How much paver base and sand for a 12×16 patio?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A 12×16 ft paver patio needs about 8.3 tons of crusher run for a 6 in compacted base (or 309 bags of 0.5 cu ft paver base), plus 34 bags of bedding sand and 56 ft of edge restraint.

Base: the footprint grows 6 in past every edge to 13×17 ft = 221 sq ft. At 6 in that is 4.09 cu yd compacted; × 1.33 loose × 1.05 extra = 5.72 cu yd ≈ 8.3 tons.
Cost: about $315 for bulk crusher run delivered vs $1,848 for 309 bags (4.9 pallets) — bulk is far cheaper.
Bedding: 192 sq ft × 1 in = 16.8 cu ft of coarse sand (with extra) — 34 bags of 0.5 cu ft, about $205.
Dig 9.375 in deep (6 in base + 1 in sand + 2.375 in paver): 6.4 cu yd of soil, about 9.5 tons in place, to haul away.
Unilock's range for a patio is 6–8 in of base; go deeper on clay, shallower on sandy, well-drained soil.
12×16 holds a dining set and a pair of lounge chairs.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you paving?

Project

Unilock: 6–8 in of compacted base under patios. Clay soil needs the deeper end; sandy soil less.

Paved area

Shape

Length

= 12' · 3.66 m

Width

= 16' · 4.88 m

Base & bedding

Base stone

Bedding layer for this base: coarse concrete sand (Unilock).

Compacted base depth

Exact base depth

Bedding layerUnilock: 1 in

Paver thicknessfrom the label

How you'll buy the base

Base to order

8.3tons of crusher run

5.72 cu yd loose for 6 in compacted · plus 34 × 0.5 cu ft bags of bedding sand · 56 ft of edge restraint

Base, tons: 8.3tonspublished range 7.4–9.3
Base, 0.5 cu ft bags: 3094.9 pallets of 63
Bedding sand: 34bags16.8 cu ft · 0.87 tons
Dig down: 9.38 in6.39 cu yd of soil to remove

Order loose, finish compacted

Spread about 8 in of crusher run and compact it in 2 lifts no thicker than 3 in (Unilock) to finish at 6 in. That is why the order is 1.33× the compacted volume — County Materials' bag rule (sq ft ÷ 6 × depth) leaves compaction out, and DIYers run short.

Other base depths

Base needed at other compacted depths
Base depth	Tons	0.5 cu ft bags	Dig down
4 in	5.5 tons	206	7.38 in
6 in ✓	8.3 tons	309	9.38 in
8 in ✓	11 tons	412	11.38 in
10 in	13.8 tons	515	13.38 in
12 in	16.6 tons	618	15.38 in

✓ within Unilock's range for a patio.

Bulk or bags for the base?

309 × 0.5 cu ft bags

$1,848

materials, before tax

8.3 tons delivered

$315

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Bulk becomes cheaper from about 0.4 tons of base (15 bags). Your plan for the base: $315, plus $205 of bedding sand.

Getting it home

Total weight: 8.3 tons · 16,574 lb
Dump truck: 1 tandem load
Your pickup: 17 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 6% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Digging out

Excavate 9.38 in below finished grade (6 in base + 1 in bedding + 2.375 in paver) over 221 sq ft. That is 6.39 cu yd of soil — about 9.5 tons in place, more once it is dug and loose. Slope the base away from the house (Unilock).

Don't skip the edge restraint

Unilock calls edge restraints critical: plastic, metal or concrete edging, spiked into the compacted base, keeps pavers from creeping sideways. After the pavers are compacted, sweep jointing or polymeric sand into the joints — coverage depends on paver and joint size, so go by the bag label.

Shopping list

8.3 tons Crusher run / #411 / road base — 6 in compacted base$240
1 load Delivery$75.00
34 bags Paver leveling sand (coarse concrete sand), 0.5 cu ft bags — 1 in$205
56 ft Paver edge restraint (plastic, metal or concrete), spiked into the base
2 pipes 1 in pipes for screed guides
1 day Plate compactor rental (with paver pad)

Estimated total$520

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

crusher run, bulk
8.3 tons × $
$241
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00
Paver leveling sand, 0.5 cu ft bags
34 bags × $
$205

Materials total$521

Bulk base and bag prices are typical 2026 figures (American Rock Supply, Kellogg Supply, retail snapshots). Tap any price to use your yard's or store's.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

12×16 ft patio at other base depths

Base depth	Crusher run	0.5 cu ft bags	Bulk delivered	Dig down
4 in	5.5 tons	206	$235	7.38 in
6 in	8.3 tons	309	$315	9.38 in
8 in	11 tons	412	$395	11.38 in

How this was worked out

221 sq ft × 0.5 ft = 110.5 cu ft compacted = 4.09 cu yd. Crusher run compacts — Penn State places 8 in loose to finish at 6 in — so order 1.33× that, plus 5% for an uneven subgrade: 5.72 cu yd × 1.45 t = 8.29 tons.

County Materials' bag rule — (sq ft ÷ 6) × depth — gives 192 bags for the paved area alone. The 309 bags here add the base extension under the edge restraint and the volume lost to compaction; buying 192 would leave you about 117 bags short.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main paver base calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

Sources

Data behind this answer

Unilock Basic Tech Guide (Jan 2024) — base 6–8 in patios & walks, 6–12 in pool decks, 10–14 in driveways; 1 in bedding; compact in 2–3 in layers; edge restraints spiked into the base · checked October 2026
Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Roads — DSA Tech Bulletin (Apr 2025) — 8 in loose compacts to 6 in (factor 1.33); 0.04 t per sq ft; crown 1/2–3/4 in per ft · checked October 2026
County Materials — Step 1 Paver Base — 1/2 cu ft bag covers ~6 sq ft at 1 in; 63 bags per pallet; (sq ft ÷ 6) × depth = bags · checked October 2026
Quikrete Patio Paver Sands data sheet — spread base sand 1–2 in over the compacted base; edge restraints required · checked October 2026
Quikrete — how to build a patio — place about 5 in of compactible gravel, tamp to 4 in; extend the base at least 6 in beyond the edges · checked October 2026
Mulch Pros — material weight & coverage (scale weights) — 2,600–2,900 lb per yd³ of stone; 1 yd³ covers 162 sq ft at 2 in and 108 at 3 in; pine straw bale ≈ 40 sq ft; single-axle ≈ 5 t, tandem up to 18 t · checked October 2026
Martin Marietta product calculator — material density table — coarse stone 1.32 t/yd³, base 1.90–1.95 t/yd³ (compacted basis), crushed-concrete base 1.47 · checked October 2026
American Rock Supply — how much does gravel cost (2026) — #57 $35–$55/ton, pea gravel $28–$45/ton, crusher run $24–$34/ton (material only); delivered per-ton prices · checked October 2026
Kellogg Supply — Quikrete HardScapes 0.5 cu ft paver base — $5.99 per 0.5 cu ft bag · checked October 2026
Roseville Rock Supply — calculator & reference table — DG ~3,000 lb/yd³, mulch 400–800 lb, topsoil 2,000–2,200 lb; order 5–10% extra; base materials up to 15% for compaction · checked October 2026
Nebraska DOT — Estimating Material Quantities (July 2024) — stockpiled crushed concrete 1.35 t/yd³; soil compacted in place 110 lb/ft³ · checked October 2026

Short answer

A 12×16 ft paver patio needs about 8.3 tons of crusher run for a 6 in compacted base (or 309 bags of 0.5 cu ft paver base), plus 34 bags of bedding sand and 56 ft of edge restraint.

Base: the footprint grows 6 in past every edge to 13×17 ft = 221 sq ft. At 6 in that is 4.09 cu yd compacted; × 1.33 loose × 1.05 extra = 5.72 cu yd ≈ 8.3 tons.

Cost: about $315 for bulk crusher run delivered vs $1,848 for 309 bags (4.9 pallets) — bulk is far cheaper.

Bedding: 192 sq ft × 1 in = 16.8 cu ft of coarse sand (with extra) — 34 bags of 0.5 cu ft, about $205.

Dig 9.375 in deep (6 in base + 1 in sand + 2.375 in paver): 6.4 cu yd of soil, about 9.5 tons in place, to haul away.

Unilock's range for a patio is 6–8 in of base; go deeper on clay, shallower on sandy, well-drained soil.

12×16 holds a dining set and a pair of lounge chairs.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you paving?

Project

Unilock: 6–8 in of compacted base under patios. Clay soil needs the deeper end; sandy soil less.

Paved area

Shape

Length

= 12' · 3.66 m

Width

= 16' · 4.88 m

Base & bedding

Base stone

Bedding layer for this base: coarse concrete sand (Unilock).

Compacted base depth

Exact base depth

Bedding layerUnilock: 1 in

Paver thicknessfrom the label

How you'll buy the base

Base to order

8.3tons of crusher run

5.72 cu yd loose for 6 in compacted · plus 34 × 0.5 cu ft bags of bedding sand · 56 ft of edge restraint

Base, tons: 8.3tonspublished range 7.4–9.3
Base, 0.5 cu ft bags: 3094.9 pallets of 63
Bedding sand: 34bags16.8 cu ft · 0.87 tons
Dig down: 9.38 in6.39 cu yd of soil to remove

Order loose, finish compacted

Other base depths

Base needed at other compacted depths
Base depth	Tons	0.5 cu ft bags	Dig down
4 in	5.5 tons	206	7.38 in
6 in ✓	8.3 tons	309	9.38 in
8 in ✓	11 tons	412	11.38 in
10 in	13.8 tons	515	13.38 in
12 in	16.6 tons	618	15.38 in

✓ within Unilock's range for a patio.

Bulk or bags for the base?

309 × 0.5 cu ft bags

$1,848

materials, before tax

8.3 tons delivered

$315

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Bulk becomes cheaper from about 0.4 tons of base (15 bags). Your plan for the base: $315, plus $205 of bedding sand.

Getting it home

Total weight: 8.3 tons · 16,574 lb
Dump truck: 1 tandem load
Your pickup: 17 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 6% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Digging out

Don't skip the edge restraint

Shopping list

8.3 tons Crusher run / #411 / road base — 6 in compacted base$240
1 load Delivery$75.00
34 bags Paver leveling sand (coarse concrete sand), 0.5 cu ft bags — 1 in$205
56 ft Paver edge restraint (plastic, metal or concrete), spiked into the base
2 pipes 1 in pipes for screed guides
1 day Plate compactor rental (with paver pad)

Estimated total$520

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

crusher run, bulk
8.3 tons × $
$241
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00
Paver leveling sand, 0.5 cu ft bags
34 bags × $
$205

Materials total$521

Bulk base and bag prices are typical 2026 figures (American Rock Supply, Kellogg Supply, retail snapshots). Tap any price to use your yard's or store's.

Base depth

Crusher run

0.5 cu ft bags

Bulk delivered

Dig down

4 in

5.5 tons

206

$235

7.38 in

6 in

8.3 tons

309

$315

9.38 in

8 in

11 tons

412

$395

11.38 in

How this was worked out

The full method, material data and tips are on the main paver base calculator page.