Asphalt calculator: tons of hot mix, square yards and truckloads
Work out how much asphalt a driveway, parking lot or road section needs. Enter the area and the compacted thickness, and get the tons of hot mix to order, the square yards, the truckloads and the material cost.
Asphalt: tons, square yards & trucks
Enter the area and the compacted thickness, and get the tons of hot mix asphalt to order, the square yards, truckloads and the material cost.
The pavement
Result
Volume = length × width × thickness ÷ 12 (cu ft). Tons = volume × density ÷ 2,000, then × (1 + waste). At 145 lb/cu ft that is about 110 lb per square yard per inch of thickness — the figure most paving estimates use as a check.
How to use it
- Measure the length and width of the area to pave.
- Enter the compacted thickness of the course — not the loose depth.
- Check the density with your plant; compacted hot mix is commonly 140–150 lb per cu ft.
- Add waste and overrun, the price per ton and the truck size.
A worked example
The 110-pound check
Paving estimates often use about 110 lb of compacted hot mix per square yard per inch of thickness — the same 145 lb/cu ft density expressed per square yard (145 × 9 ÷ 12 ≈ 109). Tons = square yards × inches × 110 ÷ 2,000. If a quantity from a takeoff or a supplier quote is far from that, check the thickness or the area before the order goes in.
On unit-price work
On public work asphalt is usually a pay item paid by the ton from weigh tickets, and yield — tons placed against tons the area and thickness call for — decides whether the item makes money. Overrun against the plan quantity shows up first in yield; the civil and utility contractor guide covers tracking pay items and cost per unit.
Questions
How do you calculate tons of asphalt?
Length × width × compacted thickness in feet gives cubic feet; multiply by the density (commonly about 145 lb per cubic foot) and divide by 2,000 for tons. Add a few percent for waste and overrun.
How much does a ton of asphalt cover?
At 145 lb per cubic foot, one ton covers about 18 square yards (165 sq ft) at 1 in thick, or about 6 square yards (55 sq ft) at 3 in.
How thick should asphalt be?
It depends on the traffic and the base; driveways are commonly 2 to 3 in compacted over a prepared aggregate base, and parking lots and roads are thicker and often placed in two lifts. The project specification governs.
How many tons does a dump truck hold?
A tri-axle dump commonly carries around 18 to 22 tons of hot mix, depending on the truck and local weight limits; ask the plant what its trucks load.
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