Free tool: Division 32 paving
Asphalt calculator: tonnage, cost and sealcoat
Turn a paved area and thickness into tons of hot mix asphalt, or a sealcoat job into gallons. Add your price per ton for the cost.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price agreed before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours
Quick answer
The Bidmere asphalt calculator turns square yards, compacted thickness and the mix weight (starting at 110 lb per square yard per inch, from the Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association) into tons of hot mix asphalt, and works out sealcoat gallons from coverage and coats. Enter your own prices for the cost. It is free and runs in your browser.
Division 32: Asphalt paving
Asphalt calculator
Asphalt tonnage from area, compacted thickness and mix weight, and sealcoat gallons from coverage and coats. Price it at your own cost per ton or gallon.
Results
Bidding a commercial job? Send the plans and get a measured takeoff
Get a fixed quote Fixed price in 2 business hours. Plan review is free. Pay only after you accept.Need the whole job measured? This calculator covers one area at a time. Send the plans and we return the full takeoff and estimate. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteHow to use the asphalt calculator
- Mode. Hot mix asphalt tonnage, or sealcoat gallons.
- Area. Length and width, or square feet from your takeoff.
- Asphalt. Compacted thickness and the mix weight in pounds per square yard per inch; replace the starting value with your mix design or the DOT value for the mix.
- Sealcoat. Coverage per gallon per coat from the product data, and the number of coats.
- Your costs. Price per ton from the plant, paving labor and equipment per SY, and a lump sum.
How to calculate asphalt tonnage
Asphalt tons equal square yards times compacted thickness in inches times the mix weight in pounds per square yard per inch, divided by 2,000. Tennessee DOT and Virginia DOT compute mix quantities on the same per square yard per inch basis.
| Step | Formula |
|---|---|
| Square yards | Square feet / 9 |
| Pounds | SY x thickness (in) x lb per SY per inch |
| Tons | Pounds / 2,000 |
| With waste | Tons x (1 + waste) |
| Sealcoat gallons | SF x coats / SF per gallon per coat |
The Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association writes that a typical compacted mix weighs 108 to 120 lb per SY per inch, or 144 to 160 lb per cubic foot, depending on the mix, and works its example at 110. The calculator starts at 110; DOT tables give values by mix, for example 113 lb per SY per inch for one Tennessee base mix.
Worked example: a 100 x 45 ft lot
- Area: 100 x 45 = 4,500 SF = 500 SY
- Tons: 500 SY x 3 in x 110 lb = 165,000 lb = 82.5 tons
- At the high end of the typical range, 120 lb, the same lot takes 90 tons
The 7.5 ton spread between 110 and 120 lb is why the mix weight is an input: use the figure for the mix you will buy.
Sealcoat calculator: gallons per square foot
Sealer gallons equal the area times the number of coats, divided by the coverage per gallon per coat. SealMaster lists about 70 to 82 SF per gallon per coat for its ready-to-apply MasterSeal Ultra and notes that rates vary with pavement porosity and application method; the calculator starts at the low end, 70.
Example: 4,500 SF, two coats at 70 SF per gallon: 4,500 x 2 / 70 = 128.6 gallons. Check the coverage and dilution on the data sheet of the sealer you use; a concentrate is not ready to apply.
What this asphalt calculator does not cover
- Base course, subgrade preparation and aggregate tonnage
- Milling and asphalt millings by volume
- Tack coat, crack sealing and striping
- Curbs, drainage and structures
- Mobilization, traffic control and small-quantity charges
A plan-based paving takeoff measures every area by section and thickness. See paving estimating.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Why 110 lb per SY per inch?
It is a published worked value; replace it with your mix design.
Can I bid from these numbers?
For one area. A site plan needs every section, thickness and base measured.
Who sets the final price?
You do. Bidmere prices quantities at your rates.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate asphalt tonnage?
Square yards times compacted thickness in inches times the mix weight in pounds per square yard per inch, divided by 2,000. 500 SY at 3 in and 110 lb is 82.5 tons.
How much does a ton of asphalt cover?
At 110 lb per SY per inch, a ton (2,000 lb) covers about 18.2 SY at 1 inch, 9.1 SY at 2 inches or 6.1 SY at 3 inches. Divide 2,000 by the mix weight times the thickness.
How much does compacted asphalt weigh?
The Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association gives 108 to 120 lb per square yard per inch, or 144 to 160 lb per cubic foot, for a typical compacted mix. DOT tables list values by mix.
How much sealcoat do I need?
Area times coats divided by coverage per gallon per coat. SealMaster lists about 70 to 82 SF per gallon per coat for MasterSeal Ultra. 4,500 SF in two coats at 70 SF per gallon is 128.6 gallons.
Does the calculator store what I enter?
No. It runs in your browser and does not send or save your entries.
Can Bidmere take off my paving job?
Yes. Send the civil plans for a free plan review and a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Single-trade estimates are from $195 and ready in 48 hours after you accept.
For your website
Embed this calculator
You can put the asphalt calculator on your own website for free, for example on a trade association, school or company resources page. Copy the code below into your page’s HTML. It shows the same calculator in a frame that fits phone screens, with a visible “Calculator by Bidmere” credit that links back to this page.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association, Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements checklist booklet (2025): https://www.superpave.psu.edu/assets/docs/2025/Constructing-Quality-Asphalt-Pavements-Checklist-Booklet-2025-FINAL.pdf
- Tennessee DOT Instructional Bulletin 16-11 (asphalt quantity weights): https://www.tdot.tn.gov/PublicDocuments/DesignDivision/assistant_engineer_design/design/DGpdf/IB_16_11.pdf
- Virginia DOT IIM-LD-158 (asphalt concrete weights): https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/media/vdotvirginiagov/doing-business/technical-guidance-and-support/technical-guidance-documents/location-and-design/migrated/iim/IIM158_acc03222023_PM.pdf
- SealMaster MasterSeal Ultra specification sheet: https://sealmaster.net/pdf/specification/Sealmaster%20spec%20sheets/masterseal-ultra-pavement-sealer.pdf