Question 1

How much waste should I add for a herringbone paver pattern?

Accepted Answer

Flat rules of thumb say 12-15% for herringbone at 45 degrees and about 10% for herringbone 90, but the real number depends on your patio's edge length relative to its area. Small patios waste proportionally more because cuts happen along the edges. This calculator estimates the cut allowance from your perimeter and paver size; a full setout tool counts the actual wedge cuts row by row.

Question 2

Where do I start laying a herringbone pattern?

Accepted Answer

Start from a reliable reference line (a string line off the house edge) and set the first V or first course against it, then work outward, laying whole blocks first and saving cuts for the end. The start corner and baseline offset can be chosen so edge blocks are never cut to less than a third of their length.

Question 3

How many pavers do I need for a 12x12 patio in herringbone?

Accepted Answer

A 12 ft x 12 ft patio is 144 sq ft. With 6x9 in pavers (about 2.7 per sq ft including joints) that is roughly 390 field pavers plus a cut allowance that depends on the pattern angle and edge length - enter your exact paver size above for a number you can order against.

Step	Method
Field pavers	Patio area divided by one paver-plus-joint footprint.
Cut allowance	Cuts happen along edges. Herringbone 45 loses about half a paver diagonal per unit of perimeter; herringbone 90 about half a paver. That is why small patios waste a bigger percentage than large ones — a flat 15% is wrong in both directions.
Base gravel	Area x base depth, in cubic yards and tons (1.35 tons/yd³ planning density).
Bedding sand	Area x 1 in screed depth, in cubic yards (1.30 tons/yd³ planning density).

Herringbone paver calculator

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