Permeable Paver Selector
Answer a few questions — get the right paver and the quantity you need.
Buyer's Guide
How Permeable Pavers Work
Permeable pavers — also called pervious or porous pavers — are load-bearing grids that let rain pass straight through the surface into the ground while carrying the weight of cars, trucks, and equipment. Instead of running off a sealed slab, water drains through open cells filled with grass or crushed stone, so the surface drives like pavement but behaves like open ground. That is why a permeable paver driveway is treated as pervious area under most stormwater codes. You’ll also see them called turf pavers, grass block, gravel grids, or geocell — variations on the same idea.
Two families cover nearly every project. Grass pavers give you a green, mowable surface where turf grows through the cells. Gravel pavers confine crushed stone so it stays firm and will not rut or wash. The selector at the top of this page walks you through surface, load, and area, then returns the right product and quantity — the sections below explain the choices behind it.
Grass Pavers vs. Gravel Pavers
Green surface
Grass pavers
Turf grows through the open cells for a surface that reads as lawn but carries vehicles. NDS EZ Roll rolls out fast over large areas, while the rigid Tufftrack panel handles concentrated, high-turn loads — green driveways, RV pads, fire lanes, and overflow parking.
- Green, mowable finish
- Roll goods or rigid panels
- Blends into the landscape
Stone surface
Gravel pavers
A firm crushed-stone surface held so it cannot spread or wash. NDS EZ Roll gravel pavers lock stone into a plowable roll-out grid, and geocell — an expandable honeycomb filled on site with aggregate — delivers the most load capacity for drives, access roads, and soft or sloping ground.
- Firm stone finish, no mowing
- Roll-out grid or geocell
- Highest load capacity
Matching the Paver to Your Traffic Load
The one question that drives everything is the heaviest vehicle that will ever cross the surface — not the average. Size the product and the compacted base to that peak load and the rest follows.
- Foot traffic & occasional light vehiclesWalkways, garden paths, golf carts, and light service access. A grass paver or a 3″ geocell over a shallow compacted base.
- Cars & light trucksResidential driveways, RV pads, and overflow or event parking. A roll-out grass or gravel paver, or a 4″ geocell, over a compacted vehicle base.
- Fire trucks & heavy equipment (H-20)Fire lanes, loading zones, and equipment routes. A rigid grass panel or a 6″ or deeper geocell on a heavier base.
Common Applications
The Stormwater & Runoff Advantage
Solid concrete and asphalt are impervious: rain runs off them and has to be managed somewhere else. A permeable paver surface lets water soak through the open cells into the ground, which reduces runoff, eases pressure on storm drains, and helps recharge the soil. Because of that, many jurisdictions treat a properly built permeable paver surface as pervious area rather than counting it against an impervious-surface or lot-coverage limit.
Rules vary from one municipality to the next, so the local building or stormwater department always has the final say on how a surface is classified. Where reducing impervious coverage is the goal, permeable pavers are one of the more practical ways to keep a drivable surface while staying under the cap.
How to Install Permeable Pavers
Installation is straightforward for both grass and gravel systems, and the base prep matters more than the grid itself. The steps below apply to roll goods, rigid panels, and geocell alike.
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1Excavate
Dig out the soft topsoil to the depth your load calls for — deeper for driveways and RV pads than for foot traffic.
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2Build the base
Add and compact an open-graded aggregate base in lifts. This layer carries the load; the paver holds the surface fill in place. On soft or fine soils, add a separation fabric first.
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3Lay & anchor the grid
Roll out, snap together, or expand the pavers over the base. Cut to fit around edges and curves, and anchor before filling so nothing shifts.
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4Fill & finish
Fill with topsoil and seed or sod for grass, or clean angular stone (about 3/16″–3/8″) for gravel. Keep fill level with the top of the grid so grass mows cleanly and stone stays contained.
The selector at the top of this page sizes your order automatically — enter your length and width or a total square footage and it returns the exact rolls or panels to buy, with the ~5% NDS recommends for trimming and overlap already added.
Permeable Paver FAQs
What are permeable pavers?
Permeable pavers are ground reinforcement grids that let water pass through the surface into the soil below while carrying vehicle and foot traffic. They come in two families: grass pavers, where turf grows through the cells for a green surface, and gravel pavers, which confine crushed stone so it stays firm and does not spread.
How do permeable pavers work?
A rigid or flexible grid holds grass or stone in open cells at the surface and transfers load down to a compacted stone base. Rain drains through the open cells and base into the ground instead of running off, and the confined infill keeps the surface from rutting or washing away.
Do permeable pavers count as an impervious surface?
Because water drains through them, permeable pavers are generally treated as pervious rather than impervious surface, and many jurisdictions do not count a properly built permeable paver area against impervious-coverage limits. Classification rules vary, so confirm with your local building or stormwater department for your project.
Which is better for a driveway, grass or gravel pavers?
Both work for driveways. Choose grass pavers if you want a green surface that blends into the landscape, and gravel pavers if you want a firm stone finish with no mowing. The selector on this page recommends the right one based on the surface you want and the heaviest vehicle it has to carry.
Can permeable pavers support fire trucks or heavy equipment?
Yes, with the right product and base. For H-20 loads such as fire lanes and equipment routes, use a rigid grass panel or a 6″ or deeper geocell over a heavier compacted base. Match the product and base depth to the peak load rather than the average.
How do I know how many pavers I need?
Enter your length and width, or a total square footage, into the selector at the top of the page. It sizes the order for you and adds roughly the 5% that NDS recommends for trimming and overlap, then shows the exact rolls or panels to order.