Easy Garden Calc

How many pavers for a 12×16 patio?

Short answer

A 12 × 16 ft patio (192 square feet) in 6 × 9 in pavers needs 564 pavers: 512 plus 10% for cuts. Under them go about 5.13 tons of crusher run (4 in compacted, running 4 in past the edges) and 17.6 cubic feet of bedding sand, with 56 feet of edge restraint around the outside.

How to work it out

  1. 16 ft × 12 ft = 192 sq ft
  2. 192 sq ft ÷ (9 × 6 in = 0.375 sq ft) + 10% (not sure yet) = 564 pavers
  3. To order by area: 192 sq ft + 10% = 211 sq ft
  4. Base area (base runs 4 in past each edge): 16.7 × 12.7 ft = 211 sq ft
  5. 211 sq ft × 4 in = 2.61 cu yd compacted
  6. 2.61 cu yd compacted × 1.25 = 3.26 cu yd loose × 1.5 tons/cu yd = 4.89 tons
  7. + 5% waste = 5.13 tons
  8. Effective rate: ≈ 1.97 tons per cu yd compacted
  9. Bedding sand: 192 sq ft × 1 in + 10% for screeding = 17.6 cu ft, or 36 bags of 0.5 cu ft
  10. Bulk sand: 17.6 cu ft × 1.5 tons/cu yd (damp, typical) = 0.98 tons → order 1 ton
  11. Joint sand: 1.25 cu ft of joints 0.125 in wide, filled to 1/8 in below the top × 100 lb/cu ft = 3 bags (50 lb) (about 77 sq ft per bag)
  12. Dig: 4 in base + 1 in sand + 2.375 in paver = 7.38 in → about 7-1/2 in
  13. Soil out: 192 sq ft × 7.38 in under the pavers + 19.1 sq ft × 4 in base-only strip = 4.61 cu yd in the ground × 1.25 = 5.76 cu yd loose
  14. Edging: 56 ft around; 1 spike per foot = 56 spikes

A 12 × 16 patio comfortably holds a dining set and a grill, and it is one of the most common sizes people plan. At this size the pavers are no longer the hard part: moving five tons of base and digging out five cubic yards of soil is.

Adjust for your project

ft
ft
in
Measure one paver, or read the label. Multi-size pattern kit? Use "Coverage per pallet" in More options.
in
Sets the extra for cuts. More cuts, more extra
On clay or wet ground ICPI calls for a deeper base and allows a geotextile under it
in
ICPI: at least 4 in on well-drained soil; 6–8 in on clay, wet ground or where it freezes. Driveways: 6 in or more.
sq ft
Printed on the pallet tag or the maker’s spec sheet. It varies by maker and paver size, so we don’t guess · blank to skip
More options: Extra · Sold · Price …
%
Blank = from the pattern above. Straight rows 5% · herringbone 10–15% · curves 15–20%
$
Blank to skip
in
Most patio pavers are 2⅜ in (2.375). For a driveway many makers suggest 3⅛ in (3.125); ICPI allows 2⅜ in on home driveways.
Crusher run (dense-graded base) is the usual choice. Your supplier’s weight per yard is better than ours
in
Blank = the base depth. ICPI: at least the base thickness past the edging spikes (10 in is plenty) so the edge doesn’t roll off
%
Extra loose gravel to reach the compacted depth. Blank = typical: crusher run 25%, #57 stone 5%, your own material 25%. Dense-graded base / DGA 20–30%, clean stone 5–10%
%
Low spots, spillage and edges · 5% is typical
in
About 1 in, screeded (ICPI). Not over 1½ in — thick sand shifts. We add 10% for screeding and spills.
in
Gap between pavers, for the polymeric sand. Pavers with spacer nubs: about 1/8 in (0.125)
No edge restraint needed there. Rectangle: we take off the length first, then the width
Pavers564 pavers
Pavers to order by area (sq ft, with extra)
211 sq ft
Patio area
192 sq ft
Base gravel (crusher run)
5.13 tons (10,262 lb)
Bedding sand
17.6 cu ft (0.65 cu yd)
Bedding sand in bags
36 bags (0.5 cu ft)
Bedding sand, bulk weight (approx.)
0.98 tons (1,956 lb)
Bedding sand, bulk order (rounded up to ½ ton)
1 ton
Polymeric joint sand
3 bags (50 lb)
Dig down about
7-1/2 in
Soil to remove (in the ground)
4.61 cu yd
Soil to haul away (loose, about +25%)
5.76 cu yd
Edge restraint
56 ft
Edging spikes
56 spikes
  • Slope the patio about ¼ in per foot (2%) away from the house — never less than about 3/16 in per foot (1.5%, ICPI’s minimum) — and dig the excavation to the same slope.
  • Bedding sand is screeded about 1 in thick and never used to fill low spots; ICPI keeps it under about 1½ in.
  • Dug soil fluffs up once it is out of the ground — typically 20–30%, more for clay — so the pile, trailer or dumpster needs room for the loose figure, not the in-ground one.

For this job · affiliate link
Paver edge restraintThe exposed edge is 56 ft. Without a restraint spiked into the base along it, the outside rows creep outward within a season or two.
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6 × 9 in pavers for a 12 × 16 patio, by extra for cuts

6 × 9 in pavers for a 12 × 16 patio, by extra for cuts
Extra for cutsPavers
5%538 pavers
10%564 pavers
15%589 pavers
20%615 pavers

What to know about a 12×16 paver patio

The 6 × 9 in paver is a popular in-between size: bigger than a brick, still easy to lay in running bond or herringbone. It works out to about 2.67 pavers per square foot, so 192 square feet takes 512 before extra.

  • Order base in bulk. The base runs 4 in past each edge, so it covers about 211 sq ft, which is 2.61 cubic yards once compacted. Crusher run packs down by about a quarter, so the yard has to deliver about 3.3 cubic yards loose (4.89 tons), or 5.13 tons with 5% for waste. That is one small dump-truck load; have it tipped near the patio, not on the lawn you will be crossing all week.
  • Compact in lifts. Spread the 4 in of base in two or three layers and run a rented plate compactor over each one; Oregon State University Extension’s paver guide suggests three. Dampen the gravel slightly so it packs.
  • The soil pile. Digging about 7½ in deep, with soil going back over the base strip around the edges, removes about 4.6 cubic yards of soil in the ground, and it fluffs up to nearly 6 cubic yards once dug. Line up a dumpster, a trailer, or a spot in the yard for it before you start.
  • Joint sand. At 1/8 in joints a 50 lb bag of polymeric sand covers about 77 sq ft of 6 × 9 pavers, so this patio takes 3 bags.
  • Pattern and waste. With 6 × 9 pavers in 45° herringbone, pick it in the pattern box: that is 15% extra, 589 pavers instead of 564.

If the patio is cut into a slope, a low terraced wall along one side is common — see How many blocks for a 20 ft retaining wall, 2 ft high. Smaller layouts: How many pavers for a 10×10 patio and the metric How many pavers for a 3 × 4 m patio.

Different size? Use the full Paver Calculator.

What you’ll need

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Frequently asked questions

How many 4×8 pavers for a 12×16 patio?

951 pavers with 10% extra, at 4.5 brick-size pavers per square foot.

How many 12×12 pavers for a 12×16 patio?

212 pavers: 192 square feet plus 10%.

How much base gravel for a 12×16 patio 6 inches deep?

About 8.06 tons of crusher run. At 6 in the base also runs 6 in past each edge (13 × 17 ft), and the dig goes to about 9-1/2 in.

How much edge restraint for a 12×16 patio against the house?

40 ft with one 16 ft side against the house, and about 40 spikes at one per foot.

Other common sizes

Sources