Asphalt Calculator
Tons of hot-mix asphalt for a driveway or lot from area, compacted depth and mix density, with cubic yards, compacted volume and delivered cost.
Asphalt Calculator: with the default inputs, asphalt needed is 15.22 ton.
A single-car driveway is 10–12 ft; two cars 20–24 ft.
2 in for an overlay, 3 in for a residential driveway, 4–6 in where trucks run.
Dense-graded hot-mix asphalt compacts to about 145 lb/ft³ (2,320 kg/m³). Ask your supplier for the mix's rice/bulk density.
Includes the waste allowance — this is the tonnage to order.
- Net tonnage before waste
- 14.5 ton
- Compacted volume
- 7.41 yd³
- Area paved
- 800 ft²
- Weight per square foot
- 36.2Pounds of asphalt per square foot at this depth — a fast field check.
- Asphalt cost
- $0.00
- Cost per square foot
- $0.00
Assumptions
- Default density 145 lb/ft³ (2,320 kg/m³) for compacted dense-graded hot-mix asphalt; open-graded and porous mixes are lighter.
- Depth is the compacted thickness; loose mat thickness is roughly 20–25% greater.
- Tonnage is US short tons (2,000 lb); switch the output unit for metric tonnes.
- Base preparation, tack coat, milling and compaction equipment are not costed.
| Compacted depth | Tons with waste | lb per ft² | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 in | 7.61 | 18.1 | Thin overlay / skin patch |
| 2 in | 10.15 | 24.2 | Driveway overlay, surface course |
| 3 in | 15.22 | 36.2 | New residential driveway |
| 4 in | 20.3 | 48.3 | Parking lot, light truck traffic |
| 6 in | 30.45 | 72.5 | Heavy truck traffic (in two lifts) |
Depths are compacted, not loose. A loose mat is roughly 20–25% thicker than the finished depth.
How this is worked out
The formula
Volume = area × compacted depth Weight = volume × mix density Tons = weight ÷ 2,000 lb, then × (1 + waste) Fast field check: at 145 lb/ft³, 1 in of depth ≈ 12.1 lb/ft² ≈ 110 lb/yd²
Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.
What you enter
- How are you measuring?
- Choose one of 2 options.Length × width · I already know the area (More options)
- Length
- A number.in ft, yd, m, in · 0 or more · defaults to 40
- Width
- A single-car driveway is 10–12 ft; two cars 20–24 ft.in ft, yd, m, in · 0 or more · defaults to 20
- Compacted depth
- 2 in for an overlay, 3 in for a residential driveway, 4–6 in where trucks run.in in, cm, mm, ft, m · 0 or more · defaults to 3
- Compacted mix density
- Dense-graded hot-mix asphalt compacts to about 145 lb/ft³ (2,320 kg/m³). Ask your supplier for the mix's rice/bulk density.from 90 to 200 · defaults to 145
- Waste / overage(under More options)
- Uneven subgrade, edge feathering and what cools in the truck bed. 5–10% is normal.a percentage · from 0 to 100 · defaults to 5
- Area(under More options)
- Used only when the mode above is set to a known area.in ft², yd², m², acre · 0 or more · defaults to 800
- Price per ton, delivered(under More options)
- Plant price plus haul. Leave 0 to skip.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 0
What you get back
- Asphalt neededmain answer
- Includes the waste allowance — this is the tonnage to order.
- Net tonnage before waste
- Compacted volume
- Area paved
- Weight per square foot
- Pounds of asphalt per square foot at this depth — a fast field check.
- Asphalt cost
- Cost per square foot
What this assumes
- Default density 145 lb/ft³ (2,320 kg/m³) for compacted dense-graded hot-mix asphalt; open-graded and porous mixes are lighter.
- Depth is the compacted thickness; loose mat thickness is roughly 20–25% greater.
- Tonnage is US short tons (2,000 lb); switch the output unit for metric tonnes.
- Base preparation, tack coat, milling and compaction equipment are not costed.
About this calculator
Asphalt is bought by the ton and laid by the inch, and the bridge between the two is the mix's compacted density. Get the density wrong and your tonnage is wrong by the same percentage — which on a driveway is the difference between finishing and sending the crew back to the plant.
How to use it
Measure the area you're paving and set the compacted depth — the thickness after the roller, not the loose mat coming out of the paver, which is 20–25% thicker. Leave the density at 145 lb/ft³ unless your supplier gives you a number for their mix; dense-graded hot mix runs 140–150 lb/ft³ compacted, and that range is only ±3.5% on the tonnage.
If you already have the square footage from a survey or a takeoff, switch the mode to a known area and enter it under More options.
Depth, and why it isn't negotiable
- 2 in is the practical minimum for a surface course. Thinner than about 1½ in and the mat loses heat faster than the roller can get to it, so it never reaches density and ravels within a couple of winters.
- 3 in over a compacted 6–8 in aggregate base is the normal residential driveway.
- 4 in or more, in two lifts, wherever a loaded truck will turn. A single thick lift doesn't compact at the bottom.
The base under the asphalt matters more than the asphalt. Paving over soft or unprepared subgrade buys you two good years and then alligator cracking, whatever the thickness.
Reading the results
Asphalt needed already includes your waste allowance, so it is the tonnage to order. Plants sell in whole tons and trucks carry roughly 20–25 tons, so round up to a sensible load. Weight per square foot is the useful field check: at 145 lb/ft³, one inch of compacted asphalt is about 12 lb per square foot, or 110 lb per square yard. If your delivery ticket and your area don't agree with that, something is off before the crew starts.
Price per ton varies enormously with liquid-asphalt prices, haul distance and job size, so the calculator asks for it rather than guessing. Get a delivered number, and ask about the minimum load charge — under about 3 tons, most plants won't send a truck.
Frequently asked questions
▸How many tons of asphalt do I need for a driveway?
For a 40 × 20 ft driveway at 3 in compacted and 145 lb/ft³, that's 200 ft³ = 29,000 lb = 14.5 tons, or about 15.2 tons with a 5% allowance.
▸How much does a ton of asphalt cover?
At 145 lb/ft³, one ton covers about 165 ft² at 1 in deep, 82 ft² at 2 in, or 55 ft² at 3 in. Divide 2,000 lb by 12.1 lb per ft² per inch.
▸How thick should an asphalt driveway be?
Three inches of compacted asphalt over 6–8 in of compacted aggregate base is standard for cars. Go to 4 in, placed in two lifts, if a loaded truck or RV will use it.
▸What density should I use?
145 lb/ft³ (2,320 kg/m³) is the usual figure for compacted dense-graded hot mix. Open-graded friction courses and porous mixes are lighter, and your plant can give the exact bulk density for the mix they're selling you.
▸Is the loose depth the same as the compacted depth?
No. A loose mat is roughly 20–25% thicker than the finished surface, so 3 in compacted is screeded at about 3¾ in. Always order and specify by compacted depth.
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