6 × 10 ft paver patio in 4×8″ brick, running bond
| Pavers4.5 per ft² plus 5% waste | 284pavers |
|---|---|
| Area6 × 10 ft | 60ft² |
| Base stone (4″ compacted)0.9 yd³ ordered — includes 22% for compaction | 1.27tons |
| Bedding sand (1″)0.19 yd³ | 0.25tons |
| Polymeric joint sandabout 80 ft² per bag | 150 lb bags |
| Edge restraintthe perimeter — without it the field creeps outward | 32linear ft |
| Excavation depth4″ base + 1″ sand + 2⅜″ paver | 7.4in |
| Soil to removeand it has to go somewhere | 1.4yd³ |
| Patternoffset rows — the simplest to lay and the least wasteful | running bond |
Notes
- The base is the job. Pavers do not fail because of the pavers; they fail because the base was too thin, not compacted, or laid on soft ground. 4 inches compacted is the standard for foot traffic, and it wants compacting in lifts of no more than 4 inches at a time.
- Excavation is 7.4 inches, which means 1.4 cubic yards of soil out of the ground and off the property. That is the part people cost last and the part that decides whether this is a weekend or a skip hire.
- Running bond: offset rows — the simplest to lay and the least wasteful. At 5% waste this is among the cheapest patterns to lay.
- On a patio the pattern is a free choice — nothing here is load-limited. Pick for looks and for how much cutting you are willing to do.
- Edge restraint is not optional. 32 linear ft around the perimeter, spiked into the base. Without it the outer courses walk outward, the joints open, and the sand washes out from the edge inward.
- Slope away from the house at about ¼ inch per foot before you lay anything. Correcting drainage afterwards means lifting the field.
The base is the job
Pavers do not fail because of the pavers. They fail because the base was too thin, not compacted, or laid on soft ground — and the only repair is lifting the whole field.
This 6 × 10 ft patio needs 1.27 tons of compacted base stone at 4″, plus 0.25 tons of bedding sand. Compact the base in lifts of no more than four inches; one pass over eight inches of loose stone compacts the top and leaves the bottom exactly as it was.
Dig deeper than you think
7.4 inches — base, sand and the paver itself. That is 1.4 cubic yards of soil out of the ground and off the property.
This is the line people cost last and the one that decides the scale of the project.
Pattern changes the paver count
running bond runs 5% waste. Running bond and basketweave are around 5%; 90° herringbone about 10%; 45° herringbone 15%, because almost every edge paver takes two cuts and the offcuts rarely fit anywhere else.
On a driveway the extra cutting is worth it. Herringbone interlocks against braking and turning loads in a way no straight pattern does, and a running-bond drive spreads over a few seasons however good the base is.
Edge restraint
32 linear ft around the perimeter, spiked into the base. Without it the outer courses walk outward, joints open, and jointing sand washes out from the edge inward until the field unravels.
Before anything goes down
Slope away from the house at about ¼ inch per foot. Fixing drainage after the pavers are laid means lifting them.
Nearby sizes
Read more
- Paver Base Cost — What the Layer Nobody Sees Actually CostsThe base is a third of the material cost and all of the reason a patio either stays flat or does not.
- Bags or a Truck — The Crossover Is About One Cubic YardThe arithmetic is not really about price. It is about how long a slab can sit half-poured before the joint between the halves becomes permanent.
- Rebar in a Slab — Spacing, Cover, and Why Position Matters MoreRebar laid on the ground and left there does nothing. It has to be held up into the concrete, and that is the step that gets skipped.
- Concrete Slab Cost by State — 400 ft², All 51The figures price a 4-inch slab on grade. A driveway wants six inches and rebar, and that is not a small adjustment.