How many packs? Measuring a patio properly.
Length by width, plus an allowance for cuts, rounded up to whole packs. The maths that stops you being one pack short on a Sunday.
Measure
Measure the finished paved area in metres — length by width. For an L-shape, split it into rectangles and add them. For a circle, it’s π × radius², but you’ll be buying a circle kit anyway.
Add cuts
Add 10% for a straight patio with simple edges. Add 15–20% for diagonals, curves, steps or a lot of edge against a house or a wall. This isn’t waste; it’s the pieces that are cut and can’t be used elsewhere.
Round to packs
Divide by the pack coverage and round up. A mixed sandstone pack covers 18.19 m²; a 900×600 porcelain pallet 21.60 m². Mixed sandstone packs split into their four sizes, so a 30 m² patio is one pack plus loose slabs; a spare slab or two for the day one cracks is worth adding.
Outdoor porcelain and Kandla Grey 900×600 pallets split by the slab too, so you can order close to the number.
Do it for you
The Build your patio tool does all of this and puts the packs in the bag. Or ring the yard with the dimensions.
