Material calculator
Asphalt Calculator
Enter your area and compacted thickness to get the exact tonnage of hot mix asphalt you need — plus cubic yards, truckloads and a delivered cost range.
Your project
Residential driveways are usually 2-3". Truck traffic needs 4" or more.
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Delivered hot mix typically runs $100–$200 per ton depending on your region and oil prices.
Hot mix asphalt needed
6.09
US tons
- Area
- 480 sq ft (53.3 sq yd)
- Volume
- 2.96 cubic yards
- Tonnage before waste
- 5.8 tons
- Metric weight
- 5.52 tonnes
- Truckloads (20-ton tri-axle)
- 1
- Estimated material cost
- $822
Material cost only. Delivery, labor, base prep and compaction are quoted separately.
How asphalt tonnage is calculated
Asphalt is sold by weight, but you measure your project by area. The bridge between the two is density. Compacted hot mix asphalt weighs about 145 pounds per cubic foot, which works out to roughly 1.96 US tons per cubic yard.
The formula is: tons = area in square feet × (thickness in inches ÷ 12) × 145 ÷ 2000. A 40 × 12 ft driveway at 2 inches compacted comes to 480 sq ft × 0.167 ft × 145 lb ÷ 2000 = 5.8 tons.
Always order slightly more than the raw number. Subgrade is never perfectly flat, some mix cools in the truck bed, and a short load means a cold joint in the middle of your driveway. A 5% allowance is standard; 10% if the base is uneven.
Choosing the right thickness
Thickness is the single biggest driver of both cost and lifespan. Too thin and the pavement cracks under load within a few seasons; too thick and you have paid for material the traffic will never need.
For a passenger-car residential driveway, 2 inches of compacted surface course over 4–6 inches of crushed aggregate base is the industry standard. If delivery trucks or an RV will use it, step up to 3 inches over 8 inches of base.
Material densities
Compacted unit weights used by this calculator.
| Material | Density | Tons per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Hot mix asphalt (compacted) | 145 lb/ft³ | 1.96 tons/yd³ |
| Warm mix asphalt (compacted) | 142 lb/ft³ | 1.92 tons/yd³ |
| Porous / open-graded asphalt | 130 lb/ft³ | 1.76 tons/yd³ |
| Asphalt millings (compacted) | 127 lb/ft³ | 1.71 tons/yd³ |
| Asphalt millings (loose) | 110 lb/ft³ | 1.49 tons/yd³ |
| Crushed aggregate base (compacted) | 135 lb/ft³ | 1.82 tons/yd³ |
| Loose gravel | 105 lb/ft³ | 1.42 tons/yd³ |
Recommended thickness by application
| Application | Asphalt depth | Aggregate base |
|---|---|---|
| Residential driveway (surface course) | 2" | 4-6" aggregate base |
| Residential driveway (full depth) | 3" | 6-8" aggregate base |
| Overlay / resurfacing | 1.5-2" | Existing pavement |
| Parking lot — cars only | 3" | 6" aggregate base |
| Parking lot — light truck traffic | 4" | 8" aggregate base |
| Commercial drive lane / heavy truck | 5-6" | 10-12" aggregate base |
| Private road | 4-6" | 8-12" aggregate base |
| Walking path / bike trail | 1.5-2" | 4" aggregate base |
Frequently asked questions
+How many tons of asphalt do I need for a 2-car driveway?
A typical 2-car driveway of 20 × 24 ft (480 sq ft) at 2 inches compacted needs about 5.8 tons of hot mix asphalt. At 3 inches it rises to roughly 8.7 tons.
+How many square feet does 1 ton of asphalt cover?
At 2 inches compacted, 1 ton of hot mix covers about 83 square feet. At 1 inch it covers about 165 sq ft, and at 4 inches about 41 sq ft.
+How much does a ton of asphalt weigh in cubic yards?
One cubic yard of compacted hot mix weighs about 1.96 US tons, so 1 ton is roughly 0.51 cubic yards.
+Should I add a waste factor?
Yes. Add 5% for a well-prepared base and 10–15% for uneven subgrade or hand-laid work. Running short mid-pour creates a cold joint that becomes the first thing to fail.
+Does this work for asphalt millings?
Yes — select 'Asphalt millings' as the mix type. Compacted millings run about 127 lb/ft³, slightly lighter than virgin hot mix.