How Many Tons of Asphalt for a 20 by 30 Driveway?

Twenty by thirty is the rectangle many people sketch for a two-car drive. It is 600 square feet, about 7.3 tons at two inches and about 10.9 tons at three inches. The plant ticket is the real weight.

Open free asphalt tonnage calculator →

The household sketch, measured

Twenty feet of width and thirty feet of length is a common two-car drawing. Twenty times 30 is 600 square feet. At two inches, 600 times 2 times 145 divided by 24,000 equals 174,000 divided by 24,000, which is 7.25, about 7.3 tons. At three inches, 600 times 3 times 145 divided by 24,000 equals 261,000 divided by 24,000, which is 10.875, about 10.9 tons. Notice that about 7.3 tons is also the three-inch weight of a 20 by 20 square. The same tons, a different depth and a different area. Write both the size and the inches on the order so those two jobs cannot be confused. These are planning estimates at 145 pounds per cubic foot. The plant ticket is the real weight.

Wider than the single lane, shorter than some

A 12 by 30 lane is about 6.5 tons at three inches. This twenty-foot width is about 10.9 tons at the same depth and length, because 600 is 360 plus 240 and the tons scale with area. The extra eight feet of width are 240 square feet, and 240 times 3 times 145 divided by 24,000 is 4.35, about 4.4 tons. That is the entire difference. If your two-car drive is only twenty feet long, you want the square, about 7.3 tons at three inches, not 10.9. If it runs forty feet, the area doubles the twenty-foot square and you should remeasure rather than add a guess. Flares beyond twenty feet of width are still extra.

Open width can track the formula more closely

A twenty-foot width often gives a paver room, so the mat can land nearer the neat tons than a raked twelve-foot lane. That is a tendency, not a guarantee. The garage edge, a sidewalk joint, and a flared curb are still hand work. Five percent of 10.9 is about 0.5 ton, a fair note for minor thickness variation and a poor substitute for a missed flare. Base gravel is separate, near 1.4 tons per cubic yard as a planning default, with the quarry ticket as the real stone weight. Two inches versus three inches is the section you agree to, not a code line copied from the tonnage. Compare tickets with the 600 square feet after the work, or with a remeasure if the outline moved.

A practical sequence

Multiply 20 by 30 to get 600 square feet.
Plan about 7.3 tons at two inches or about 10.9 tons at three inches.
Keep this distinct from a 20 by 20 square, which is also about 7.3 tons at three inches.
Use the numbers as a planning estimate and confirm the weight on the plant ticket.

The mistake to skip

Mixing up 7.3 tons at two inches on this drive with 7.3 tons at three inches on a 20 by 20 square.

Questions people ask

How many tons is 20 by 30 at three inches?

About 10.9 tons. Twenty times 30 is 600 square feet, and 600 times 3 times 145 divided by 24,000 equals 10.875. About 7.3 tons is the two-inch planning figure for this same rectangle. The plant ticket is the real weight.

Why does 7.3 tons show up twice?

A 20 by 30 at two inches and a 20 by 20 at three inches both plan near 7.3 tons because the volumes are close. They are not the same pavement. Always write the length, the width, and the thickness together.

As an Amazon Associate, AsphaltTons.com earns from qualifying purchases. Product links below are sponsored.