Fill the hole with drainage gravel to a depth of 3 inches to provide drainage and stop the water from pooling under the pavers.

Distribute the gravel with the back edge of a rake.

Use a length of two-by-four lumber as a screed to level the surface of the gravel, dragging it across and back and forth as necessary to even the gravel. The finished patio can only be as level as the gravel and layers beneath.

Compact the gravel with a tamper to prevent it from settling unevenly.

Measure the depth of the hole again, this time measuring the distance from the surface of the gravel to the bottom of a board spanning the hole. There are 3 inches remaining from the original depth of 7 inches, so we can compute that we have 3 inches left for sand.