What size pavers for a driveway or patio?
Thickness decides it, not face size.
80 mm (3 1/8 in) under a car, 60 mm (2 3/8 in) for a patio or walkway. The pattern you like is a separate question from the one that keeps the driveway intact.
Thickness by use
| Use | Thickness | Face size | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway | 80 mm / 3 1/8 in | Small units, 4x8 or 6x9 | Small units interlock and shed load sideways to their neighbours |
| Patio | 60 mm / 2 3/8 in | Anything, including large format | Foot traffic and furniture only |
| Walkway | 60 mm / 2 3/8 in | Small to medium | Narrow runs cut better in small units |
| Under a pool leg | 60 mm minimum, on compacted base | 12x12 or larger | Spreads a very concentrated point load |
Why small units win under a car
A paver driveway does not work because each unit is strong. It works because the units interlock: a wheel load pressing on one paver is shared with the ring of pavers around it through friction in the joints. Small rectangular units in a herringbone pattern have the most joint per square foot and the most neighbours to lean on, which is why herringbone is the standard driveway pattern rather than a style choice.
Large-format slabs have the opposite geometry. Few joints, few neighbours, and a long span across any soft spot in the base. Under a car they crack across the middle. They are excellent on a patio and wrong on a driveway.
Common questions
- Can I use 60 mm pavers on a driveway?
- Not if a car parks on it. They are rated for pedestrian traffic, and the failure is not immediate — it is a season or two of hairline cracks, then units breaking where the wheels always sit.
- What size pavers for a walkway?
- 60 mm, in a small or medium face. A 3 ft path in 24x24 slabs is one and a half slabs wide, so every second unit is cut lengthways; 4x8 or 6x9 lets the path finish on a whole unit.
- What size pavers under above-ground pool legs?
- 12x12 or larger, 60 mm at least, each one set level on compacted base rather than on grass or bare soil. A pool leg is a very concentrated load and the paver is there to spread it — a small paver just sinks with the leg on it.
- Does a bigger paver cover faster?
- Yes, and it punishes an uneven base just as fast. Large units bridge dips rather than following them, so any high spot rocks the slab and any low one leaves it hollow. On a base you are unsure of, smaller units are more forgiving.
- Are permeable pavers a different size?
- Similar face sizes but wider joints, and they need a different base — open graded stone rather than crushed with fines, so water can actually get through. Laying permeable pavers on a standard compacted base defeats the point.
- Does the pattern change how many I need?
- Only through waste. Running bond wastes about 5%, a 45 degree herringbone about 10%, because every edge unit is cut on the diagonal.
Related answers
Or size a specific patio with the paver guide.