Asphalt Calculator (Tons, Thickness, Cost & Truckloads)
Enter your project length and width or a known paved area, along with asphalt thickness, to instantly estimate how many tons of asphalt you need, truckloads, subgrade excavation volume, and approximate cost in US or metric units.
How to use: Choose US or metric units, pick whether you want to enter length & width or a known area, then provide asphalt thickness. Open Advanced Options if you want to fine-tune asphalt density, waste allowance, and subgrade depth. Results update automatically in the Live results panel.
Switch between US and metric at any time. The live results will adjust automatically.
Use rectangle mode for simple driveways and bays, or area mode if you already know the paved area.
Measure the longest direction of the paved area.
Typical residential driveways are 10–12 ft (3–3.7 m) wide.
Enter the total finished area of asphalt. The calculator will still convert to m² and ft² internally.
Use compacted thickness. Common: 2–3 in for light driveways, 3–4 in for parking lots.
Use your contractor’s quote per ton including mix, paving, and equipment where possible.
Typical tri-axle dump trucks carry around 15–20 short tons of asphalt per load.
Start by entering dimensions and thickness. The panel will summarise asphalt tons, volumes, truckloads, and cost in real time.
What this asphalt calculator does (and when to use it)
The Turn2Engineering asphalt calculator is designed for quick quantity takeoffs on driveways, parking lots, and light roadway projects. It converts:
- Length & width or known area and thickness into total asphalt volume.
- Volume into asphalt tons (short tons or metric tonnes) using a realistic density.
- Asphalt tons into approximate truckloads based on your truck capacity.
- Asphalt tons and cost per ton into an estimated paving cost.
- Area and subgrade depth into subgrade excavation volume if you enable advanced options.
Use it to size orders, sanity-check contractor quotes, and compare asphalt vs concrete or gravel options. For full structural pavement design (traffic loading, subgrade support, climate, drainage, layer design), you still need a dedicated pavement design method or software.
Key asphalt quantity formulas (the essentials)
The live results panel is driven by a few core formulas. Everything else is unit conversion and rounding:
Area = Length × WidthExample (US):
A = 100 ft × 12 ft = 1,200 ft²Volume = Area × ThicknessExample:
V = 1,200 ft² × 0.25 ft = 300 ft³Mass = Volume × DensityUS example:
m = 300 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ = 43,500 lbTons = Mass ÷ 2,000 lb (short tons)Cost = Tons × Cost per ton
In metric, the same logic applies with m², m³, and kg/m³,
and tons are simply Mass ÷ 1,000. The asphalt calculator handles these conversions
automatically based on the unit system you select.
Worked example: residential asphalt driveway
Suppose you are paving a rectangular driveway that is 60 ft long by 12 ft wide with 3 in of asphalt.
Step-by-step
- Area:
A = 60 ft × 12 ft = 720 ft². - Thickness:
3 in = 0.25 ft. - Volume:
V = 720 ft² × 0.25 ft = 180 ft³. - Density: assume
145 lb/ft³. - Mass:
m = 180 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ = 26,100 lb. - Tons:
T = 26,100 ÷ 2,000 ≈ 13.1 tons. - Waste: add 5% →
13.1 × 1.05 ≈ 13.8 tons. - Cost: at \$120/ton →
13.8 × 120 ≈ \$1,656.
If you plug these values into the asphalt calculator (60 ft × 12 ft, 3 in, density 145 lb/ft³, 5% waste, \$120/ton, truck capacity 18 tons), the Live results panel will show around 13.8 tons of asphalt, roughly one full truckload, and an estimated cost close to \$1,650.
Recommended asphalt thickness for driveways and parking lots
A common question alongside “asphalt calculator” searches is “how many inches of asphalt do I need?”. Actual values depend on your climate, subgrade, and traffic loading. Typical ranges are:
Passenger cars only, good granular base and drainage.
- 2–3 in (50–75 mm) asphalt
- 4–6 in (100–150 mm) crushed stone base
Small commercial lot with occasional delivery trucks.
- 3–4 in (75–100 mm) asphalt total
- 6–8 in (150–200 mm) aggregate base
Frequent truck traffic or loading areas.
- 4+ in (100+ mm) asphalt
- Engineered pavement section per local standards
Use these ranges as a starting point in the asphalt thickness input, then confirm with a local engineer, contractor, or agency pavement design guide before building.
How many tons of asphalt are in a cubic yard and a truckload?
Another common search is “tons of asphalt per yard” or “asphalt tons per truck”. Using a typical density of 145 lb/ft³:
- 1 cubic yard = 27 ft³ → about 3,915 lb ≈ 2.0 short tons.
- 10 cubic yards of asphalt ≈ 20 short tons.
For trucks:
- A small dump truck might carry 10–15 tons per load.
- A larger tri-axle or semi might carry 15–20+ tons per load (subject to legal axle limits).
Enter your best estimate of truck capacity in the calculator. The Live results panel will show the number of full-equivalent loads based on that capacity.