Asphalt Calculator

How thick should asphalt be?

Many home driveways use about 2 inches compacted HMA on a proper base. Heavier loads or commercial paving often need 3 inches or more—follow local specs and your contractor.

Why add a waste percentage?

Rollers compact the mat, edges need overlap, and irregular shapes lose material to cutoffs. 5–10% extra avoids a short load on delivery day.

What density should I use?

Hot-mix asphalt is often near 145 lb per cubic foot (about 2.32 tonnes/m³). Dense mixes or aggregates can run higher—use the value on your supplier quote when available.

Does this include base gravel or tack coat?

No—this tool estimates the asphalt mat only. Base stone, geotextile, milling, and tack coat are separate quantities and costs.

Asphalt tonnage follows from paved area, compacted thickness, mix density, and a waste factor. This calculator converts your dimensions into cubic yards and US short tons—the units plants and quotes often use.

• Choose length × width or enter total area if you already know square footage.
• Set compacted thickness in feet, inches, meters, or centimeters.
• Adjust waste (default 8%) and density (default 145 lb/ft³) to match your job.
• Tap Calculate asphalt for volume, tons, and metric tonnes.

• Residential driveway bids before calling a paving contractor.
• Parking pad or RV pad sizing with 2–3 inch lifts.
• Comparing thicker base vs wearing course when only total depth is known.
• Quick checks when a supplier quotes tons instead of square yards.

1. 40 ft × 12 ft × 2 in thick, 8% waste, 145 lb/ft³ → about 3.6 yd³ and ~14.5 US tons.
2. 480 sq ft × 3 in, 5% waste → about 4.4 yd³; at 145 lb/ft³ ≈ 17.6 US tons.
3. 100 m² × 5 cm compacted, 10% waste, 145 lb/ft³ → about 17.6 tonnes metric (planning range).