A driveway plan comes down to two questions: how deep the base has to be, and which paver and pattern can take a car. This calculator opens with the Drivable load class, so the shopping list already uses a 30 cm crushed stone base instead of the 20 cm the planner uses for patios.
What changes for a driveway
Cars brake, turn and park on the same spots every day. That load goes through the pavers into the base, which is why a driveway needs a thicker, well-compacted base than a patio. The planner adds a 20% reserve to the crushed stone volume to cover compaction.
The paver matters as much as the base. The page starts with a 50 × 50 cm slab in stack bond, which suits a parking spot with little turning. For a driveway in daily use, most installers pick rectangular pavers in herringbone, because every stone locks into its neighbours. You can switch both in the planner. The 45° herringbone template walks through that setup.
How to plan it
- Trace the driveway as a polygon, including the flare at the street.
- Keep the load class at Drivable.
- Pick paver and pattern, then run the optimizer to reduce edge cuts.
- Check the curbstones section of the shopping list. A driveway needs a solid edge.
FAQ
How deep should a driveway base be?
The planner uses 30 cm of 0/32 mm crushed stone and 4 cm of 2/5 mm grit for the Drivable class. Soft or clay-heavy ground can need more, so ask your supplier if in doubt.
Can I plan the driveway and a path together?
Yes. Draw each area as its own surface with its own pattern. The shopping list totals stones, base and curbstones across all of them.