Paver estimating software and paver estimator tool for hardscape contractors
LandscapeEstimating is paver estimating software for contractors who install patios, walkways, pool decks and driveways. You trace the paved area on satellite imagery, the square footage comes back as you draw, and a paver assembly built from your own numbers prices the units with cut waste, the compacted base, bedding sand, edge restraint, joint sand, haul-off, equipment, labor, overhead and margin. The client gets a branded proposal, with good / better / best paver options on Company and above, and signs online. Plans start at $129 a month per company.
The problem
The pavers are the easy line.
Why paver estimates come in short
Most paver bids are close on the units and wrong everywhere else. The money leaks in the lines a calculator never asks about.
A big-box or manufacturer paver calculator answers how many units and how much base. It does not know your crew rate, your overhead, your haul cost or the margin you need on a 700 square foot driveway.
- Base depth is the same on every job, so a driveway gets a walkway base or a walkway gets priced like a driveway.
- Compaction is left out of the gravel volume, and the crew runs out halfway through the second lift.
- Cut waste is a flat 5% even on herringbone, borders and curves, where it is closer to 10 or 15.
- Excavation is priced as a day of skid steer time, with no line for the cubic yards that leave the site.
- Edge restraint and polymeric sand are added from memory, or at the end when the price is already sent.
- Labor is "three guys, four days" instead of square feet per man-hour, so tight access costs the same as an open backyard.
How it works
Trace, price, propose, sign.
How paver estimating works in LandscapeEstimating
- Search the US property address and the satellite map opens on the parcel.
- Pick the Pavers layer and click around the patio, walk or driveway outline. Curves are more points, and the square footage updates as you draw.
- Trace the open edges that need restraint as an Edging line, so the linear feet price on their own.
- Each layer prices from your cost library. On Crew that is one installed cost per square foot and a production rate; on Company and above it is a full paver assembly with waste per item.
- Add equipment, delivery and disposal as charges, then send a branded proposal with the traced map. The client picks an option and signs online, and you can download the signed proposal as a PDF.
Aerial imagery gives you a defensible area from the office. Grade, drainage, soil and access still come from the site, so confirm them before the proposal turns into a material order. Our landscape takeoff software page covers tracing accuracy in more detail.
Paver assemblies
One assembly per use and base depth.
Paver estimator built from your own base, waste and production rates
An assembly is a priced recipe tied to the Pavers layer. Most hardscape contractors build three, because the base under a walkway and the base under a driveway are different jobs. Each item carries a quantity per square foot, a unit cost and a waste factor. Up to eight items per assembly, up to twenty assemblies per company.
| Assembly | Typical base | Paver | Cut waste | Example production rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway | 4 in. compacted aggregate | 60 mm | 5 to 8% | 10 sq ft per man-hour |
| Patio and pool deck | 6 in. compacted aggregate | 60 mm | 8 to 10% | 9 sq ft per man-hour |
| Driveway | 8 in. or more compacted aggregate | 80 mm | 10% plus on herringbone | 8 sq ft per man-hour |
These are starting points to replace with your own numbers, your local soil and the manufacturer's installation guide. Base depth for vehicle traffic and poor soils is a design decision; the software prices the section you specify, it does not choose it for you. The patio assembly every Company account starts with is already loaded with pavers, a 4 inch base and bedding sand, so you edit it rather than build it from zero.
Worked example
A 720 square foot driveway in one sitting.
Paver driveway estimate example from a satellite trace
A homeowner wants a 24 by 30 foot driveway in 80 mm concrete pavers, laid herringbone. The numbers below use example costs, an 8 inch base with a 20% compaction factor, 1 inch bedding sand, 10% waste on units, a $58 loaded labor rate, 12% overhead and a 25% target margin. Your own library replaces all of them.
| Line | Quantity from the trace | Example cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pavers, 80 mm | 792 sq ft (720 plus 10% waste) | $4.60 a sq ft | $3,643.20 |
| Base aggregate, 8 in. | 21.3 cu yd with compaction | $42 a cu yd | $894.60 |
| Bedding sand, 1 in. | 2.2 cu yd | $55 a cu yd | $121.00 |
| Edge restraint | 84 ft traced on the open sides | $2.10 a foot | $176.40 |
| Polymeric joint sand | 12 bags | $32 a bag | $384.00 |
| Excavation haul-off | 25.6 cu yd at about 11.5 in. total depth | $35 a cu yd | $896.00 |
| Equipment (skid steer, plate compactor) | 1 charge | $650 | $650.00 |
| Labor | 90 man-hours at 8 sq ft per hour | $58 an hour | $5,220.00 |
| Overhead | 12% of materials, charges and labor | $1,438.22 | |
| Price at 25% margin | $17,897.89 |
That is about $24.86 per square foot installed. If the client asks for a premium paver, only the unit line changes; base, sand, haul-off and labor stay put, and the margin follows. On Company and above, present standard, tumbled and premium units as three options on the same proposal and the question becomes which one, not whether. For a patio worked from base to bluestone, see the landscape construction estimating software page, and for the labor method behind the 8 square feet per hour, read our landscape production rates guide.
Who it's for
Contractors who lay pavers every week.
Who buys paver estimating software
- Hardscape contractors whose work is mostly patios, walkways, pool decks and paver driveways.
- Design-build landscape companies where the patio sits next to a retaining wall, plantings and lighting on one proposal.
- Landscape maintenance companies that sell paver installs as enhancements to their existing accounts.
- Estimators answering several paver leads a week who want a price out the same day instead of after a second site visit.
If you also price the beds, sod and edging around the hardscape, everything goes on the same estimate as separate layers, so one proposal covers the whole backyard. Our sod installation estimate software page works a new lawn from traced square feet to a price per square foot.
Compare
Calculator, takeoff or estimator.
Paver estimator tools compared
Contractors price paver jobs four common ways today. Each fits a different shop.
| Tool | Measuring | Prices from your labor, overhead and margin | Proposal and e-sign | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LandscapeEstimating | Trace the area on satellite imagery | Yes, per line, any paver brand | Branded proposal with options, online signature, PDF | From $129 a month per company |
| Manufacturer and big-box paver calculators | Dimensions you type in | Unit and base quantities, retail material prices | No | No charge |
| Plan takeoff software (for example PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff) | Measured from uploaded plans | Yes, once the price items are set up | Output exported or retyped | Desktop licenses, priced per seat |
| Spreadsheet template | Tape, wheel or a free map tool | Yes, if you maintain the formulas | Retyped into a document | Your time |
Where calculators win: a quick unit count at no cost. Where plan takeoff wins: commercial bids that arrive as drawings. Where we win: residential and light commercial work where there is no plan, just an address, and the client wants a signed price this week.
Plans
Priced per company, not per user.
Paver estimating software pricing
Satellite measuring, the Pavers layer, the cost library and e-signed proposals are on every plan. Paver assemblies with waste factors and good / better / best options start on Company.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Estimator seats | Satellite measurements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | $129 | $64 a month | 2 | 60 a month |
| Company | $299 | $149 a month | 6 | 250 a month |
| Operations | $649 | $324 a month | 15 | 800 a month |
Company also adds job costing, QuickBooks Online export and the AI scope writer. Full details are on the pricing page.
FAQ
- How do you estimate a paver job?
Measure the paved area, pick the base depth for the traffic it will carry, then price pavers with cut waste, compacted base aggregate, bedding sand, edge restraint, joint sand, excavation haul-off and equipment. Labor comes from a production rate in square feet per man-hour. Add overhead and your target margin to reach the installed price per square foot.
- How much should I charge per square foot for pavers?
Build it from your own costs rather than a regional average. In our worked example an 80 mm herringbone driveway with an 8 inch base prices at about $24.86 per square foot at a 25% margin. Patios and walkways on a thinner base usually come in lower, and premium units, curves and tight access push the price up.
- How much base do I need for pavers?
A common starting point is 4 inches of compacted aggregate under walkways, 6 inches under patios and 8 inches or more under driveways, plus 1 inch of bedding sand. Add about 20% to the base volume for compaction. Soil, climate and the paver manufacturer's guide can change the section, so confirm it before you order.
- How many extra pavers should I order for cuts?
Order 5 to 8% extra on a straight running bond with few cuts, 10% on herringbone or a design with borders, and up to 15% on curved or irregular layouts. In LandscapeEstimating the waste factor sits on the paver item in your assembly, so every estimate applies it without anyone remembering to.
- Is there an app to estimate pavers?
Yes. Paver manufacturers and home centers offer calculators for unit and base quantities, and estimating software like LandscapeEstimating prices the whole job from your labor rate, overhead and margin. You trace the patio or driveway on satellite imagery, the paver assembly prices it, and the client signs the proposal online.
- Can I measure a patio or driveway from satellite imagery?
Yes, you can trace an existing or planned patio, walkway or driveway outline on satellite imagery and get the area in square feet, including curves. Tree cover, roof overhangs and the imagery date can affect an edge, and grade is not visible from above, so verify critical dimensions on site before ordering material.
Get started
Price your next paver job from a satellite trace today
Trace a patio or driveway on a real US address, see the square footage and check what your own numbers say it should cost. When it prices the way you build, create your account and send the proposal for signature.