Free Asphalt Milling Calculator
Determine exactly how much crushed recycled asphalt you need for your driveway or parking lot. Convert your project’s square footage and depth into cubic yards and tons.
Project Dimensions
Material & Pricing
Using recycled asphalt pavement (RAP)—commonly known as asphalt millings or crushed asphalt—is an incredibly durable and cost-effective way to pave a driveway, rural road, or parking lot. Because it is a recycled material, it costs significantly less than hot-mix asphalt or premium gravel.
However, ordering the right amount can be tricky. Ground cover materials are sold by volume (cubic yards) or weight (tons), meaning you can’t just order “by the square foot.” Our asphalt milling calculator automatically factors in the density of the millings to convert your physical project dimensions directly into the tons and yards you need to order.
How to Calculate How Much Asphalt Millings You Need
To determine how many tons of millings to buy, you must find the cubic volume of your project space and multiply it by the physical density of the crushed asphalt.
- Calculate Square Footage: Multiply the length of your driveway by its width in feet.
- Convert Depth to Feet: Divide your desired thickness in inches by 12.
- Find Cubic Feet: Multiply your square footage by your depth (in feet).
- Convert to Cubic Yards: Divide the cubic feet by 27 (the number of cubic feet in a yard).
- Convert to Tons: Multiply your total cubic yards by the density of the millings (typically 1.62 tons per yard for loose millings).
Tons = ((Area × (Depth ÷ 12)) ÷ 27) × 1.62
Area = Length × Width (in feet)
Depth = Thickness in inches
1.62 = Standard weight in tons of one cubic yard of loose asphalt millings.
Step-by-Step Example Calculation
Imagine you want to lay a 50-foot long by 20-foot wide driveway at a depth of 4 inches.
- Area: 50 ft × 20 ft = 1,000 square feet.
- Depth in Feet: 4 inches ÷ 12 = 0.333 feet.
- Cubic Feet: 1,000 × 0.333 = 333.3 cubic feet.
- Cubic Yards: 333.3 ÷ 27 = 12.34 cubic yards.
- Tons Needed: 12.34 cubic yards × 1.62 tons/yard = 19.99 tons.
In this scenario, ordering 20 tons (which is roughly one large dump truck load) would be perfect.
How Much Does a Yard of Asphalt Millings Weigh?
Density is the most important factor when buying bulk aggregates. The weight of asphalt millings changes depending on whether the material is loose (just dumped off the truck) or compacted (rolled tight into a driveway).
| Material State | Weight per Cubic Foot | Weight per Cubic Yard |
|---|---|---|
| Loose Millings (Standard delivery) | ~120 lb/ft³ | 1.62 Tons (3,240 lbs) |
| Compacted Millings (After rolling) | ~140 lb/ft³ | 1.89 Tons (3,780 lbs) |
When you are buying from a supplier, you are almost always buying loose millings. Therefore, using the standard density of 120 lb/ft³ (or 1.62 tons per cubic yard) will give you the most accurate purchasing estimate.
Asphalt Millings Coverage Table
If you have a known square footage and want a quick reference for how much material you need at various depths, use the coverage chart below. This is based on standard loose millings (1.62 tons/yd³).
| Square Feet (Area) | Tons Needed (2″ Depth) | Tons Needed (4″ Depth) | Tons Needed (6″ Depth) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 1.0 tons | 2.0 tons | 3.0 tons |
| 500 sq ft | 5.0 tons | 10.0 tons | 15.0 tons |
| 1,000 sq ft | 10.0 tons | 20.0 tons | 30.0 tons |
| 1,500 sq ft | 15.0 tons | 30.0 tons | 45.0 tons |
| 2,000 sq ft | 20.0 tons | 40.0 tons | 60.0 tons |
Pros and Cons of Recycled Asphalt
Before pulling the trigger on a millings delivery, it is helpful to understand the benefits and drawbacks of using recycled crushed asphalt compared to standard gravel or fresh hot-mix asphalt.
The Pros
- Cost-Effective: Crushed asphalt is significantly cheaper than hot-mix asphalt and often cheaper than premium decorative gravel.
- Hardens Over Time: Unlike traditional gravel which scatters, asphalt millings contain residual tar. Under the hot summer sun and vehicle weight, the tar softens and binds the gravel together, creating a semi-solid surface.
- Dust and Mud Reduction: Because the millings bind together, they generate far less dust than traditional gravel driveways and prevent deep mud ruts in the rain.
- Eco-Friendly: Using RAP keeps old asphalt out of landfills.
The Downsides of Asphalt Millings
- Not as Smooth as Hot Mix: While millings pack down nicely, they will never be as perfectly smooth or visually uniform as a brand-new freshly paved asphalt driveway.
- Color Fading: Recycled asphalt has already been exposed to the elements. It will look more like a dark gray gravel than a deep, rich black surface.
- Loose Edges: Without a physical border or curb, the edges of a milled driveway can flake or spread over time.
Installation Tips: How Thick Should It Be?
For a standard residential driveway, you should plan to lay the asphalt millings at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. When you run a heavy vibratory roller over the surface (which is highly recommended), a 6-inch layer of loose millings will compact down to roughly 4 inches of hard surface.
Never Use Diesel Fuel on Asphalt Millings
A persistent myth suggests spraying diesel fuel on asphalt millings will melt the tar and make it harden like new pavement. Do not do this. Diesel acts as a solvent that destroys the asphalt binder, turning your driveway into permanent mush. Furthermore, dumping diesel on the ground is a severe environmental hazard and is illegal in most jurisdictions.
What will harden asphalt millings?
Instead of relying on harsh chemicals, the best way to harden asphalt millings is a combination of heavy compaction and solar heat. Rent a vibratory roller and compress the millings immediately after spreading them. As the summer sun heats the black surface, the old bitumen (tar) becomes tacky. When combined with the weight of cars driving over it, the driveway will naturally fuse together into a hard crust over several weeks.
If you want to speed up the process or enrich the color, wait a few months for the driveway to settle, then spray an asphalt emulsion sealer over the top. This acts like a glue to bind the top layer permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply your project’s length by its width in feet to get the square footage. Multiply that by your depth in feet (inches divided by 12) to get cubic feet. Divide by 27 to get cubic yards, and finally multiply by 1.62 to convert the yards into tons.
Since one cubic yard of loose asphalt millings weighs approximately 1.62 tons, you can divide 20 tons by 1.62. This means 20 tons is equal to roughly 12.35 cubic yards of material.
The cost of recycled asphalt varies heavily by location and hauling distance, but generally ranges from $10 to $30 per ton. A massive portion of this price is the trucking/delivery fee rather than the cost of the recycled material itself.
For a standard residential driveway, it is recommended to lay asphalt millings at a loose depth of 4 to 6 inches. Once compacted with a heavy roller, this will pack down to a solid 3 to 4-inch base capable of supporting heavy vehicles.
A standard tri-axle dump truck typically hauls between 15 and 20 tons of asphalt millings per load. A smaller single-axle truck may only carry 5 to 7 tons. Always confirm the exact hauling capacity with your local supplier.
With proper mechanical compaction (using a vibratory roller), millings form a solid base immediately. However, for the tar to truly bind and form a hard crust, it typically takes a few weeks of exposure to hot summer sun and regular vehicle traffic.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavement_milling