What asphalt weighs
Weight depends on whether the mix has been rolled. Compacted hot mix lands between 140 and 150 lb per cubic foot, and 145 is the figure nearly every supplier chart is built on. Loose mix off the truck is 20 to 25 percent bulkier, so it weighs less per cubic foot until the roller has been over it.
Millings are a different material and a far less certain one. The calculator uses 115 lb per cubic foot loose, and the honest rolled range is 1.4 to 1.9 tons per cubic yard. If you’ve got a weight ticket from the supplier, it beats every chart.
| Material | Per cubic foot | Per cubic yard | Per cubic yard, metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot mix asphalt, compacted | 145 lb | 3,915 lb (1.96 tons) | 1.78 tonnes |
| Hot mix asphalt, loose off the truck | about 115–120 lb | about 1.6 tons | |
| Asphalt millings, loose | 115 lb | 3,105 lb (1.55 tons) | 1.41 tonnes |
| Asphalt millings, rolled | about 105–140 lb | 1.4–1.9 tons | 1.3–1.7 tonnes |
Per square foot, a 2 in mat of hot mix weighs about 24 lb and a 3 in mat about 36 lb. That’s why an 800 sq ft driveway at 3 in comes to 14.5 tons, and why nobody hauls it in a pickup.
Tons to cubic yards
At 1.96 tons per cubic yard, a cubic yard is close enough to two tons that the round number is safe for a first pass. Use the exact figure once the order is big enough for the four percent to matter. Cubic yards = tons ÷ 1.96.
| Tons of hot mix | Cubic yards, compacted |
|---|---|
| 1 ton | 0.51 cu yd (13.8 cu ft) |
| 2 tons | 1.02 cu yd |
| 3 tons | 1.53 cu yd |
| 5 tons | 2.55 cu yd |
| 8 tons | 4.09 cu yd |
| 10 tons | 5.11 cu yd |
| 15 tons | 7.66 cu yd |
| 20 tons | 10.2 cu yd |
Cubic yards to tons
Going the other way, tons = cubic yards × 1.96 for compacted hot mix. For loose millings use 1.55, and for rolled millings use the supplier’s figure. A plant that quotes in volume is unusual, so check which basis you’re being given before you compare two numbers.
| Cubic yards of hot mix | Tons | Metric tonnes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cu yd | 1.96 | 1.78 |
| 2 cu yd | 3.92 | 3.55 |
| 3 cu yd | 5.87 | 5.33 |
| 5 cu yd | 9.79 | 8.88 |
| 7.4 cu yd (a 20 × 40 ft drive at 3 in) | 14.5 | 13.1 |
| 10 cu yd | 19.6 | 17.8 |
Coverage per ton by thickness
A ton of compacted hot mix is about 13.8 cubic feet (2,000 ÷ 145). Spread it at a given thickness and the area falls out. Coverage is a property of the thickness you choose, not of the asphalt, so a figure quoted with no depth attached is quietly assuming 2 in.
| Compacted thickness | Sq ft per ton | Sq yd per ton | Tons per 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 166 | 18.4 | 6.0 |
| 1.5 in | 110 | 12.3 | 9.1 |
| 2 in | 83 | 9.2 | 12.1 |
| 2.5 in | 66 | 7.4 | 15.1 |
| 3 in | 55 | 6.1 | 18.1 |
| 4 in | 41 | 4.6 | 24.2 |
| 6 in | 28 | 3.1 | 36.3 |
Millings cover less per ton than their loose density suggests once they’re rolled. Plan on 57 to 70 sq ft per ton at a 3 in finished depth.
Square yards to tons: the 110 lb rule
Paving crews work in square yards and spread rate. The industry figure is 110 lb per square yard per inch of compacted dense-graded mix, so tons = square yards × inches × 110 ÷ 2,000, or square yards × inches × 0.055.
Inverted, one ton covers 18.2 square yards at 1 in, 9.1 at 2 in and 6.1 at 3 in. The cubic-foot method at 145 lb lands within one percent of these, so use whichever units your quote is written in. You’ll get the same tonnage either way.
| Area | At 2 in | At 3 in | At 4 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq yd (450 sq ft) | 5.5 tons | 8.3 tons | 11.0 tons |
| 100 sq yd (900 sq ft) | 11.0 tons | 16.5 tons | 22.0 tons |
| 150 sq yd (1,350 sq ft) | 16.5 tons | 24.8 tons | 33.0 tons |
| 200 sq yd (1,800 sq ft) | 22.0 tons | 33.0 tons | 44.0 tons |
| 300 sq yd (2,700 sq ft) | 33.0 tons | 49.5 tons | 66.0 tons |
From square feet, the shortcut is sq ft × inches × 0.006. An 800 sq ft drive at 3 in is 800 × 3 × 0.006, or 14.4 tons before waste, close enough to the 14.5 the exact density gives.
Price per ton and per cubic yard
Hot mix is sold by the ton, so a price per cubic yard is the ton price times 1.96. The US figures below are mid-2026 and move monthly with the binder index, which is why quotes expire after 30 days. Delivery, base stone, tack coat, rolling and sealcoat are all separate lines.
| Material | Per ton | Per cubic yard (× 1.96) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot mix, plant gate | $90–160 | $175–315 | most plants $115–125 a ton |
| Hot mix, delivered | $105–200 | $205–390 | $15–40 a ton haulage on small loads |
| Millings | $10–40 | $15–60 | at 1.55 tons per loose cubic yard |
| Canada, hot mix delivered | C$150–320 per tonne | a tonne is 1.102 short tons |
Installed, a residential asphalt driveway runs about $3 to $9 per square foot.
Sources
Densities and the spread rate are the trade figures the asphalt calculator is built on. The conversions are arithmetic on those, and they’re checked by the same test suite.
Asphalt magazine: 110 lb per sq yd per inch rule ↗FHWA user guidelines, reclaimed asphalt pavement ↗
Run your numbers
Length, width and thickness in, tons out, with the Canadian tonnes and the waste already on the ticket.
Common questions
How much does asphalt weigh per cubic yard?
About 3,915 lb, or 1.96 short tons, for compacted hot mix at 145 lb per cubic foot. Call it two tons a yard for a quick estimate. In metric that’s about 1.78 tonnes.
How many cubic yards of asphalt are in a ton?
About 0.51 cubic yards of compacted hot mix, or 13.8 cubic feet. Five tons is roughly 2.55 cubic yards and ten tons about 5.1.
How many square feet does a ton of asphalt cover?
Roughly 83 sq ft at 2 in, 55 sq ft at 3 in and 41 sq ft at 4 in of compacted hot mix. Halve the thickness and you double the coverage.
How do I convert square yards of asphalt to tons?
Square yards × thickness in inches × 110 ÷ 2,000. A 90 sq yd drive at 3 in is 90 × 3 × 110 ÷ 2,000, or 14.9 tons before waste.
How much does asphalt cost per cubic yard?
Multiply the ton price by 1.96. At the mid-2026 US plant-gate range of $90 to $160 a ton, that’s about $175 to $315 per cubic yard of compacted hot mix, before delivery.
How much does a cubic foot of asphalt weigh?
About 145 lb compacted, anywhere from 140 to 150 depending on the aggregate and how well it was rolled. Loose mix off the truck is nearer 115 to 120 lb.
Is blacktop the same weight as asphalt?
Yes. Blacktop, hot mix, asphalt concrete and dense-graded surface course are the same material for estimating, all close enough to 145 lb per cubic foot that the tonnage doesn’t change.