 146.67 cu ft = 5.43 cu yd. |
| Gravel cost | cu yd × price per cu yd (unrounded) | $271.60. |
| Total cost | materials + labour + gravel + delivery | $8,826.60. |
| Cost per sq ft | total ÷ area | $22.07/sq ft all-in. |
| 300 sq ft | same model | Billable 330.00 sq ft, materials $3,960.00, labour $2,400.00, total $6,638.70, $22.13/sq ft. |
| Paver $18.00/sq ft | same model, paver $18 | Materials $7,920.00, total $11,466.60. |
| Labour $12.00/sq ft | same model, labour $12 | Labour $4,800.00, total $10,426.60. |
| No delivery | same model, delivery $0 | Total $8,751.60, $21.88/sq ft all-in. |
| Reverse: $8,000 budget | (budget − delivery) ÷ 21.8790123 | 362.22 sq ft; $15,000 buys 682.16 sq ft. |
Who uses this
- The homeowner replacing a cracked concrete patio: they learn a 400 sq ft paver patio costs $8,826.60 — $5,280.00 of pavers and $3,200.00 of labour — so they know the exact number before they call the contractor, and they know it is 440 pavers, not a guess.
- The landlord paving a rental patio: they learn a 300 sq ft patio costs $6,638.70 — and they learn the delivery is $75 of $6,638, so ordering more pavers in one load is cheaper than two loads.
- The couple choosing between pavers and concrete: pavers cost $8,826.60 for this patio, and the same patio in concrete is cheaper to lay — so they check the 25-year comparison before they decide, because pavers win over 25 years.
- The renovator on an $8,000 budget: they learn $8,000 covers 362.22 sq ft — so they know the 400 sq ft patio is out of reach, and the 300 sq ft patio fits with room to spare.
Accuracy & limitations
The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the billable area is the area plus the extra, the materials are the billable area times the paver price, the labour is the actual area times the labour rate, the gravel cost is the cubic yards times the price, and the total is the materials plus the labour plus the gravel plus the delivery. What the model cannot do is measure your patio for you: measure along the patio, and for a patio that follows a curve or a slope, measure the patio, not the straight-line distance. It leaves out the edging, the sand, the sealing, the grading, and tax — ask the contractor whether the quote includes those. It assumes 12 by 12 in pavers, one per square foot, and a cubic yard of gravel weighs 2,800 lb. It assumes the pavers are laid the day they arrive. For the 25-year comparison with concrete, see paver patio vs concrete patio; for the concrete itself, see concrete cost calculator.
Cite this calculatorBright Side Kit. “Paver Patio Cost Calculator: Price Per Sq Ft & Install 2026.” brightoolbox.com, 2026. Method: billable area = area × (1 + extra ÷ 100); paver materials = billable × paver price/sq ft; labour = actual area × labour rate/sq ft; gravel volume = billable × depth(in) ÷ 12 cu ft, ÷ 27 = cu yd; gravel cost = cu yd × price per cu yd (unrounded); total = materials + labour + gravel + delivery; cost per sq ft = total ÷ area; pavers = ceil(billable) at 1 per sq ft; weight = cu yd × 2,800 lb; budget covers (budget − delivery) ÷ coefficient, where coefficient = (1 + extra/100) × paver price + labour + (1 + extra/100) × (depth/12) / 27 × gravel price. Defaults: 400 sq ft, paver $12.00/sq ft, labour $8.00/sq ft, 4 in deep, gravel $50.00/cu yd, delivery $75.00, 10% extra → billable 440.00 sq ft, materials $5,280.00, labour $3,200.00, gravel 146.67 cu ft = 5.43 cu yd, gravel cost $271.60, total $8,826.60, $22.07/sq ft, 440 pavers, 15,210 lb (7.60 tons); 300 sq ft → billable 330.00, materials $3,960.00, labour $2,400.00, gravel 110.00 cu ft = 4.07 cu yd, $203.70, total $6,638.70, $22.13/sq ft; paver $18.00/sq ft → materials $7,920.00, total $11,466.60; labour $12.00/sq ft → labour $4,800.00, total $10,426.60; no delivery → total $8,751.60; $8,000 budget → 362.22 sq ft; $15,000 budget → 682.16 sq ft.Bright Side Kit. "Paver Patio Cost Calculator: Price Per Sq Ft & Install 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/paver-patio-cost/ Accessed October 24, 2026.
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