Asphalt calculator

Measure the area, set the compacted depth. The ticket gives you tons and loads.

Hot mix is bought by the ton and laid by the inch, and the two are joined by a density that changes with the mix. The calculator converts your area and depth into tons at the figure you enter, so a quote from your paver and this page can be read side by side.

Add an area

Depth

The finished depth of the asphalt, not the hole.

Waste allowance

Optional extra for actual waste or overrun. Compaction is already accounted for by the compacted density; the default waste is 0%.

Density

tons/yd³

Compacted (in-place) density in US short tons/yd³. The 2.0 default is a placeholder; ask your plant for the mix density.

Price per ton

Material price only. Delivery, minimum charges and tax are excluded. The default is a placeholder.

How the number is worked out

Area times depth gives cubic feet, divided by 27 gives cubic yards, multiplied by the density gives tons. Hot mix runs around 145 pounds per cubic foot, which is close to two tons a cubic yard — heavy enough that a small drive is still several tons.

area (ft²) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 × density (tons/yd³) = tons

Compacted depth and in-place density

Enter the finished, compacted thickness and the density of the compacted mix. Multiplying those values gives the required mass; rolling changes volume and density, not the amount of material. Do not add another compaction multiplier. The optional waste allowance starts at zero and is only for a separately chosen overrun or loss. The Asphalt Institute estimation guidance uses finished volume and in-place density; confirm the density with your plant.

What a ton covers

A ton of hot mix lays roughly 80 square feet at 2 inches compacted, or 55 square feet at 3 inches. Truck capacity varies; the ticket estimates loads using the displayed 20-ton capacity.

Depth by use

Job	Compacted depth	Base under it
Footpath, patio	2 in	4 in compacted stone
Residential driveway	3 in	6 in stone
Parking area, light truck	4 in	8 in stone
Overlay on sound asphalt	1.5 in	existing surface

Questions

How many tons is my driveway?

At 3 inches compacted, about one ton for every 55 square feet. A 20 by 40 foot drive is roughly 15 tons.

Can I buy less than a full load?

You can, but most plants set a minimum and charge for the trip. Under about five tons it is usually cheaper to hire the paver to bring it.

Does the mix change the weight?

A little. Dense-graded surface mix sits near 145 lb per cubic foot; open-graded and lighter aggregates run lower. Ask the plant and enter their figure.

Do I need a base?

Yes, unless you are overlaying sound asphalt. Asphalt laid on soft ground fails at the edges first, and no thickness of surface fixes it.

Other calculators

The same ticket, the same assumptions on screen, for whatever else the job needs.

Concrete slabs, footings, columns and steps Gravel driveways, bases and drainage stone River rock beds, borders and dry creeks, by stone size Mulch beds and trees, by the yard or the bag Topsoil beds, lawns and levelling Fill dirt holes, grades and backfill, with settling Sand paver bedding, play sand and fill Cubic yards any volume, in every unit Rebar bars, sticks, laps and weight