Landscape Brick Calculator | Edging, Patio, Rings

The most common reason for a failed landscape project is lack of good planning, not bad brickwork. “I’m gonna build a curving edge to that bed in my garden,” you think, and head off to hardware store to lay down some pavers. It’s all going well, the first 10 feet look terrific, until you reach an impossible-to-manage twisty bit, or suddenly realize you’re a few bricks short. Or the lines don’t match where bulbs want to go.

Math can be cruel… And it’s best to get it right before you break ground. After you’ve defined your space, the calculator does all the math. It adds up the base gravel, the bedding sand, and bricks (including extra for cuts). Waste is often underestimated, which I know is because most of us think in straight lines, but then curves throws a kink into things.

Why Planning Is Important for Your Garden Project

If your brick lays out in a gentle radius, you’ll have fewer bricks in that inner row compared to the outer row. And if there’s some kind of cut, the tool will adjust accordingly based off your selected curve complexity factor. All you do is tell it how sharp the turn are. Four percent may be added to your count for a soft sweep. A tight fire pit ring might double the cut allowance.

It sounds like a small percentage. But on larger projects, this is the difference between ordering more in the middle of installation or finishing by Saturday morning. Amateurs start cutting corners when prepping base, and they pay dearly for it. Sand and gravel has separate roles in the process; the former makes the top surface even (to ensure bricks are level), while the latter adds structure and also drains. Shortchange the base, and your patio will either sink, or move out of place, in just one freeze-thaw cycle. Unless you give clay soil something permeable to stand on, there’s no escape route for all that water!

The calculator advises deeper bases for patios different than for casual edging, since people (and their furnitures) really put some weight down. A fancy edge along a grassy lawn doesn’t require the kind of footing that a dining area with hefty stone table would get. Brick size matter. In appearance and in time spent laying them. Tumbled cobble, small brick, has an appealing charm, but there are more joints to set, so it takes longer. Bigger pavers go down quicker, but there’s not as much wiggle room for curving things. Coverage rate per square foot is clearly illustrated in the reference table on the page. Use that to compare cost against various manufacturers.

One brand may seem like a better deal per piece. Until you find out their bricks only cover half the space of another style. Avoid this trap: always calculate by total area required, not by individual units. And then there’s the matter of patterns. Straightforward running bond is easy and doesn’t waste much brick. Fancy herringbone features strong interlocking joints, but requires that all edges is cut precisely. How much additional material will those fancy designs consume? The calculator accounts for these pattern coefficients, sparing you from guessing.

It even calculates edge restraint requirements, which are vital to a paved surface’s integrity when subjected to weight. Failure to provide adequate perimeter support cause edges to splay out over time, forming an eyesore of ugly gaps and tripping hazards. Walk it off first: If possible, measure it out with a tape before purchase. Do this along its centerline (that’s where the bricks will go), not from end to end of the property. Include some wiggle room for any cuts required around utility and tree lines.

Round up when totaling the final amount since bags are sold by the full bag only. Better to have too much material than run out mid-project and wait for more. You should of planned, because planning brings satisfaction, while not planning can lead to frustation.