Paver counts worked from the actual lay pattern, with base course and bedding sand volumes, edge restraint by the metre and cutting counted where the pattern meets a boundary.
The pavers are the visible cost and rarely the problem. The base course volume and the cutting are what turn a paving job from profitable to marginal, and both get glossed over when a job is priced per square metre.
We quantify the base and bedding by volume from the specified depths, count the pavers from the lay pattern with real waste, and count the cuts where the pattern meets a boundary. Herringbone against a curved edge is a very different job to a stretcher bond in a rectangle.
Areas are measured off the site plan by paving type and by lay pattern, with the paver size taken from the schedule. Area converts to paver counts and then to pallet counts, with waste set by the pattern and by how much of the perimeter is curved or angled.
Below the pavers: excavation volume to the specified subgrade level, base course volume at the specified compacted depth with a compaction allowance, geotextile by area where specified, and bedding sand by volume at the specified thickness.
Then the items around the edges: edge restraint or haunching by the metre, jointing sand by area, cuts counted at every boundary, curve and penetration, and any drainage grates, pits or channel that the paving has to work around.
Nothing here is an allowance. Each line is measured off your drawings in its own unit, so you can check it against the plan yourself.
| Item | How it is measured | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Paving area | By type and lay pattern off the site plan | Pattern and paver size drive count and waste |
| Paver count | Area plus waste converted to pavers and pallets | Pavers come by the pallet, and dye lots matter |
| Excavation | Volume to subgrade level, with disposal | Base depth plus bedding plus paver decides the dig depth |
| Base course | Compacted volume at specified depth, plus compaction allowance | Loose volume exceeds compacted volume every time |
| Geotextile | Area where specified over soft subgrade | Cheap insurance, and specified more often than it is priced |
| Bedding sand | Volume at specified thickness | A small depth error across a big area is a lot of sand |
| Edge restraint | Linear metres of haunching or restraint by type | Without it the paving spreads and the job fails |
| Cutting | Counted at boundaries, curves and penetrations | Curves and diagonal patterns multiply the cuts |
| Jointing sand | Area by joint width and sand type | Polymeric sand costs considerably more than plain |
| Lay pattern | Typical waste | Cutting |
|---|---|---|
| Stretcher bond | Around 5% | Half cuts at row ends, mostly reusable |
| Stack bond | Around 5% | Straightforward perimeter cuts |
| Herringbone 45° | Around 10–15% | Raking cuts on every boundary |
| Herringbone 90° | Around 10% | Cuts at perimeter only |
| Basketweave | Around 10% | Module must fit or perimeter cuts increase |
| Circle / feature | Around 15%+ | Kit based, heavy cutting at the surround |
Base course is specified as a compacted depth, but it is delivered loose. Ordering to the compacted volume leaves you short, and the shortfall shows up as either a thin base or an extra delivery you did not price.
We show the compacted volume and the loose ordering volume as separate figures, so the base line item matches what actually goes on the truck. On driveways carrying vehicles this is the item that decides whether the paving stays flat.
The same five steps on every job, whether it is a single slab or a full tender package.
Email the architectural and structural drawings, the specification and the scope of works in whatever format you have — PDF, DWG, or photos of a marked-up set. If something is missing we will tell you before we start, not after.
Areas are measured off the site plan by paving type and by lay pattern, with the paver size taken from the schedule. Area converts to paver counts and then to pallet counts, with waste set by the pattern and by how much of the perimeter is curved or angled.
Every measured item gets its own colour and legend entry on the drawing. When the takeoff comes back you can see exactly what was counted and what was not, so you are never asked to trust a number you cannot trace. This is the part clients tell us they did not know they needed until they had it.
The takeoff is delivered as a working spreadsheet, not a locked PDF. Your rates sit in their own column, so you can change a supply price or a labour rate and watch the total move. Plug in your own numbers and the sheet is yours to reuse on the next job.
Quantities are re-measured independently and cross-checked against the drawing before anything leaves here. You get the marked-up plans, the priced spreadsheet and a plain-English note on anything we flagged as unclear or excluded.
The takeoff arrives as a live Excel spreadsheet with the colour-coded marked-up plans beside it. Your rates go in your own column, so you can plug in your own supply and labour numbers and reuse the sheet on the next job. Nothing is locked.
First estimate free. After that the fee is confirmed in writing as a fixed amount before any work starts. No retainer, no subscription, no lock-in contract. Full pricing detail here →
A path and a driveway can use the same paver and need very different bases. A driveway crossover carrying vehicle loads needs a deeper compacted base, and where a council crossover is involved there are usually specified requirements to meet.
We measure the base depth by use rather than at one figure across the site, and we note where a crossover or a vehicle-loaded area drives a deeper build-up, so the base line is defensible if it is queried.
Quantities are measured against the standards and the specification for your job. Where a drawing and a standard disagree, we flag it rather than quietly picking one.
| Standard | Covers | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| AS 3727 | Guide to residential pavements | Pavement design and base requirements |
| AS 4455 | Masonry units and segmental pavers | Paver classification and properties |
| AS 1289 | Methods of testing soils | Subgrade and compaction testing |
None of these are unusual. They are the things that get missed when a quote is put together at 9pm after a full day on the tools.
If your question is not here, email it through and you will get a straight answer, not a sales call.
Both, with the paver count and pallet count worked at the specified paver size after waste. Pavers are bought by the pallet and they come in dye lots, so running short mid-job can leave a visible colour change.
By compacted volume at the specified depth, with the loose ordering volume shown separately. Base is specified compacted and delivered loose, so ordering to the compacted figure always leaves you short.
Considerably. It changes both the waste allowance and the number of cuts. A 45 degree herringbone against a curved edge can need three times the cutting of a stretcher bond in a rectangle, and cutting is labour.
Yes, by linear metre and by type — concrete haunching, proprietary restraint or a soldier course. Paving without edge restraint spreads, so it is a line item on every job we price.
Yes. Excavation volume is worked to the subgrade level implied by the base, bedding and paver thickness, with disposal quantified separately since spoil cartage is a real cost with its own rate.
The site plan with the paving extents and levels, and the finishes schedule with the paver type, size and lay pattern. Existing and finished levels help most, because they drive the excavation.
Most residential paving packages come back within 24 hours of the plans arriving. Large commercial carpark and hardstand packages take longer, and we confirm the timing up front.
Most jobs cross more than one trade. We can price the whole package in one spreadsheet.
Your first estimate is free. Email the drawings and the scope, and you will have a marked-up takeoff and a priced spreadsheet back within 24 hours on most residential jobs. Prefer to talk first? Reply with "KEEN" and your number.