Asphalt Calculator
Estimates only. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.
Compacted hot mix asphalt weighs about 145 lb/ft³, or roughly 2 tons per cubic yard, so a typical two-car driveway (20 × 30 ft at 3 inches) needs about 11 tons of asphalt — closer to 12 once you add a compaction and waste allowance. Set your area, thickness, and mix below for exact tons, cubic yards, truckloads, and cost.
Asphalt density and coverage by mix
| Asphalt mix | Density (lb/ft³) | Density (tons/yd³) | Coverage at 2" (sq ft/ton) | Coverage at 3" (sq ft/ton) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot mix asphalt (HMA) | 145 | 1.96 | 83 | 55 | Driveways, lots, roads — the standard paving mix |
| Warm mix asphalt (WMA) | 145 | 1.96 | 83 | 55 | Same paving jobs, placed at lower temperatures |
| Recycled asphalt (RAP) | 135 | 1.82 | 89 | 59 | Base and binder layers, budget resurfacing |
| Cold patch / cold lay | 105 | 1.42 | 114 | 76 | Pothole and small-patch repair, cool weather |
How to estimate asphalt
Asphalt is estimated by volume, then converted to weight because paving is bought and hauled by the ton. Multiply your area in square feet by the compacted thickness in feet to get cubic feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by the mix density — about 145 lb/ft³ for hot mix — and divide by 2,000 for tons. The shortcut this calculator runs is length × width × (thickness ÷ 12) × density ÷ 2000. At 3 inches of hot mix, tons come out to roughly the paved area in square feet divided by 55.
Thickness is compacted, not loose
Enter the finished, compacted thickness you want — the depth after the roller has passed. Asphalt is spread loose and rolled down to roughly 75–80% of its placed depth, so the crew lays it thicker than the target. You don't add that yourself: the overage field covers the extra material laid to hit the finished depth, along with spillage and uneven subgrade. Residential driveways run 2–3 inches compacted, overlays 1.5–2 inches, and parking lots or truck traffic 3–4 inches, often placed as a binder course plus a surface course.
Don't forget the gravel base
Asphalt is only the top layer. It sits on a compacted crushed-stone base, usually 4–8 inches thick — deeper over clay soil, poor drainage, or in freeze-thaw climates. This calculator sizes the asphalt itself; use the gravel calculator to estimate the aggregate base. If the spec calls for landscape stone rather than crusher run, the stone calculator sizes that layer by type and density. Skipping or under-building the base is the most common cause of an asphalt driveway cracking early.
Millings, RAP, and crushed asphalt
Asphalt millings, crushed asphalt, and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) are the same material under different names — old pavement that's been ground up or milled off a road and re-crushed for reuse. Choose the Recycled asphalt (RAP) mix above to estimate it; at about 135 lb/ft³ it runs a little lighter than virgin hot mix, so a given area needs slightly fewer tons. Millings are commonly used for base layers, budget resurfacing, and unpaved drives where they're spread and compacted rather than laid hot.
What asphalt costs
The asphalt material alone runs about $40–$80 per ton, or roughly $0.75–$2.00 per square foot for hot mix. A fully installed driveway — labor, gravel base, grading, and compaction included — costs more like $7–$13 per square foot as of 2026, so a 600 sq ft two-car driveway typically lands between $4,000 and $8,000. Enter your supplier's price per ton in the Ordering section for the material cost on your tonnage, then add labor and base for a full project figure. Parking lots often cost less per square foot than a small driveway because mobilization and setup are spread across more area.
Sealcoating is figured separately
Sealcoating is a thin protective surface coat, not paving, so it's estimated by area and coverage rate rather than tonnage. One gallon of driveway sealer covers roughly 100 square feet per coat (most products fall in an 80–150 sq ft range), and two coats are common — about 12 gallons for a 600 sq ft drive done twice. This calculator sizes the asphalt itself; use your sealer's label coverage for the sealcoat, since product type and dilution change the rate.
Common mistakes
- Estimating loose depth instead of compacted. Ordering to the loose lay depth over-buys; ordering to the finished depth with no overage comes up short. Enter the compacted target and let the overage field handle the difference.
- Using one density for every mix. Hot mix, recycled (RAP), and cold patch differ enough that a single default throws the tonnage off. Pick the mix you're actually buying.
- Irregular areas. This calculator handles rectangles and circles. For an L-shaped drive or a curved lot, split it into simple sections, run each, and add the tons together.
Frequently asked questions
How much asphalt do I need for a driveway?
A typical two-car driveway of about 20 by 30 feet (600 sq ft) at 3 inches of compacted hot mix needs roughly 11 tons of asphalt, or about 12 tons once you add a compaction and waste allowance. As a shortcut, tons at 3 inches ≈ area in square feet ÷ 55. Enter your real dimensions and thickness above for an exact figure, and remember residential driveways sit on a 4–8 inch compacted gravel base that you order separately.
How many tons of asphalt are in a cubic yard?
About 2 tons per cubic yard. Compacted hot mix asphalt weighs roughly 145 pounds per cubic foot, and 145 × 27 ÷ 2000 works out to about 1.96 tons per cubic yard. Lighter mixes weigh less — recycled asphalt (RAP) is about 1.82 tons per yard and cold patch about 1.42.
How much area does a ton of asphalt cover?
One ton of hot mix covers roughly 83 square feet at 2 inches, about 55 square feet at 3 inches, or 41 square feet at 4 inches of compacted thickness. Coverage drops as thickness increases because the same ton is spread over a thicker layer. The calculator above shows coverage per ton for your exact mix and thickness.
How thick should an asphalt driveway be?
Plan on 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt for a residential driveway over a 4 to 8 inch compacted gravel base. Two inches suits light passenger-car use on well-drained soil; use 3 inches, and a deeper base, over clay or in freeze-thaw climates or where heavier vehicles park. Commercial lots and truck traffic typically need 3 to 4 inches, often placed as a binder course plus a surface course.
What is the density of asphalt?
Compacted hot mix asphalt is about 145 pounds per cubic foot, the industry-average figure cited by the National Asphalt Pavement Association, with a real-world range of roughly 140 to 150 lb/ft³. That equals about 2,320 kg/m³. Density varies with the aggregate, binder content, and how well the mix is compacted, so ask your supplier for their mix's tested density on large orders.
How much extra asphalt should I order for compaction and waste?
Add about 5 to 10 percent to the calculated tonnage. Asphalt is laid loose and rolled down to roughly 75 to 80 percent of its placed depth, so crews spread it thicker than the finished target; you also lose a little to spillage, uneven subgrade, and the edges. The overage field above builds this allowance into every output — use the higher end for irregular areas or thin overlays.
What's the difference between hot mix, warm mix, cold patch, and recycled asphalt?
Hot mix asphalt (HMA) is the standard dense-graded paving mix at about 145 lb/ft³, laid hot for driveways, lots, and roads. Warm mix is chemically similar but produced and placed at lower temperatures, with effectively the same density. Recycled asphalt (RAP) is re-crushed old pavement, lighter at about 135 lb/ft³ and common in base layers. Cold patch is a bagged repair mix at about 105 lb/ft³ for potholes and small fixes, not full paving.
Do I need a gravel base under an asphalt driveway?
Yes. A compacted crushed-stone base, usually 4 to 8 inches thick, sits under the asphalt to carry the load and drain water away from the pavement. Go thicker over clay soils, poor drainage, or in freeze-thaw climates. This calculator estimates the asphalt itself; use the gravel calculator to size the aggregate base, since skipping or under-building it is the most common cause of early cracking.
How much does an asphalt driveway cost?
As of 2026, a professionally installed asphalt driveway runs about $7 to $13 per square foot including labor, the gravel base, and materials, so a 600 sq ft two-car driveway typically costs roughly $4,000 to $8,000. The asphalt material by itself is far cheaper — about $40 to $80 per ton, or $0.75 to $2.00 per square foot for hot mix. Enter your supplier's price per ton above to get the material cost for your tonnage, then add labor, base, and grading for a full project budget. Parking lots usually cost less per square foot than a small driveway because setup and mobilization are spread over more area.
How do I convert square feet or square yards to tons of asphalt?
Convert by thickness and density, not a fixed ratio. For compacted hot mix at 3 inches, one ton covers about 55 square feet (roughly 6 square yards), so tons ≈ square feet ÷ 55, or square yards × 9 ÷ 55. At 2 inches a ton covers about 83 sq ft; at 4 inches about 41. There's no single square-feet-to-tons number because coverage changes with thickness — the calculator above does the conversion for your exact area, depth, and mix.
How do I estimate asphalt sealer for sealcoating?
Sealcoating is a thin surface coating, not paving, so it's figured by area and coverage rate rather than tonnage. One gallon of driveway sealer covers roughly 100 square feet per coat — most products fall in an 80 to 150 sq ft per gallon range — and two coats are common. For a 600 sq ft driveway that's about 6 gallons per coat, or 12 for two coats. This calculator sizes the asphalt itself; check your sealer's label coverage for the sealcoat, since products and dilution rates vary.
Related calculators
Sources
- National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)National Asphalt Pavement AssociationTrade-association authority for the ~145 lb/ft³ compacted hot-mix density used as the base figure and the ~2 tons-per-cubic-yard rule of thumb.
- Asphalt Calculator — density by mix typeThe Calculator SitePer-mix compacted densities (hot mix 145, recycled/RAP 135, cold lay 105 lb/ft³), attributed to NAPA, used for the mix-type table.
- Asphalt Calculator — density range and methodOmni CalculatorCorroborates the working density range (~138–150 lb/ft³ / 2,200–2,400 kg/m³) and the volume × density tonnage method.
- How Much Does Asphalt Cost? (2026)HomeGuideSource for the ~$40–$80 per ton material price, ~$0.75–$2.00 per sq ft hot-mix material rate, and $7–$13 per sq ft installed driveway range cited in the cost section.
- Asphalt Sealer Calculator — coverage rateInch CalculatorSource for the ~100 sq ft per gallon sealer coverage rule (80–150 sq ft range) used in the sealcoating note; sealer is figured by area, not tonnage.