Asphalt Calculator
Calculate tons of asphalt for driveways, parking lots, or roads from area and compacted thickness.
Returns hot mix tonnage at standard density of 145 lbs/ft3.
Asphalt projects — driveways, parking lots, path resurfacing — require accurate quantity estimates to avoid costly over-ordering or mid-project shortages.
Volume formula: Volume (cubic yards) = (Length × Width × Depth) ÷ 27
Where length, width, and depth are all in feet. Divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards.
Weight formula: Asphalt Weight (tons) = Volume (cubic yards) × Density
Standard hot-mix asphalt density: 145 lbs per cubic foot = approximately 1.96 tons per cubic yard
Simplified tons formula: Tons = (Length ft × Width ft × Depth ft × 145) ÷ 2000
Worked example: Driveway: 60 ft long × 12 ft wide × 0.33 ft deep (4 inches): Volume = (60 × 12 × 0.33) ÷ 27 = 237.6 ÷ 27 = 8.8 cubic yards Weight = 8.8 × 1.96 = 17.2 tons
At $80–$100 per ton delivered and laid, this driveway would cost approximately $1,376–$1,720 in asphalt material alone.
Typical asphalt depth by application:
- Residential driveway: 3–4 inches (new), 1.5–2 inches (overlay)
- Parking lot: 4–6 inches
- Road base course: 4–8 inches
- Road surface course: 1.5–3 inches
Important notes:
- Always add 10–15% waste factor to your order
- Compaction reduces volume by about 20–25% — what looks like 4 inches of loose asphalt compacts to roughly 3 inches
- Temperature matters: hot-mix asphalt must be laid at 275–325°F and compacted before it cools below 175°F
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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