ASPHALT CALCULATOR
How it works
A driveway 50 ft × 12 ft, paved 3 inches thick.
- Convert the thickness to feet: 3 in ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft.
- Volume: 50 × 12 × 0.25 = 150 ft³, which is 5.56 cubic yards.
- Weight: 5.56 yd³ × 3,915 lb/yd³ = 21,750 lb.
- Divide by 2,000: 10.88 tons.
10.88 tons of hot mix — 5.56 cubic yards compacted.
Constants
| Constant | Value |
|---|---|
| Hot-mix asphalt, compacted | 3,915 lb/yd³ |
| Pounds per US ton | 2,000 lb |
| Cubic feet per cubic yard | 27 ft³ |
SOURCE — hot-mix asphalt, compacted: 145 lb/ft³ × 27 = 3,915 lb/yd³ (range 140–148 lb/ft³; loose ≈3,500). The widely repeated 2.4 ton/yd³ figure is unsupported and is not used.
SOURCE — 1 US short ton = 2,000 lb, by definition.
SOURCE — 1 yd³ = 27 ft³, by definition.
Quick answers
A 50 ft × 12 ft driveway paved 3 inches thick takes about 10.9 tons of hot-mix asphalt.
Compacted hot-mix asphalt weighs about 145 lb per cubic foot, which is 3,915 lb — just under two tons — per cubic yard.
One ton of hot mix covers roughly 80 square feet at 2 inches thick, or 53 square feet at 3 inches.
Asphalt is ordered by weight, not volume: plants and haulers both work in tons, so convert your volume before calling.
A residential driveway is normally 2 to 3 inches of surface over a compacted aggregate base; 4 inches or more is used where trucks turn.
FAQ
How many tons of asphalt do I need?
Work out the volume in cubic yards and multiply by 1.96. A 50 ft × 12 ft driveway at 3 inches is 5.56 yd³, which is about 10.9 tons.
How much does a cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
About 3,915 lb compacted, based on 145 lb per cubic foot. Loose, uncompacted mix runs lighter at around 3,500 lb per yard, which is why suppliers quote compacted figures.
How thick should a driveway be?
Two to three inches of asphalt surface over 4 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate base for cars. Where delivery trucks turn, 4 inches of asphalt over a deeper base is the usual specification.
How much area does a ton of asphalt cover?
About 80 square feet at 2 inches thick, 53 square feet at 3 inches, and 40 square feet at 4 inches, using a compacted density of 145 lb per cubic foot.
Why do some calculators say 2.4 tons per cubic yard?
That figure circulates widely but does not match any published density for hot-mix asphalt. At 140–148 lb per cubic foot, a cubic yard is 1.89 to 2.0 tons. This page uses 145 lb/ft³, which sits in the middle of the documented range.
Should I order extra?
Yes — 5 to 10%. Thickness varies across a real subgrade, edges take more than the geometry suggests, and a short load means a cold joint where the new mix meets the old.