How to use the asphalt calculator
- Enter the area to pave. Type the length and width, or choose area and thickness and enter the square feet or square yards.
- Enter the compacted thickness. Type the thickness of the finished asphalt layer after rolling, in inches or another unit.
- Read the tons of asphalt. The result shows the tons to order, the cubic yards, the weight in pounds and the area in square feet and square yards.
What is an asphalt calculator?
An asphalt calculator is a tool that estimates the weight of asphalt needed to pave an area. It multiplies the area by the thickness to get a volume, then multiplies the volume by the weight of compacted asphalt. Asphalt plants sell hot mix by the ton, so the answer is in tons.
Use it for a driveway, a parking area, a path or a patch. Asphalt is also called blacktop, hot mix asphalt or HMA.
Features
- Tons of hot mix asphalt from length, width and thickness, or from an area and thickness
- Area in square feet and in square yards, the unit paving is often quoted in
- Cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic metres
- A tons to cubic yards converter
- A field for your plant's own tons per cubic yard
- A cost from your own price per ton or per square foot
- A live 3D preview, a PDF of the estimate and a WhatsApp share button
What you can use it for
- A new asphalt driveway or a parking area
- An overlay on an old driveway
- Patching a section of a road or a path
- Converting square feet and thickness into tons, the way plants sell asphalt
How asphalt tonnage is calculated
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × thickness (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27.
Tons = cubic yards × 2.05.
The 2.05 tons per cubic yard comes from the Washington State Department of Transportation Design Manual (M 22-01, September 2024, Exhibit 620-2), which bases its hot mix tables on 137 lb per square yard for a compacted depth of 0.10 ft. That is about 114 lb per square yard for each inch of thickness.
Worked example: a 20 ft by 10 ft driveway section, 2 inches thick
- Area: 20 × 10 = 200 square feet, which is 22.22 square yards.
- Volume: 200 × 2 ÷ 12 = 33.33 cubic feet, which is 1.23 cubic yards.
- Weight: 1.23 × 2.05 = 2.53 tons, or about 5,062 lb.
These are the numbers the calculator shows when the page opens.
Tons of asphalt by thickness
Tons of compacted hot mix asphalt at 2.05 tons per cubic yard, and the area one ton covers.
| Compacted thickness | Tons per 100 sq ft | Area covered by 1 ton |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 0.63 | 158 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 1.27 | 79 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 1.90 | 52.7 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 2.53 | 39.5 sq ft |
What the calculator includes
- The weight is for hot mix asphalt compacted in place. Cold patch, asphalt millings and recycled asphalt have other weights. Use your own figure for those.
- Enter the thickness after compaction. The loose mat behind the paver is thicker.
- The extra allowance starts at 0%. Add your own for uneven ground or waste.
- Each dimension can be up to 10,000 in its unit, an area or weight up to 1,000,000, and your own figure up to 5 tons per cubic yard.
Is it private?
Yes. The calculation and the PDF are made in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to our server and are not saved.
Tips for an accurate estimate
- Enter the compacted thickness you want, because asphalt is laid loose and rolled down.
- Measure the area after the base is ready, so edges and widenings are included.
- Ask the plant for the weight of its mix and enter it if it differs.
- Plan the paving for dry, warm weather so the mix can be rolled while hot.
- Round the order up to the plant's minimum load.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
- How many tons of asphalt do I need?
- Multiply the area in square feet by the thickness in inches, divide by 12 and by 27 to get cubic yards, then multiply by 2.05. A 20 ft by 10 ft area that is 2 inches thick needs 2.53 tons.
- How much does a cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
- About 2.05 tons, or 4,100 lb, for compacted hot mix asphalt. That is the figure the Washington State DOT Design Manual uses for its estimating tables. Mixes differ, so your plant's figure can be a little higher or lower.
- How many square feet does a ton of asphalt cover?
- At 2.05 tons per cubic yard, one ton covers about 79 square feet at 2 inches thick, 52.7 square feet at 3 inches and 39.5 square feet at 4 inches.
- How do I calculate asphalt from square feet?
- Choose area and thickness and enter the square feet. The formula is square feet × thickness in inches ÷ 324 × 2.05. For 200 square feet at 2 inches, that is 2.53 tons.
- How do I convert square feet to tons of asphalt?
- Multiply the square feet by the compacted thickness in feet and divide by 27 to get cubic yards, then multiply by 2.05 tons per cubic yard. 200 square feet at 2 inches is 1.23 cubic yards, which is about 2.53 tons.
- Should I enter the loose or the compacted thickness?
- Enter the compacted thickness, which is the finished layer after rolling. The weight in the calculator is for compacted asphalt.
- Can I use the calculator for asphalt millings or cold patch?
- Yes, with your own figure. Those materials weigh less or more than hot mix asphalt, so choose my supplier's figure and enter the tons per cubic yard for your material.
Sources
Every figure this calculator uses comes from the published sources below. The formulas are on this page, so any result can be checked by hand.
- Washington State Department of Transportation, Design Manual M 22-01, Exhibits 620-1 and 620-2. Dry weights in tons per cubic yard of gravel, crushed stone, ballast, sand and hot mix asphalt.