Paver Base

Paver base most often means angular crushed stone, typically 3/4 inch minus, containing everything from larger crushed rock down to fine dust. Those fines are what let the material lock together under compaction instead of shifting like a bag of marbles. It is produced by crushing quarried limestone, granite, or recycled concrete and screening it to a specific gradation. Color varies with the parent rock, gray to tan to brownish, and is never uniform or decorative, which distinguishes it from materials chosen for looks. A large share of people searching for paver base are actually looking for manufactured plastic paver base panels, interlocking grid systems sold for small DIY patios. Those panels are a legitimate lightweight alternative for small, low load areas, but for any patio, walkway, or driveway meant to carry real foot or vehicle traffic over years, a compacted aggregate base is the standard, proven approach and what contractors specify.

Start by excavating to subgrade, accounting for the base depth plus the paver thickness plus roughly 1 inch of bedding sand. Place paver base in lifts of 2 to 4 inches, compacting each lift fully with a plate compactor before adding the next. Compacting the full depth in one pass leaves air pockets that settle later and show up as sunken pavers. For patios and walkways, build to 4 to 6 inches compacted total. For driveways, build to 8 to 12 inches. Once the base is compacted and checked for grade, add about 1 inch of coarse bedding sand, screed it level, then set pavers directly into the sand. The base carries the load, the sand only levels and locks the paver surface, and confusing the two layers is the most common design mistake on paver projects.

Compared with pea gravel. Pea gravel is rounded and washed, so it has no fines to lock particles together under compaction. Pavers set on pea gravel will shift, rock, and settle unevenly over time. Angular paver base with its mix of fines is what allows a plate compactor to create a dense, stable layer that actually holds a load.

Compared with road base or crusher run. These are often the same angular crushed stone with fines as paver base, and the naming difference is mostly regional. Some suppliers use road base for a coarser gradation meant for heavier vehicle sections, but for most residential jobs, paver base and road base can be treated as functionally interchangeable materials.

How much do I need. Multiply your area in square feet by the compacted depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. As a shortcut, 1 cubic yard covers about 100 sq ft at 3 inches deep or 65 to 80 sq ft at 4 inches deep, the standard patio depth. Driveways at 8 to 12 inches will need roughly double to triple that per square foot. Always add 10 to 20 percent to your total to cover compaction settling, since the loose volume you order will pack down once compacted in lifts.

How it is sold and delivered. Paver base is sold in bulk by the cubic yard and delivered loose by dump truck, then spread and compacted on site with a plate compactor. It is priced and measured differently from bagged material, so orders are typically calculated in cubic yards or tons based on the coverage math above rather than by the bag or box. Confirm your total volume, including the compaction allowance, before scheduling delivery so the load matches the depth you plan to build.