Material calculator
Gravel Base Calculator for Asphalt
The base course carries the load — get it wrong and the asphalt above it fails. Size your crushed aggregate here.
Your project
Residential driveways use 4-6". Truck traffic needs 8-12".
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Aggregate base needed
17.01
US tons
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Compacted volume
- 8.89 cubic yards
- Loose volume to order
- 11.11 cubic yards
- Material cost
- $510
- Truckloads (20-ton)
- 1
Aggregate loses about 20-25% of its volume when compacted, so the loose quantity you order is higher than the finished depth suggests.
The shareable link reopens this calculator with your exact inputs.
Why the base matters more than the asphalt
Asphalt is a flexible pavement — it distributes load rather than spanning it. Almost every premature driveway failure traces back to an undersized or poorly compacted base, not to thin asphalt.
A compacted crushed aggregate base spreads wheel loads across the subgrade and, just as importantly, drains water away from the underside of the pavement. Water trapped beneath asphalt is what turns a hairline crack into a pothole over one freeze-thaw cycle.
Depth guidance
Use 4 inches of compacted base for a car-only driveway on firm, well-drained soil. Use 6–8 inches for typical residential ground, and 10–12 inches over clay, in cold climates, or anywhere trucks will turn.
Compact in lifts of no more than 4 inches at a time. A single 8-inch dump rolled once will look finished and behave like loose stone.
Frequently asked questions
+How deep should gravel be under asphalt?
4-6 inches compacted for residential driveways on good soil, 8-12 inches for heavy vehicles, clay subgrade, or freeze-thaw climates.
+How much does a ton of crushed base cover?
At 6 inches compacted, one ton of crushed aggregate base covers about 25 square feet.
+Can I put asphalt directly on dirt?
Only on exceptionally firm, well-drained subgrade, and even then it is a false economy. Without a base course the pavement will rut and crack within a few seasons.