Asphalt calculator: how much asphalt do I need?
0.93 cubic yards
25 cubic feet · about 1.81 tons · for 10 × 10 ft at 3 in
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3/8 or 10' 6".
0.93 cubic yards
25 cubic feet · about 1.81 tons
A 10 by 10 ft area at 3 inches deep needs 0.93 cubic yards of asphalt, which is 25 cubic feet. Asphalt is sold by the ton, so at about 1.96 tons per cubic yard that is roughly 1.8 tons.
A worked example
A 24 by 10 ft driveway 2 inches deep needs 1.49 cubic yards. 40 cubic feet, about 2.9 tons at a typical dense-mix density, so order to the ton from the plant.
How many tons of asphalt are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard of compacted dense-graded asphalt runs about 1.96 short tons, taking a typical mix near 145 pounds per cubic foot. Alabama DOT Section 410 designs placement assuming no more than 158 pounds per cubic foot and corrects below 130, a band of about 1.76 to 2.13 tons per cubic yard. Pick the mix density in the calculator and it multiplies your cubic yards by that figure. A plant sells asphalt by the ton, so the tons are what to order; the cubic yard is the geometry that gets you there, and it does not depend on the mix.
What else it is called
Asphalt is also called hot-mix asphalt, HMA, blacktop, or tarmac, and a surface course is the top layer over a compacted aggregate base. The cubic yards you need is geometry, the same whichever plant mix you buy; the tons depend on the density of that particular mix, which is why you pick it.
Common sizes
| Area | 2 in deep | 3 in deep | 4 in deep | 6 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft | 0.40 | 0.60 | 0.80 | 1.19 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 0.62 | 0.93 | 1.24 | 1.86 |
| 10 × 12 ft | 0.75 | 1.12 | 1.49 | 2.23 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 0.89 | 1.34 | 1.78 | 2.67 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 1.19 | 1.78 | 2.38 | 3.56 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 1.98 | 2.97 | 3.96 | 5.93 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 2.47 | 3.71 | 4.94 | 7.41 |
Cubic yards, rounded up to two decimals. Round up again to what your supplier will deliver.
Where the numbers come from
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, exact by definition. The volume of asphalt to pave an area is that arithmetic, so the cubic yard figure does not depend on the mix.
- Tons: Alabama Department of Transportation Standard Specifications, Section 410 (plant mix pavement), which designs the rate of placement assuming a compacted mix unit weight of not greater than 158 pounds per cubic foot and corrects when the density exceeds 158 or is below 130 pounds per cubic foot. That band is 1.76 to 2.13 short tons per cubic yard, and a typical dense-graded mix near 145 lb/ft³ is about 1.96. Read October 4, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
Order by the ton: that is how a plant sells hot-mix asphalt. The cubic yard is the geometry that does not depend on the mix; the tons come from the density you pick above. This counts the asphalt layer only, not the aggregate base under it, and asphalt is laid and rolled hot, so order from a plant that can deliver it at temperature.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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