Asphalt Calculator
Work out how many tons of hot mix asphalt a driveway, lot or patch needs from its size and compacted thickness.
A driveway 50 ft by 20 ft compacted 3 in thick takes about 18.33 tons of hot mix asphalt at the default rate of 110 lb per square yard per inch. The area is 111.11 square yards; multiply by 110 and by the 3 in thickness, then divide by 2,000 to get tons. The compacted volume is 9.26 cubic yards. At 2 in thick the same driveway takes 12.22 tons.
This calculator gives an estimate for ordering asphalt and is not a substitute for your supplier's mix design or a paving contractor's measurement. It does not allow for waste, uneven base or edges, so order a little extra.
Hot mix to order
18.33 tons
- Metric tonnes
- 16.63
- Area
- 111.11 sq yd = 1,000.00 sq ft = 92.90 sq m
- Compacted volume
- 9.26 cu yd = 7.08 cu m
Tons = square yards x mix rate x inches / 2,000. Order a little extra for waste and uneven base.
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About the Asphalt Calculator
Asphalt plants sell hot mix by the ton, so the calculator turns an area and a thickness into tons. The method is the one in the Tennessee Department of Transportation Design Guidelines, section 4-307: tons equal square yards times pounds per square yard per inch times inches, divided by 2,000. A square yard is 9 square feet, so a 50 ft by 20 ft driveway is 111.11 square yards. The default, 110 lb per square yard per inch, is TDOT's figure for its grading C base mix; its grading D surface mix uses 106. Mixes vary by state and supplier, so use your supplier's rate. One pound per square yard per inch is 36 lb per cubic yard, so 110 matches 3,960 lb per cubic yard. As a check, 100 square yards at 2 in is 22,000 lb, or 11 tons. The thickness is compacted, after rolling, not the loose depth laid from the paver. For a round area, the calculator uses pi times the radius squared.
Frequently asked questions
How many square yards does a ton of asphalt cover?+
At 110 lb per square yard per inch, a ton of 2,000 lb covers about 18.18 square yards at 1 in, 9.09 at 2 in and 6.06 at 3 in. Divide 2,000 by the rate times the inches.
What rate should I use for my asphalt mix?+
TDOT uses 110 lb per square yard per inch for its grading C base mix and 106 for grading D surface mix. Mixes differ, so ask your plant or paving contractor for the rate of the mix you are buying.
Is the thickness before or after rolling?+
After rolling. The rates are for compacted asphalt, and hot mix is laid thicker than it compacts, so enter the finished thickness you want.
How do I convert cubic yards of asphalt to tons?+
Multiply cubic yards by the density in pounds per cubic yard and divide by 2,000. At 3,960 lb per cubic yard, 9.26 cubic yards is 18.33 tons.
How much extra asphalt should I order?+
The calculator adds nothing for waste, uneven base or edges. Round up, and ask your supplier about its minimum load and how it bills a partial ton.
Tonnage method (square yards x lb per square yard per inch x inches / 2,000) and the rates of 110 lb (3,960 lb per cubic yard) for grading C base mix and 106 lb (3,816 lb per cubic yard) for grading D surface mix: Tennessee Department of Transportation, Design Guidelines, section 4-307.00, Tables 4-1 and 4-2, Computations for bituminous plant mix base. Areas use exact unit definitions: 9 square feet in a square yard, 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard and 0.3048 m in a foot.
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