Asphalt Calculator

Find how many tons of hot mix asphalt you need for a driveway, path or parking area from its size and compacted thickness, and estimate the cost.

Shape

Length (Ft.)

Width (Ft.)

Compacted Thickness (In.)

Residential driveways are often 2″ to 3″ compacted; parking lots and heavier traffic more.

Material

Weight (Lb. per Cubic Yard)

Compacted hot mix is usually figured at 145 lb per cubic foot, or 3,915 lb per cubic yard.

Extra for Waste (%)

A few percent covers edges, low spots and waste.

Cost

Price

Area Name

Fractions work too: try 12 1/2.

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Cubic Yards

Area
Cubic feet
Cubic meters
Weight
Cost: Add a price to estimate

Paving Areas

Areas you add are saved in this browser.

Area	Size	Depth	Cubic Yards	Tons	Cost	Remove

How to Calculate Asphalt Tonnage

Asphalt is bought by the ton. Find the volume of the compacted layer in cubic feet (length × width × thickness in inches ÷ 12), then multiply by the density of compacted hot mix, about 145 lb per cubic foot, and divide by 2,000 to get tons.

Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27

Tons = cubic yards × weight per cubic yard (lb) ÷ 2,000

There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard (3 × 3 × 3). For a circle, the area is 3.1416 × diameter² ÷ 4; for a triangle, base × height ÷ 2.

Worked Example

Asphalt Weights

Name	Lb. per Cubic Yard	Tons per Cubic Yard	Notes
Hot mix asphalt, compacted	3,915	1.96	145 lb per cubic foot, the common estimating figure
Cold patch mix	2,700	1.35	Loose cold mix for small repairs

How Far a Cubic Yard Goes

Depth	One Cubic Yard Covers	Needed per 100 Sq. Ft.

Tips for Asphalt Paving

Thickness here is the compacted thickness. Asphalt is laid loose and rolled down by about a quarter, so pavers spread more than the finished depth. Your paving contractor's mix design sets the exact density.

A good base matters more than extra asphalt: most driveways need several inches of compacted aggregate base under the asphalt. Plants usually sell by the ton, and many have a minimum order.