Asphalt Cost Calculator

Asphalt cost calculator for driveway paving and surface areas

This Asphalt Cost Calculator estimates the total installed price of an asphalt paving job based on the size of the area you want to pave and the installed rate you have from a contractor quote or a local price guide. The most common real-world use case is a driveway, parking bay, or any rectangular paved slab where you can measure length and width and you want a fast, defensible budget number.

The calculator is intentionally locked to the installed cost decision. That means it focuses on what you are most likely to pay for the finished result, not a full engineering design or a detailed bill of quantities. If you only have a price per square metre, the result is still useful. If you also know typical thickness, density, and a rough asphalt mix price per ton, the calculator can estimate tonnage and give you a sanity check on how much of the installed cost is likely to be material versus everything else.

To use it, measure the length and width of the area in metres, then enter the installed price per square metre. Press calculate to see the total estimated cost plus the calculated area. If you open the Advanced section and add thickness and allowances, the calculator will also estimate the asphalt volume and tonnage. If you provide a mix cost per ton, it will estimate a material cost and show a rough percentage share of the total. This helps when comparing quotes that look inconsistent or when one contractor claims the job is mostly material cost.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• The area is treated as a simple rectangle using length × width. Irregular shapes should be split into rectangles and added together before entry.
• The total estimate is based on an installed price per m². This typically includes materials, equipment, labour, and contractor margin, but local definitions vary by quote.
• The advanced tonnage estimate assumes a uniform thickness across the whole area. Real jobs often vary thickness at edges and transitions.
• The default density (2320 kg/m³) and allowance (5%) are general-purpose estimates. If your supplier or contractor provides better values, use them.
• The optional mix cost per ton is used only to estimate the material portion. It does not override the installed total; it is a sanity-check input.

Common questions

Do I have to know the asphalt thickness to estimate the cost?

No. If you have an installed price per square metre, thickness is not required for the total cost estimate. Thickness only affects the optional tonnage and material-cost sanity check. For a basic budget and quote comparison, installed price per m² is the most direct input.

What installed price per m² should I use?

Use the number from a contractor quote when possible, because it already captures local labour, equipment, and delivery realities. If you are early in planning and only have a rough market estimate, use that and treat the result as a budget range rather than a final figure.

Why does the calculator include a waste and compaction allowance?

Asphalt quantities in the real world rarely match the clean geometric volume. Losses happen in handling, and compaction changes the final thickness relative to loose placement. The allowance is a practical buffer so the tonnage estimate is less likely to be optimistic.

My driveway is not a perfect rectangle. How do I handle that?

Break the shape into simple rectangles, calculate each rectangle’s area, add them together, then enter the total as length and width only if you can represent it cleanly. If not, calculate area separately and convert it into an equivalent rectangle (for example, set width to 1 and length to total area) to reuse the calculator’s area logic.

Can I use this for gravel base, kerbing, drainage, or asphalt repairs?

No. This page is locked to estimating the installed cost of the asphalt surface for a rectangular area. Base layers, kerbs, drainage, excavation, and patch repairs can dominate cost but are not modelled here. If your quote includes those items, your installed price per m² will still work, but the tonnage and material share will be less meaningful.