Asphalt Calculator
Tons, cubic yards and cubic feet of compacted hot mix from your paving dimensions.
Asphalt needed
8.70 tons
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 120.0 cu ft
- Volume
- 4.44 cu yd
- 5% waste allowance
- 0.44 tons
- Order total with waste
- 9.14 tons
Compacted in-place tonnage. Loose depth before rolling runs roughly 15-20% higher.
Know your tonnage? Price the job with the asphalt driveway cost calculator →
How this is calculated
Thickness is converted from inches to feet, multiplied by the paved area to get volume, then multiplied by compacted density and divided by 2,000 lb per US ton.
cubic feet = L(ft) × W(ft) × (thickness(in) / 12) cubic yards = cubic feet / 27 tons = (L × W × (thickness/12) × density) / 2000
Constants used: 12 inches per foot, 27 cubic feet per cubic yard, 2,000 lb per US ton, and a default compacted density of 145 lb/ft³. Metric input is converted at 1 m = 3.28084 ft and 1 cm = 0.393701 in. The 5% waste allowance is applied to the tonnage only, never to the volume figures.
Typical asphalt thickness by use
| Application | Compacted thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential driveway | 2-3 in | 2 in over a sound base, 3 in on soft or new subgrade |
| Heavy vehicle / RV parking | 4 in | Often 2 lifts of 2 in over 6-8 in of compacted base |
| Overlay on existing asphalt | 1.5-2 in | Requires a bonded, crack-free surface |
| Parking lot drive lanes | 3-4 in | Thicker at entrances and dumpster pads |
| Walking path | 1.5-2 in | Base thickness matters more than mat thickness |
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of asphalt do I need per square foot?
At the common 145 lb/ft³ compacted density, one square foot of 2-inch asphalt weighs about 24 lb, so roughly 0.012 tons. A 3-inch mat is about 36 lb per square foot, or 0.018 tons. Multiply by your total area for a quick sanity check on the calculator output.
What density should I use for hot mix asphalt?
Compacted dense-graded hot mix usually falls between 140 and 150 lb/ft³, and 145 is the standard planning figure. Open-graded friction courses run lighter, near 130 lb/ft³, and stone matrix asphalt can exceed 150. Your supplier can give the exact mix density on the job ticket, and the density field here is editable so you can enter it.
Does this calculator give loose or compacted tonnage?
Compacted. The density you enter is the in-place compacted density, so the tonnage figure is what ends up in the finished mat. Loose asphalt is roughly 15-20% thicker before rolling, which is why a 3-inch finished mat is typically laid at about 3.5 to 3.75 inches loose.
Why is a 5% waste allowance shown separately?
Edges, hand work around utilities, cooling in the truck and slightly uneven subgrade all consume material. Five percent is a normal planning cushion on straightforward rectangular jobs. Keep it separate from the base figure so you can see exactly how much of your order is contingency and raise it to 10% on irregular shapes.
How do I handle an irregular driveway shape?
Break the area into rectangles, run each one through the calculator, and add the tonnage. For a curved apron or a turnaround, an approximate bounding rectangle is usually close enough since the waste allowance absorbs the difference. Circles can be entered as a rectangle of equal area, which is radius squared times 3.14.
Can I use metric measurements?
Yes. The unit toggle accepts meters for length and width and centimeters for thickness, converts internally to feet and inches, and reports the result in US tons. Density stays in lb/ft³, which is how most North American suppliers quote asphalt mixes.
How much asphalt is in a standard truckload?
A tandem dump truck typically carries 12 to 15 tons and a tri-axle 18 to 22 tons. Asphalt has to be placed hot, so ordering in whole loads that match a day's paving matters more than exact tonnage. If your total lands just above a truckload, discuss thickness or staging with the supplier before ordering.
Tonnage is a material planning figure. Confirm mix density and lay thickness with your supplier or paving contractor before ordering.