Hardscape calculators for the whole materials list
Pavers, base gravel, sand, concrete, asphalt, retaining walls and fences — measured the way the supply yard sells them, in pieces, bags and tons.
Patios & walkways
Top to bottom: the surface, the joints, the bed and the base.
- Paver CalculatorPieces, pallets and cut waste for any patio pattern.→
- Paver Base CalculatorCompacted gravel base and bedding sand, in tons.→
- Paver Sand CalculatorScreeded 1-inch sand layer in tons, yards and bags.→
- Polymeric Sand CalculatorJoint-sand bags from paver size and joint width.→
- Flagstone CalculatorTons of flagstone by thickness, plus the base under it.→
Bulk materials
Anything sold by the yard or the ton.
Walls & fences
Linear builds: blocks, caps, posts and rails.
Budget
Turn quantities into money.
Plan it in the order you’ll build it
Every hardscape job is a stack of layers, and the quantities fall out of that stack. Measure the finished surface first. Work down through the surface material, the bedding and the base; the dig depth is simply their sum. Then add the things that hold it all in place — edge restraint, a wall, a fence line.
Keep the numbers honest by using the densities your supplier quotes. A “yard” of stone from one quarry can weigh 10% more than from another, and damp sand weighs more than dry. Every calculator here lets you override the default weight.
- MeasureLength × width of the finished surface; split odd shapes into rectangles, circles and triangles.
- SurfacePavers, flagstone, asphalt or concrete — with waste for cuts.
- Bed & base1″ of sand over 4–10″ of compacted crushed stone, depending on load and soil.
- Contain itEdge restraint, retaining wall or fence — whatever keeps it in place.
- Price itRun the totals through the cost estimator, then compare real quotes.
Ask a hardscape question
Stuck on something the calculators don’t answer — which base for clay, whether a wall needs geogrid, how to slope a patio? Ask in plain words.
Answers come from an AI model and can be wrong — treat them as a second opinion, not engineering advice. Your text is sent to the model to answer and isn't stored by us.
Questions people ask
What materials do I need for a paver patio?
From the bottom up: geotextile fabric on clay soils, 4–6 inches of compacted crushed base (¾-inch minus), 1 inch of concrete sand for bedding, the pavers themselves plus 5–15% waste, edge restraint around the perimeter, and polymeric or jointing sand to fill the gaps.
In what order should I calculate materials?
Start with the finished surface area, then work down: pavers or slabs, bedding sand, base gravel. Excavation depth is the sum of all three layers. For walls and fences, start with length and height and let the block or post count drive the gravel and concrete.
Should I order bulk or bagged material?
Bags make sense for under about 1–1.5 tons (or under a yard of concrete). Above that, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper and saves your back — a 12×16 patio base alone is nearly 5 tons, or about 190 bags.
Are these calculators accurate for contractors?
The formulas are the standard volume and coverage calculations used for take-offs, with editable densities, waste and depth. Supplier densities vary, so plug in your yard’s figures when you have them.