How to Build a Paver Patio, Step by Step
The whole job in order: layout, digging, base, sand, laying, cutting and joint sand, with the quantities worked out for a real patio.
A paver patio is a layered system: compacted gravel carries the load, a thin layer of sand lets you set each paver level, and edging stops the whole thing from creeping outward. Get the layers right and the surface stays flat for decades. Skimp on the base and it will dip and rock within a few winters.
This guide walks through the job in the order you’ll do it, using a 12 × 16 ft patio as the running example.
What you’ll need for a 12 × 16 ft patio
| Material | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pavers, 6” × 9” | 538 pavers | 201.75 sq ft after rounding up the 5% cut allowance to whole pavers |
| Crushed gravel base | 6.59 tons | 4.71 cu yd at 6” deep, with 15% for compaction |
| Bedding sand | 0.84 tons | 0.62 cu yd, a 1” layer |
| Polymeric joint sand | 5 bags | Rough estimate; check the bag’s chart |
| Edging | 7 × 8 ft | 56 ft of edge, about 56 spikes |
You’ll also want a plate compactor (most rental shops have them), a wet saw or a cut-off saw with a masonry blade, a rubber mallet, a long level, string line, stakes, two lengths of 1” metal pipe for screeding and a straight 2×4.
1. Plan the size and the slope
Mark the patio with stakes and string, or spray paint. Make the string lines square by checking that the diagonals are equal.
Water needs to run off. A common target is a fall of about ¼” per foot away from the house. On a 12 ft deep patio that’s 3” lower at the far edge. Set your strings to that slope now, because every layer below follows it.
Call 811 (US) a few days before you dig. It’s free, and buried gas, power and water lines get marked.
2. Dig out
Your dig depth is the base, plus 1” of sand, plus the paver’s thickness, measured down from where you want the finished surface. For a 6” base under 2⅜” pavers, that’s 9 3/8".
Dig 6” wider than the patio on every side. The extra base under the edge is where the edging spikes sit, and it stops the outer pavers from rolling off.
Remove sod, roots and soft organic soil, then run the plate compactor over the bottom of the hole. On a 12 × 16 patio you’ll be moving about 6.39 cubic yards of soil, so plan where it will go before you start.
3. Build the base in layers
Spread the crushed gravel 2 to 3 inches at a time, dampen it lightly and compact each layer before adding the next. Compacting a full 6” at once leaves the bottom loose.
Use crushed stone with fines (often sold as paver base, road base or crusher run). The mix of sizes locks together. Clean round gravel doesn’t.
Check the base against your string lines as you go. It should be flat and follow the slope, with no high or low spots bigger than about ⅜” under a straight edge.
See Paver Patio Base Depth for how deep to go on different soils.
4. Screed the sand
Lay the two metal pipes on the base, parallel and a few feet apart. Pour sand between them and drag the 2×4 across the pipes to leave a smooth 1” layer. Pull the pipes out, fill the grooves with sand and smooth them with a trowel.
Don’t walk on the screeded sand. Work from the pavers you’ve already laid.
5. Lay the pavers
Start at a straight edge, usually along the house, and work outward. Set each paver straight down onto the sand; don’t slide it. Keep joints tight and check your lines every few rows with a string, because small errors add up.
Lay all the full pavers first, then go back and cut the edge pieces. Herringbone and other angled patterns need more cuts, which is why they need more spare pavers.
6. Edging, compacting and joint sand
Install the edging tight against the outer pavers and spike it into the base.
Sweep dry sand into the joints, then run the plate compactor over the pavers (with a pad on it if your pavers have a finish that could scuff). This settles them into the sand bed. Sweep in more sand and compact again until the joints stay full.
For the final fill, many people use polymeric sand, which hardens when wet and resists weeds and ants. Follow the bag’s instructions closely: sweep every grain off the paver surfaces before misting with water, or it can leave a haze.
Common mistakes
- A base that’s too thin or not compacted in layers. This is the cause of most sunken patios.
- Using sand as the base. Sand belongs only in the 1” bedding layer.
- No slope. Water pools against the house or freezes on the surface.
- Skipping the edging. Pavers spread outward over time without it.
- Ordering exactly the area. You need extra for cuts and a few spares for future repairs.
Ready to work out your own patio? The Paver Patio Planner does all of the numbers above for any size, shape and paver.