Paver Base Calculator

Calculate paver base and bedding volume from your project area and finished base depth, with optional CMHA ideal-condition reference depths you can choose.

Paver base calculator

Units
Project area
Shape

For a square, enter the same length and width.

Base and bedding

Enter the compacted base depth from your plan, or choose an educational reference below.

Show CMHA ideal-condition examplesEducational reference — nothing is selected unless you choose it

CMHA minimum base depths for conventional interlocking concrete pavers

Choosing an option fills in the base depth. You can edit it afterwards. Weak soils, poor drainage and freezing conditions require more depth; CMHA directs design to its technical guidance. This calculator applies no adjustment. These references do not apply to permeable pavers or gravel-surfaced driveways.

Source: CMHA, Proper Concrete Paver Base and Depth, published 23 May 2025.

Advanced optionsBase compaction / yield and extra material

Base compaction / yield

How do you know the adjustment?

Specifications such as “95% maximum dry density” are density-test targets. They do not mean adding 5% more material.

Applied to each layer after any compaction adjustment. It is separate from compaction.

Result

Your result will appear here

Enter your project area and base depth to see base and bedding volumes.

How this calculator works

The base volume is your project area multiplied by the finished (compacted) base depth. If you include a bedding layer, its volume is the same area multiplied by the bedding depth.

Base volume = Project area × Finished base depth

Bedding volume = Project area × Bedding depth

A compaction or yield figure, if you enter one, applies to the base layer only — the bedding layer does not inherit it. Any Extra material / handling allowance is applied after compaction.

Choosing a paver base depth

The CMHA references are ideal-condition minimums

The Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association gives minimum base depths for conventional interlocking concrete pavers under ideal conditions: 4 in (100 mm) for pedestrian areas, 6 in (150 mm) for residential driveways and 8 in (200 mm) for parking lots and residential streets. You can choose one of these to fill in the depth, but nothing is selected for you.

Important

Weak soils, poor drainage and freezing require a deeper base than these minimums. CMHA describes a rough way to estimate the increase but directs real designs to its technical guidance; this calculator applies no adjustment. The references do not apply to permeable pavers or to gravel-surfaced driveways.

Base material

CMHA guidance calls for locally approved road-base aggregate or dense-graded aggregate close to ASTM D2940, and warns against smooth pea gravel, river rock, screenings and material with excessive fines for the base. The Road Base and Crushed Stone calculators cover those materials on their own.

Weight

After calculating, you can enter your supplier's bulk density for the base material to estimate its weight. For a base you compacted with a volume reduction, use a loose density with the loose order volume.

For a simple area of any gravel, use the Gravel Calculator.

Worked example

Example: 20 ft × 12 ft patio, 4 in base, 1 in bedding

  1. Area: 20 ft × 12 ft = 240 ft²
  2. Base: 240 × 0.3333 ft = 80.0 ft³ = 2.96 yd³
  3. Bedding: 240 × 0.0833 ft = 20.0 ft³ = 0.74 yd³
  4. Total: 2.96 + 0.74 = 3.70 yd³

Result: 3.70 cubic yards before any compaction or allowance. The 4 in base matches the CMHA pedestrian ideal-condition minimum; the bedding depth is an example input.

Frequently asked questions

How deep should a paver base be?

It depends on use, soil, drainage and climate. CMHA’s ideal-condition minimums are 4 in for pedestrian areas, 6 in for residential driveways and 8 in for parking lots and residential streets, for conventional interlocking concrete pavers. Poorer conditions need more.

If I pick a CMHA depth and then change it, what happens?

The depth is then marked as user supplied, because it no longer matches the reference.

Does compaction apply to the bedding layer?

No. The compaction or yield figure applies to the base layer only.

Can I use pea gravel as a paver base?

CMHA guidance warns against smooth pea gravel and river rock for the base of conventional interlocking concrete pavers.

Sources & methodology

Volumes are geometry and the adjustments you enter. CMHA depths are used only if you select them. Sources relevant to this page: