How many pavers per square foot?
Divide 144 by the paver's area in square inches.
A 4x8 is 32 sq in, so 144 ÷ 32 = 4.5 pavers per square foot. A 12x12 is exactly 1. A 24x24 is 0.25 — one paver covers four square feet.
Every common size
| Paver | Per sq ft | 100 sq ft | 200 sq ft | Per pallet (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x8 (holland) | 4.50 | 473 | 945 | 540 |
| 6x6 | 4.00 | 420 | 840 | 480 |
| 6x9 | 2.67 | 280 | 560 | 320 |
| 8x8 | 2.25 | 237 | 473 | 270 |
| 12x12 | 1.00 | 105 | 210 | 120 |
| 16x16 | 0.56 | 60 | 119 | 68 |
| 12x24 | 0.50 | 53 | 105 | 60 |
| 24x24 | 0.25 | 27 | 53 | 30 |
Counts include 5% for cuts. Pallets are sold by coverage rather than by count — around 120 sq ft each for a standard paver — so the pallet column is approximate and yards vary. Ask for coverage, not units.
How much to add for waste
5% for a straight running bond. Cuts happen only at the edges, and a rectangular patio has few of them.
10% for a diagonal (45 degree) layout. Every paver along every edge is cut, and the offcuts are triangles that rarely serve anywhere else.
10 to 15% for curves and circles. A curved edge cuts every unit along it, and a circle kit is sized for one radius — deviate from it and the waste climbs quickly.
Buy the waste with the order, from the same batch. Concrete pavers vary in colour between production runs enough to see across a patio, and a repair made two years later from a fresh pallet reads as a patch.
Common questions
- How many 12x12 pavers for a 10x10 area?
- 100 sq ft at 1 per sq ft is 100 pavers, plus waste — order 105. This is the one case where the arithmetic is invisible, which is why 12x12 is the size people find easiest to plan with.
- How many 16x16 pavers for a 10x10 patio?
- 60. A 16x16 covers 1.78 sq ft each, so fewer units — but they are heavy, and a 16x16 is awkward to cut without a saw.
- How many pavers per square metre?
- Multiply the per-square-foot figure by 10.76. A 4x8 at 4.5 per sq ft is about 48 per square metre.
- How many pavers on a pallet?
- It depends on the size, because pallets are built to a weight and a coverage rather than a count. Roughly 120 sq ft per pallet is a fair planning figure, which is about 540 of a 4x8 or 120 of a 12x12.
- Do I subtract for the joints?
- No. Pavers are manufactured slightly under their nominal size so the joint falls inside it — a "4x8" is nearer 3 7/8 by 7 7/8. Calculate on the nominal size and the joints are already accounted for.
- What about a border course?
- Count it separately, in linear feet rather than area. A border of 4x8 pavers laid end to end takes 1.5 per foot of perimeter, and it is usually a different colour, so it is a different order line.
Related answers
Or size a specific patio with the paver guide.