Asphalt Calculator

Estimate how many tons of hot-mix asphalt you need to pave a driveway or lot — from the area and thickness — plus the volume and an estimate of the cost.

How to measure volume — length, width, and depth Length Width Depth
Measure the area — length × width — and the thickness of the asphalt layer.

How much asphalt do I need?

Asphalt is ordered by weight, so we turn the paved volume into tons:

Tons = area × thickness (ft) × density ÷ 2,000

Multiply length by width for the area, multiply by the thickness in feet (inches ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then by about 145 lb per cubic foot — the weight of compacted hot mix — and divide by 2,000 to get tons. As a rule of thumb, one ton covers about 80 square feet at 2 inches thick.

Recommended thickness

UseAsphalt thickness
Residential driveway2–3 in over 4–8 in base
Parking area / light commercial3 in over 6–8 in base
Overlay on sound asphalt1.5–2 in
Heavy / truck traffic4 in+ (engineered)

Good to know

  • The base does the work. A well-compacted gravel base prevents cracking and rutting — size it with our gravel calculator.
  • Order by compacted tons. Loose mix compacts roughly 20%, so don't under-order; a little extra is cheap insurance.
  • Hot mix is a pro job. It arrives hot and must be spread and rolled fast. For full paving, hire a crew; save DIY for cold-patch repairs.
  • Seal it later. Let new asphalt cure 6–12 months, then sealcoat it — plan that with our driveway sealer calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much asphalt for a 40×12 ft driveway?
That's 480 sq ft. At 2 inches thick, about 5.8 tons of hot-mix asphalt; closer to 8.7 tons at 3 inches.
How thick should it be?
2–3 in of compacted asphalt over a 4–8 in gravel base for a residential driveway. The base is just as important as the asphalt.
How many sq ft does a ton cover?
About 80 sq ft at 2 in, or 160 sq ft at 1 in. Thicker layers cover less per ton.
Can I DIY it?
Cold-patch repairs, yes. A full hot-mix driveway needs a paving crew — the mix must be laid and rolled while hot.

How we calculate this

  • Tonnage = area × thickness × density
  • Compacted hot-mix asphalt weighs roughly 145 lb per cubic foot
  • A typical driveway lift is about 2–3 in compacted

Sources:Typical hot-mix asphalt density. Last reviewed:June 2026. See our methodology for how we build every estimate.

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