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Asphalt Calculator

Use this asphalt calculator to find how many tons of asphalt and how many square yards of paving your driveway, lot or path needs.

  • Instant answer as you type
  • Nothing you type is sent anywhere
  • Worked example with clear steps

Your measurements

ft
ft
in
Compacted thickness. Fractions are fine, e.g. 1 1/2
%
Typical value, not a standard
Cost (optional)

Your contractor's or supplier's price per ton. We store and show no prices.

$ per ton

Result

Calculated live
Weight to order 110 lb per yd² per in, 0% extra
4.4 tons
Area 360 ft²
40 yd²
Weight, no extra
4.4 tons
One ton covers at 2 in thick
9.09 yd²

Based on NIST SP 811 PA Asphalt Association Full list of sources

Assumptions and constants

You can change

The limits on the other boxes, such as the largest size you can enter, are ours, not from a source.

Weight of asphalt per square yard per inch

lb per yd² per in
Typical range 108 to 120 (PAPA booklet). The limits of 90 to 140 are ours, not the booklet's.

The Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association assumes 110 lb per square yard per inch of compacted mix, and says a typical compacted mix weighs 108 to 120. Check your mix design.

Allowed range: 90 to 140 lb per yd² per in.

Extra asphalt to order Typical value

%
Same as the box in the form above

Typical value, not a standard. We found no standard figure. Leave it at 0 unless your contractor or supplier asks for extra.

Allowed range: 0 to 100 %.

Fixed values (exact definitions and references)

These are exact definitions and cannot be edited.

Square feet in a square yard Reference [1]

9 ft² per yd²

3 ft × 3 ft. NIST gives the yard as exactly 0.9144 m and the foot as exactly 0.3048 m.

Pounds in a US ton Reference [1]

2,000 lb per ton

The short ton of 2,000 lb, used by US suppliers.

How to use the asphalt calculator

  1. Pick a shape: Rectangle, Circle or Triangle. Enter its size: Length and Width, Diameter, or Base and Height.
  2. Enter the Thickness of the compacted asphalt layer, in inches.
  3. Open Assumptions and constants to change the Weight of asphalt per square yard per inch if your mix design gives another figure.
  4. Read Weight to order and Area. Change Extra to order only if your contractor or supplier asks for extra.
  5. Use Copy result or Print, and confirm the tons with your asphalt supplier or paving contractor.

How the asphalt calculator works

Area in square yards = length x width (in feet) / 9, because a square yard is 3 ft x 3 ft. [1] Tons = square yards x thickness in inches x pounds per square yard per inch / 2,000. The pounds per square yard per inch is the weight of one inch of compacted asphalt laid over one square yard.

This calculator starts at 110 pounds per square yard per inch, the figure the Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association uses for compacted mix. The same booklet says a typical compacted mix weighs 108 to 120 pounds per square yard per inch, depending on the aggregate, the asphalt content and the density in place, and it tells you to check your mix design. [2] If you have that figure, change it under Assumptions and constants.

Worked example

A 30 ft x 12 ft area, 2 in thick: 30 x 12 / 9 = 40 square yards. 40 x 2 x 110 = 8,800 pounds, and 8,800 / 2,000 = 4.4 tons.

The booklet's own example is larger: 150 ft x 300 ft at 3 in thick is 5,000 square yards and 825 tons at 110 pounds per square yard per inch. [2]

Asphalt area: length 30 ft, width 12 ft, thickness 2 in The left drawing is the area seen from above, a rectangle 2.5 times as long as it is wide. Its length, 30 ft, is marked along the long side and its width, 12 ft, along the short side. The right drawing is a side view of the same layer: a thin block resting on the ground line, with a bar to its right marking its thickness, 2 in. From above From the side Length 30 ft Width 12 ft Thickness 2 in
Not to scale: the thickness is drawn much thicker than 2 in against 30 ft. Measure the length and width in feet and the thickness in inches. The calculator turns them into square yards and tons.

How much does a yard of asphalt weigh?

A cubic yard of compacted asphalt weighs about 1.98 US tons at the starting figure: 110 pounds x 36 inches in a yard = 3,960 pounds. The booklet gives the same weight as 147 pounds per cubic foot; the small difference is its rounding. [2]

Weight of compacted asphalt
Figure lb per yd² per in Tons per yd³ lb per ft³
Low end of the typical range 108 1.94 144
Starting value 110 1.98 146.7
High end of the typical range 120 2.16 160

The starting value is the booklet's own figure for compacted mix, and the range is what it calls typical. Your mix may differ, so check your mix design. [2]

Hot mix, cold patch and millings

This calculator uses the weight of compacted asphalt mix, the kind the Pennsylvania booklet describes for paving jobs. [2] We found no source for the weight of cold patch, bagged mix or ground-up millings, so the calculator does not cover them. For those, ask your supplier how far one ton goes at your thickness.

Measuring a driveway

Measure the length along the middle and the width in a few places, then use the average width. If the drive has a wide part and a narrow part, calculate each part on its own and add the tons. For example, a strip 50 ft long and 10 ft wide is 55.56 square yards, and at 2 in thick it needs 6.11 tons. We found no government source for a recommended driveway thickness, so ask your contractor or your local road authority.

How far does a ton of asphalt go?

One ton covers 2,000 / (110 x thickness in inches) square yards. The booklet works this out for 1.5 in: 2,000 pounds / (110 pounds x 1.5 in) = 12.12 square yards per ton. [2]

Area one ton covers
Thickness (in) Square yards per ton Square feet per ton
1 18.18 164
1.5 12.12 109
2 9.09 82
3 6.06 55

How much does asphalt cost?

We state no price. Ask local suppliers or contractors for a price per ton, and for any delivery fee or minimum order. Type your price into the optional Cost box above to see the total for the tons to order. The site does not store the prices you type.

Common mistakes and limits

  • Using the wrong thickness. Use the compacted thickness, as the booklet's examples do. [2]
  • Mixing square feet and square yards. One square yard is 9 square feet. The calculator shows both.
  • Using the starting weight when your mix design says otherwise. The booklet says to check the mix design. [2]
  • Treating the result as a quote. It is an estimate. Confirm the tons with your supplier or contractor.
  • What this tool does not cover: stone base, tack coat, sealcoat, striping, grading, drainage or delivery minimums.

Tons to cubic yards and cubic feet

These conversions use 1.98 tons per cubic yard, the starting weight.

Tons of asphalt converted
Tons Cubic yards Cubic feet
1 0.51 13.6
2 1.01 27.3
5 2.53 68.2
10 5.05 136.4
25 12.63 340.9

Cubic yards to tons

To go the other way, multiply cubic yards by 1.98 tons per cubic yard.

Cubic yards of asphalt converted to tons
Cubic yards Tons
1 1.98
5 9.90
10 19.80

Common sizes

Real jobs with no extra added. The thicknesses are examples to show the sum, not recommendations.

Asphalt for common jobs at 110 pounds per square yard per inch
Job Thickness (in) Square yards Tons
Parking pad, 10 x 20 ft 2 22.22 2.44
Two-car pad, 20 x 20 ft 2 44.44 4.89
Driveway strip, 10 x 50 ft 2 55.56 6.11
Driveway strip, 12 x 60 ft 3 80.00 13.20
Small lot, 50 x 100 ft 3 555.56 91.67

Frequently asked questions

How many tons of asphalt do I need?

Multiply the area in square yards by the thickness in inches and by 110 pounds, then divide by 2,000. A 30 ft x 12 ft area is 40 square yards. At 2 inches thick that is 40 x 2 x 110 = 8,800 pounds, or 4.4 tons. [2]

Is asphalt sold by the ton or the cubic yard?

Ask your supplier or contractor which unit they quote. This calculator gives tons, and the paving booklet we cite counts mix in tons. At 110 pounds per square yard per inch, one cubic yard of compacted asphalt weighs 1.98 tons, so you can compare a price per cubic yard with a price per ton. [2]

How do I calculate asphalt for a driveway?

Measure the length and the average width in feet, then enter the thickness you plan to pave. A strip 50 ft long and 10 ft wide is 55.56 square yards. At 2 inches thick it needs 6.11 tons. We found no government source for a driveway thickness, so ask your contractor.

Is the thickness measured before or after rolling?

Use the compacted thickness, the thickness after rolling. The 110 pound figure is the weight of compacted asphalt, and the worked examples in the booklet use the compacted thickness. [2]

Sources and references

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (SP 811, accessed November 2026). Used for: the square yard as 9 square feet and the pounds in a US ton.
  2. Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association, with the Penn State Superpave Center. Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements in Pennsylvania Check List (4th edition, 2025, accessed November 2026). Used for: 110 lb per square yard per inch for compacted asphalt, the 108 to 120 typical range, and a worked paving example.

How we use sources: methodology.

Estimates only. Confirm quantities with your supplier. See the disclaimer. Found a wrong result? Report an error.