Paver Base is typically used as - you guessed it - a base for pavers! 

If you need to fill an area with something that will give you a very hard base, won't move, won't get washed out, won't allow large amounts of water through, and can later be removed without machinery, #411 Gravel will get the job done!

How much do I need? 

This is the most common question we have and it is easy to figure out with our calculator! Paver Base is sold by the weight (0.5 cubic foot - 50 pound bags or by the ton). If you provide input a little information into our calculator, we will provide you with how much you will need for your project. Simply get the width and length of the areas that you will be applying the product and input the information in our project calculator, then select your desired depth of product. The calculator will figure out how many bags or tons you will need!

Paver Base Calculator

Paver Base Coverage:

Each bag is a half cubic foot. This will cover 3 square feet at 2" deep, 2 square feet at 3" deep, and 1.5 square feet at 4" deep.

This gravel has a large compaction ratio - meaning that when you put down 4", the gravel compacts to 3". You must account for a 75% compaction ratio when determining how much #411 Gravel to use.

Weight of Paver Base:

Approximately 50 Pounds

Installation Instructions:

This product is almost only used as a base material.

- Patios need at least 4" of #411 Gravel as a base with a leveling agent like #9 Gravel for the stone to lay naturally on. If you plan to place heavy objects on the patio such as a fireplace or hot tub, you need at least 6" of gravel to reduce sinking in that area. Paved driveways need at least 10" of #411, especially if heavy vehicles will be driven on them.
- Small structures such as sheds generally need 3"-4" inches of #411 gravel while larger sheds may need more.

You must account for the compaction ratio!

- #411 Gravel roughly has a 75% compaction ratio. This means that if you put down 4" of #411 Gravel, it will compact to 3". You must account for this when attempting to fill an area to a specific height.
- #411 Gravel can retain water which makes it very difficult to compact if you attempt to compact too much wet #411 at one time.
- It is recommended to lay 2"-3" of #411 Gravel, compacts the gravel, then repeat the process until you have reached your desired thickness.
- To compact #411 Gravel, you must use a "hand tamper" or a motorized compactor. Hand tampers are great for small thicknesses such as 2"-3" of thickness and less than 14" wide (such as a base for a wall). For a driveway, patio, or walkway, it is recommended that you use a gas compactor as this will not only allow you to compact the gravel much more quickly, it will typically compact the gravel more than you can by hand.

When in doubt, increase your base depth or backfill amount. While it may cost a little more, it pales in comparison to the cost of the rest of the job or for a repair that needs done years down the road.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our experts at 614-792-8686 or use the chat window at the bottom right of your screen.

Other Packaging Options:

This product is also sold by the ton!

Shipping Information:

This product is generally shipped palletized on our flatbed truck and placed on your driveway. This product can delivered any other bagged/packaged mulch, bagged/packaged topsoil, bagged/packaged sand, bagged concrete mix, bagged/packaged gravel, grass seed, straw, sod, Eco-Bricks, bagged/packaged salt, bagged wood pellets or packaged firewood. Due to the nature of the packaging and trucks we use, we cannot deliver this bagged product with any bulk mulch, bulk topsoil, bulk sand, bulk gravel, bulk salt, or bulk firewood.

Return Information:

This product is stocked at our store and can be returned for full credit within 30 days with a receipt. The product must be returned fully sealed with no rips in the bag(s).