How to Build a Paver Patio Base (Layers & Depths)
Quick answer: a paver patio base is about 4 inches of compacted crushed-stone gravel plus 1 inch of bedding sand over firm subgrade — roughly 5 inches beneath the pavers. Driveways need 6 inches or more of gravel. The paver calculator sizes every layer; here's how the base goes together and why each part matters.
The layers, bottom to top
- Subgrade — the native soil, graded and compacted. It must be firm and drain; soft or wet spots need digging out and filling with more base.
- Gravel base — about 4 inches of dense-grade crushed stone for a patio or walkway, 6 inches or more for a driveway, compacted in 2–3 inch lifts.
- Bedding sand — a thin, screeded 1-inch layer of sharp sand the pavers set into.
- Pavers — set, then tamped down into the sand.
- Joints & edges — polymeric sand swept into the joints, and an edge restraint around the perimeter.
What gravel for the base?
Use a dense-grade crushed stone like crusher run that includes stone dust (fines), so it compacts into a hard, locked base. Don't use smooth, round pea gravel — it won't compact or hold the load. Clean single-size stone is for drainage, not the structural base. The crushed stone calculator sizes the base by the ton.
How deep, and why lifts matter
Compaction is everything. Gravel dumped in one thick layer never compacts properly and the pavers settle unevenly later. Place the base in 2–3 inch lifts, compacting each with a plate compactor before adding the next. For a patio, two lifts get you to 4 inches; a driveway needs more.
A worked example
For a 100-square-foot patio:
- Gravel base at 4 in: 100 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 ≈ 1.2 cubic yards (about 1.7 tons)
- Bedding sand at 1 in: 100 × (1 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 ≈ 0.3 cubic yards
- Edge restraint: perimeter = 2 × (10 + 10) = 40 linear feet
The paver calculator returns all of this plus the paver count, and the sand calculator breaks the bedding sand into bags if you're buying small.
Finish it right
- Slope the patio slightly (about 1 inch per 8 feet) away from the house so water runs off.
- Edge restraint around the perimeter keeps the pavers from spreading.
- Polymeric sand in the joints, misted to set, locks the field and resists weeds and washout.
- Buy a few extra pavers from the same batch for future repairs.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should a paver base be?+
Plan about 4 inches of compacted gravel plus 1 inch of bedding sand for a patio or walkway — roughly 5 inches of base beneath the pavers. Driveways need 6 inches or more of gravel. Compact the gravel in 2–3 inch lifts.
What gravel do I use for a paver base?+
Use a dense-grade crushed stone such as crusher run (with fines) that compacts into a hard, stable base. Avoid smooth, round gravel, which won't lock together. Clean single-size stone is for drainage, not the load-bearing base.
Do I need sand under pavers?+
Yes — a thin 1-inch layer of sharp bedding sand goes over the compacted gravel base for the pavers to set into. Keep it level and don't use it to fix an uneven base.