A complete hardscape takeoff — excavation, base aggregate, bedding course, jointing sand, edge restraint — plus the cost structure behind a square-foot price.
A segmental pavement is a system: compacted subgrade, open-graded or dense-graded base, a screeded 1 inch bedding course, the paver, and a restrained edge with jointing sand. Estimate it in that order and nothing gets forgotten.
Excavation depth equals paver thickness plus 1 inch bedding plus base depth. For a 2 3/8 inch paver on a 6 inch base that is roughly 9 1/2 inches of excavation, plus over-dig at the perimeter for the edge restraint.
Pattern choice is a cost decision. Running bond on a rectangular patio wastes about 5%. A 45-degree herringbone wastes 10% and adds cutting hours. Circle kits, radius edges and inlaid borders push waste to 15% or more and can add 30% to install labor. Quote pattern-specific numbers instead of a single blanket allowance.
Typical 2026 installed pricing for residential paver work runs $18 to $32 per square foot in most North American markets, with material at roughly $4 to $8 and the balance in labor, base, excavation, disposal, equipment, overhead and profit. Small patios carry a higher unit price because mobilization, excavation setup and delivery minimums are fixed costs spread over less area — a 150 sq ft job can be 40% more per foot than a 700 sq ft job with identical details.