Asphalt Calculator
Asphalt is sold by the ton: compacted volume (length × width × finished thickness) times a hot-mix unit weight of about 1.95 US tons per cubic yard (145 lb/ft³). A 40 × 12 ft driveway at 2 in compacted needs 2.96 yd³ — about 5.8 tons, or 6.2 tons with 8% waste. Size the base with the Road Base Calculator.
How it's calculated: Tons = length × width × compacted thickness (in yd³) × ≈ 1.95 US tons/yd³ (≈ 145 lb/ft³).
Result appears here
Fill in the fields and press Calculate.
Formula, calculation, assumptions and sources
Compacted volume = Length × Width × Thickness
Tonnage = Compacted volume × HMA unit weight (~145 lb/ft³ ≈ 1.95 US tons/yd³)
Run the calculation to see each step with your own numbers.
A 40 ft × 12 ft driveway, 2 in compacted asphalt, 8% waste.
Volume = 40 × 12 × 0.1667 = 80 ft³ = 2.96 yd³
Tonnage = 2.96 × 1.95 ≈ 5.8 US tons
+8%: order ≈ 6.2 tons
- Thickness is the FINISHED compacted thickness. HMA is placed ~20–25% thicker and rolled — the plant quotes tonnage on the compacted job, which is what this figures.
- Rectangular area of uniform thickness. A driveway with a wider apron should be split into two rectangles.
- Surface course only — for new construction add a separate binder course and the aggregate base beneath.
- Unit weight ~145 lb/ft³ for dense-graded HMA; open-graded or specialty mixes differ.
- Why tons and not cubic yards?
- Asphalt plants sell by weight. The calculator shows the compacted volume too, but you order and pay in tons.
- How thick should a driveway be?
- A common residential build is 2 in of surface HMA over 3 in of binder over 6–8 in of compacted aggregate base. A simple resurface over sound old asphalt is often just 1.5–2 in.
- How many tons of asphalt do I need for a driveway?
- Multiply length × width × compacted thickness in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by about 1.95 tons per yard. A 40 × 12 ft driveway at 2 in needs about 5.8 tons, or 6.2 tons with the default 8% waste.
- How much does a cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
- Compacted dense-graded hot-mix asphalt weighs about 145 lb/ft³, roughly 1.95 US tons per cubic yard (2,300–2,400 kg/m³). Open-graded and specialty mixes differ, so confirm the figure with your plant.
Volume
Standard geometry. Unit conversions per NIST SP 811.
HMA unit weight
Compacted hot-mix asphalt ≈ 2,300–2,400 kg/m³ (≈145 lb/ft³ ≈ 1.95 t/yd³). Asphalt Institute MS-2 / state-DOT.
HMA unit weight — reference
About the Asphalt Calculator
The Asphalt Calculator gives the hot-mix asphalt tonnage for a driveway, lot or path from the area and the finished compacted thickness. Asphalt plants sell by weight, so tons is the number you order, though the calculator shows the volume too. Enter the compacted thickness you want — the plant already accounts for the mix being laid thicker and rolled down.
What you enter
- Length
- Width
- Compacted thickness — 2 in for a residential driveway surface; 3 in for a heavier lot; add a binder course beneath for new construction.
- Waste allowance — Default 8%. Adjust to your own allowance — the exact figure is always shown too.
What you get back
- Asphalt tonnage — shown as the exact figure and, separately, a recommended figure with your waste allowance added.
- Compacted volume — the exact result of the calculation.
The formula, a worked example, the assumptions behind it and the sources are shown in full below the calculator.
Related calculators
- Road Base Calculator — Road base / crusher-run quantity for a sub-base layer.
- Gravel Driveway Calculator — Gravel for a driveway of a given length, width and depth, by layer.
- Crushed Stone Calculator — Crushed stone by volume and weight. Shares the density question with the Gravel Calculator.
- Cubic Yard Calculator — Convert a length, width and depth into cubic yards, cubic feet or cubic metres.
Related articles
- Road Base Materials Explained — Road base is typically a graded mix of crushed stone sizes down to fines, engineered to compact densely and distribute loads from the surface above.
Part of the Landscaping & Driveway calculators.