This is a free hardscape estimate template with a paver patio or walkway build already itemized: layout and the utility locate, excavation to depth, the base stack that actually is the job, the pavers everyone thinks is the job, edge restraint, sand, sealing, and the restoration of whatever lawn the wheelbarrows used as a road. Load it in the builder, delete what the project doesn't need, and price the rest. Rates start empty on purpose: aggregate is priced by your pit, not by a template.
A paver surface is the last ten percent of a hardscape build, which is why square-foot-of-paver pricing loses money on every sloped, clay-soiled, or hard-access yard. This template prices the invisible work in its own units, excavation by the square foot, spoils by the cubic yard, base and bedding by the ton, so the bid tracks the dirt, not the catalog photo. The compaction lines are separate and priced, because the difference between a patio and a paver-shaped trampoline is compaction.
Every section below loads into the builder exactly as listed. This is the actual checklist, not a preview of one. Delete what your job doesn’t need and price the rest.
Site layout and marking, the utility locate before the digging, excavation to depth by the square foot, and spoils hauled by the cubic yard.
Excavation per sq ft to depth; haul-off per cu yd.
Geotextile fabric, gravel base and bedding sand by the ton, the pavers themselves, edge restraint by the linear foot, and polymeric sand by the bag.
Base spread and compaction, screed and lay by the square foot, border and curve cuts, steps and risers each, the final compact and sweep, and sealing where the client wants the wet look to be permanent.
Debris out, the lawn and beds the build used as a haul road put back, and a final site cleanup before the reveal photo.
Open it in the builder and the build is already sequenced, layout through sealing: utility locate, excavation, fabric, base, bedding sand, pavers, cuts, edge restraint, polymeric sand, compaction, cleanup. Delete what this project doesn't need. A simple walkway drops the steps and sealing lines in seconds.
Put in your rates and what each line costs you: excavation and paver laying by the square foot, base and sand by the ton, edge restraint and cuts by the linear foot, steps each. The P&L updates while you type, so the gravel invoice can't ambush the margin.
Export a clean client estimate: prices, quantities, one total. It's generated from a copy that never held your costs, margins, or internal notes, so there is nothing in the file to scrub and nothing for a curious client to find.
The full guide (units, tax math, deposits, exports) lives on the Help page. It’s genuinely thorough. We’re as surprised as you.
Four sections in build order: layout and excavation (marking, the utility locate, digging to depth, spoils haul-off), base and materials (geotextile fabric, gravel base and bedding sand by the ton, pavers, edge restraint, polymeric sand), installation (compaction, screeding and laying, border and curve cuts, steps, the final compact and sweep, sealing), and cleanup and restoration. The base work carries its own priced lines because that's where hardscape bids actually differ.
Installed paver patios typically run $8 to $24 per square foot with most jobs at $10 to $17, and full-service cost guides like Homewyse put brick paver installs at roughly $20 to $26. A typical 280-square-foot patio lands near $3,800, with real projects ranging from a few hundred dollars to past $20,000 on size, access, and site conditions. Slope, soil, and excavation depth move the number more than the paver choice does, which is why this template prices the ground work separately from the surface.
In the units the work happens in. Excavation, compaction, and laying run by the square foot; gravel base and bedding sand by the ton; edge restraint and cuts by the linear foot; spoils by the cubic yard; steps each. Quantity times rate per line means a patio that grows a sitting wall conversation later reprices as added lines, not a reopened total, and the client can see that the hole in the ground was most of the money.
Yes, and there's no trial hiding behind the word. The builder runs without an account, and the free plan includes every export: client PDF, Excel, CSV, an internal budget export, and a read-only share link that carries a client-safe copy inside the link itself. A free account adds one cloud-saved estimate. If the client asks for a paver patio quote, send the same document. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: your branding on client exports, no Estimatery footer, unlimited cloud saves, and a Saved Items catalog for the lines you price on every build.
Design fees through planting, finishes, and establishment.
Tear-out, grading, and new sod, priced per square foot.
Recurring mowing and turf care, plus seasonal cleanups.