Asphalt calculator: tons of hot mix to order
Hot-mix asphalt compacts to about 110 pounds per square yard per inch, 147 pounds per cubic foot, by the paving industry's rule. So a 40 by 12 ft driveway paved 3 inches thick after rolling is 120 cubic feet and 8.8 tons. With 5% extra it is 9.3 tons, one truck.
From square feet and inches to tons
Hot-mix asphalt is laid by thickness and bought by the ton. So the calculator multiplies the paved area by the compacted thickness to get cubic feet, then by the mix density to get pounds. The industry's working figure for compacted hot mix is 110 pounds per square yard per inch of thickness, which is 147 pounds per cubic foot. The plant's ticket gives the exact figure for its mix, and that number can go in the density box. A small waste allowance covers hand work at the edges and the mix that cools in the truck. The result is shown in US short tons and in metric tonnes, because plants and estimators use both words loosely.
Tons = area (sq ft) × thickness (in) ÷ 12 × 147 ÷ 2,000. The paver's shortcut: square yards × thickness (in) × 110 ÷ 2,000. Both give 11.0 tons for 600 square feet at 3 inches.
Tons of hot mix by area and compacted thickness
| Paved area | 1 1/2 in overlay | 2 in overlay | 3 in | 3 1/2 in driveway | 4 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft (one-car drive) | 3.7 tons | 4.9 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 9.8 |
| 600 sq ft | 5.5 | 7.4 | 11.0 | 12.9 | 14.7 |
| 900 sq ft (100 sq yd) | 8.3 | 11.0 | 16.5 | 19.3 | 22.1 |
| 1,200 sq ft (two-car drive) | 11.0 | 14.7 | 22.1 | 25.7 | 29.4 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 23.0 | 30.6 | 45.9 | 53.6 | 61.3 |
At 147 pounds per cubic foot, before any waste allowance.
Pricing a 70 by 16 ft driveway, new, with base
The drive is 1,120 square feet, 124 square yards. Following the Colorado association's 2005 plan, the pour is a 2 inch bottom course and a 1 1/2 inch surface course. That is 3 1/2 inches in all, over 8 inches of compacted base. Asphalt: 1,120 × 0.292 = 327 cubic feet, times 147 is 48,000 pounds, or 24.0 tons. With 5% extra that is 25.2 tons. That is two truckloads at 20 tons, with the second truck a quarter full.
If the plant runs both, it is a 15 ton and a 10 ton load. Base stone: 1,120 × 0.667 = 747 cubic feet in place, 27.7 cubic yards compacted. At the Wisconsin DOT's 1.83 tons per compacted yard, that is about 51 tons to buy. If the yard sells by volume, it is about 39 loose yards. The base goes in first, in two lifts, compacted and shaped with a crown or a fall so water leaves the surface.
Thickness, from the driveway guide
| Pavement | Hot mix, compacted | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay on sound existing asphalt | 1 1/2 to 2 in of surface mix | none |
| New residential driveway, 2005 brief | 2 in bottom course plus 1 1/2 in surface course | 6 to 8 in of crushed aggregate |
| New residential driveway, 2020 brief | 3 in of asphalt | 4 to 6 in of compacted aggregate |
Those are the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association's figures for an ordinary residential driveway, from its 2005 and 2020 briefs; the worked example follows the 2005 plan. Heavier use, soft ground or a cold climate can call for more. That is a question for the paver and the plant's mix designer rather than a calculator. How thick an asphalt driveway should be compares the two designs in full.
Ordering from the plant
Hot mix cools in the truck, so the order, the trucks and the crew are planned together. Tell the plant the tons, the mix type (a fine surface mix for a driveway) and the time you want the first truck. Also say whether you are tailgating into a paver or dumping into a pile for hand work. Hand-laid driveways need the smaller gradation and more waste. Many plants have a minimum tonnage per load and charge for a partial truck, which is why the list rounds up to whole loads.
Questions about ordering asphalt
How much asphalt do I need?
Multiply the area in square feet by the compacted thickness in feet for cubic feet. Then multiply by 147 pounds per cubic foot and divide by 2,000 for tons. A 600 square foot driveway at 3 inches is 150 cubic feet, 22,050 pounds, 11 tons. Pavers use a shortcut that gives the same answer: square yards times inches times 110, divided by 2,000.
How many tons of asphalt per square foot?
About 0.018 tons, or 37 pounds, per square foot at 3 inches compacted, and 0.012 tons at 2 inches. Turned around, a ton of hot mix covers about 54 square feet at 3 inches and 82 square feet at 2 inches.
How thick should an asphalt driveway be?
The Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association's 2020 brief gives 3 inches of asphalt over 4 to 6 inches of compacted aggregate. Full depth, it gives 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches depending on the subgrade. Its 2005 brief gave a 2 inch bottom course under a 1 1/2 inch surface course over 6 to 8 inches of aggregate. For an existing driveway that is sound, both call for an overlay of 1 1/2 to 2 inches of surface mix. Thickness here is after rolling. The paver lays it thicker loose and compacts it down.
What does asphalt weigh per cubic yard?
Compacted hot-mix asphalt weighs about 147 pounds per cubic foot, which is roughly 3,970 pounds or 1.98 tons per cubic yard. The Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association gives the range as 144 to 160 pounds per cubic foot. That is 108 to 120 pounds per square yard per inch. The plant's ticket gives the exact figure for its mix, which the density box takes.
How many square feet does a ton of asphalt cover?
At 147 pounds per cubic foot, one ton is 13.6 cubic feet. That covers 109 square feet at 1 1/2 inches, 82 at 2 inches, 54 at 3 inches, 47 at 3 1/2 inches and 41 at 4 inches.
How much does asphalt cost per ton?
The Wisconsin DOT's average unit price list dated October 2025 shows hot-mix pavement items bid at about $63 to $107 per ton. The range runs across its 2025 state contracts, which are large jobs with the mix placed. A plant quotes the material alone, by the ton. A paving contractor quotes an installed price per square foot that covers base, labor and equipment. Type the plant's price into the options to see the material alone.
Do I need a gravel base under asphalt?
For new pavement, yes. The Colorado association's briefs put 4 to 6 inches (2020) or 6 to 8 inches (2005) of compacted crushed aggregate under the asphalt. The base is what carries the load, which is why both briefs specify it. An overlay on existing asphalt needs no new base. Pick the base depth in the options and the list adds its tonnage at the Wisconsin DOT's compacted weight.
5 source documents
- Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association with Penn State, Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements in PA Check List, 2025 edition (110 lb per sq yd per inch, 147 lb per cu ft; range 108 to 120 and 144 to 160). Read 2 November 2026.
- Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association, hosted by the Asphalt Institute, Best Practices for the Use of Asphalt Driveways, Technical Brief Vol. 5 No. 2 (2 in plus 1 1/2 in over 6 to 8 in base; overlay 1 1/2 to 2 in), November 2005. Read 2 November 2026.
- Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association, Asphalt Driveways technical brief, March 2020: 3 inches of asphalt over 4 to 6 inches of aggregate, or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches full depth, by subgrade. Read 2 November 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Average Unit Price List, HMA pavement items per ton, FY2023 to FY2025, dated 21 October 2025. Read 2 November 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin, WHRP G22-05 (dense-graded base 1.80 to 1.86 tons per compacted cubic yard), December 2023. Read 2 November 2026.