Hardscape Material Calculator

This calculator sizes the four material layers of a typical hardscape build — compacted base, bedding sand, surface material, and edge restraint — from just the footprint dimensions and your chosen surface. Base and sand quantities both use the same volume formula: area times depth (converted from inches to feet), divided by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards, the standard unit aggregate and sand are sold in. Surface material quantity depends on what you pick: pavers add a 5% waste allowance to the square footage, flagstone adds 10% (irregular stone cuts more waste than uniform pavers), and gravel is instead measured by volume — the calculator assumes a fixed 3-inch depth and converts to cubic yards rather than reporting square footage, since gravel is bought and priced by volume, not area.

Edge restraint length is simply the perimeter of the rectangular area (twice length plus width), which works cleanly for a simple rectangle but will underestimate real edging needs for curved or irregular patio shapes. Cost estimates layer in a per-unit rate for each material — $35/cu yd for base, $30/cu yd for sand, $2/linear foot for edging, and a surface rate that's $4/sq ft for pavers, $8/sq ft for flagstone, or $30/cu yd for gravel — all flat placeholder rates meant for rough budgeting, not a real supplier quote, since paver, stone, and gravel pricing varies enormously by material grade and region. Because breakage, cuts, and future repairs aren't built into these waste factors, adding another 10-15% to the final material order is standard practice.