Construction Calculator - Driveway and Sitework

Asphalt Calculator

Estimate hot-mix asphalt tons for driveways, parking pads, and patch work.

Reviewed: August 26, 2026

Calculate Asphalt

For the Asphalt Calculator, enter length, width, depth, waste allowance, material density, and material price. It multiplies length, width, and installed depth, converts to cubic yards, applies allowance once, and converts volume to tons through the entered bulk density.

Gravel, river rock and sand arranged with measuring and installation tools

Formula used

Cubic yards = [length × width × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27] × (1 + waste ÷ 100); tons = cubic yards × density

Asphalt Calculator measurement plan showing Length feet, Width feet, Depth inches

Worked asphalt example

Asphalt Calculator example: 28.4 ft × 14.4 ft × (4 in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 5.05 yd³ before allowance. After 10% allowance, the order basis is 5.55 yd³, or 11.11 short tons at 2 tons/yd³.

Volume, density, and supplier units

Discuss the tonnage result with the paving contractor or plant; hot-mix asphalt is normally scheduled by weight, not by a loose cubic-yard assumption.

Field conditions that change tonnage

Compacted density, base irregularity, tapering edges, driveway aprons, handwork, and the plant's minimum load affect ordered tonnage.

Questions specific to this calculation

Which bulk density belongs in the asphalt tons estimate?

Use the finished paved length and width and the compacted design thickness. The density field must represent the asphalt mix in the supplier's quoting units.