How to Measure for the Number of Pavers Needed for a Walkway

Paver walkways can include colors and patterns.

Paving-stone walkways have a classic look that improves the appearance of any landscape. Homeowners often build the walkways as do-it-yourself projects. One of the first steps in this process is determining the materials necessary. Homeowners who have prepared a plan for the walkway are ready to calculate the number of pavers needed to complete the project.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the width and length of the planned walkway in inches. If the walkway is curved measure the outside or longest side of the walkway. Multiply the length by the width to calculate the number of square inches of walkway. Add five percent to this amount to allow for waste, or ten percent if the walkway has multiple curves to allow for extra waste on cut pavers.

2. Measure the length and width of each paver. Multiply these two measurements to determine the coverage of each paver. If, for example, the paver is five inches long and three inches wide, each paver will cover fifteen square inches.

3. Divide the number of square inches of the total project, including the waste factor, by the number of square inches of coverage of each paver. This yields the number of pavers necessary for the project.

Tips & Warnings

• The calculation of the total square inches of the project will also be useful in determining the amount of sand necessary to create the base. Multiply area of the walkway times the depth of sand necessary to create a base at the proper height for the pavers. This is the cubic inches of sand necessary for the project.

References

• Paver Search: Installing Pavers