Estimate hot-mix asphalt in tons and cubic yards for paving jobs — plants sell by the ton, so the calculator prices what you'll actually order.
Quick answer: Multiply length × width × thickness in feet, divide by 27, then × 1.96. A 20 × 20 ft driveway at 3 inches: (20 × 20 × 0.25) / 27 = 3.70 cubic yards ≈ 7.3 tons of asphalt. Order about 8 tons with overage.
Ballpark, not gospel. Mix designs and moisture shift the exact tons-per-yard — confirm the scale weight with your plant, especially on large orders.
| Use | Compacted thickness |
|---|---|
| Walkway / bike path | 2 in |
| Residential driveway | 2–3 in |
| Parking lot | 3–4 in |
| Road / street | 4–6 in |
Asphalt needs a compacted aggregate base under it — 4 to 8 inches of crushed stone for driveways. Thickness above is the finished asphalt surface only.
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
Multiply length × width × thickness in feet and divide by 27 to get cubic yards, then multiply by 1.96 tons per yard. A 20×20 ft driveway at 3 inches: (20 × 20 × 0.25) / 27 = 3.70 yards × 1.96 ≈ 7.3 tons.
Hot-mix asphalt weighs about 3,915 lbs per cubic yard, which is 1.96 tons per yard. That is the industry figure plants use for scale tickets.
Two to three inches of compacted asphalt over 4 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate base. Two inches suits light car traffic; use three inches for heavier vehicles or soft soil.
Parking lots typically get 3 to 4 inches of asphalt in two lifts; streets get 4 to 6 inches depending on base and traffic load. Anything over 2 inches is compacted in 2-inch lifts.
Asphalt plants sell hot mix by the ton. Use cubic yards for planning the volume, then convert with 1.96 tons per yard for ordering.
Order 5 to 10 percent extra for uneven base, edge trimming, and spillage. The calculator above applies a 10 percent overage to the tonnage.
Bagged cold patch is for pothole repair only, not paving. Any driveway or lot goes down as hot mix from a plant, ordered by the ton.
The aggregate base under asphalt is usually crushed stone — the gravel calculator sizes it. Comparing pavement types? See our driveway material guide, crushed concrete vs gravel, and the concrete calculator for the slab alternative.