Asphalt Millings Calculator

Millings are old road surface ground up when a road is resurfaced, also sold as recycled asphalt, RAP, or crushed asphalt. NYC's fact sheet describes them as 93 to 97 percent stone and 3 to 7 percent old asphalt binder, in pieces from about 0.3 to 1.5 inches. That leftover binder is why a rolled millings driveway firms up more than loose gravel does.

They are a middle ground: usually cheaper than paving with hot mix, firmer than plain gravel, and something you can haul and spread yourself. They are not a paved surface, though. Expect some loose stone on top, especially early on, and plan to add a little every few years. For a paved driveway, the asphalt driveway calculator works out hot mix tons, base, and dig-out.

Measure the length and width in feet, multiply for square feet, then decide the depth in inches. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles, circles, and triangles and add them up; the calculator lets you add as many areas as you need and subtract cut-outs like a tree ring or an air-conditioner pad.

No tape measure? Open the Draw on satellite map tab, find your address, and trace the outline. Or use Pace it off: count steps along each side. Measure depth in a few spots, because ground is rarely flat.

Measure the driveway length along the center and the width in a few places, and add any turnaround as its own area.

Want the area on its own first? The lawn size calculator measures any part of your yard and carries it into the other calculators.

One cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 in compacted, before the compaction allowance.

Millings pack down hard under a roller or plate compactor, so about 25 percent extra gets you the finished depth. The calculator adds this for you; the table does not.

A cubic yard of millings weighs 2,100 to 2,900 lb (about 1.2 tons typical). Moisture is the big swing: the same pile weighs more after rain.

See every material side by side on the material weights chart.

Asphalt millings (recycled asphalt) is rarely sold in bags, so plan on bulk. Most yards load it by the half yard or by the ton, often with a delivery minimum. Ask for the price per yard or per ton, the delivery fee, and the minimum before you order.

One cubic yard of millings weighs about 2,400 lb. A full-size half-ton pickup typically carries 1,150 to 2,400 lb, and a midsize pickup 1,100 to 1,800 lb. Your exact number is on the Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver's door jamb.

That means weight runs out first. At the low end of a half-ton's payload, you can carry only about 0.48 cubic yards per trip, even though a 6.5 ft bed holds about 2.1 level full. A bed that looks half empty can already be over the limit.

The Haul Check in the calculator does this math for your truck and your load, and tells you how many trips it takes.

• Millings are 93 to 97 percent stone and 3 to 7 percent old asphalt binder. Blended into a stone base, that binder strengthens it over time. (New York City Office of Environmental Remediation)
• Keep millings above the water table and away from wells and streams. NYC does not allow them below the water table, and some states limit where they can go, so ask your local environmental office. (New York City Office of Environmental Remediation)
• Roll or plate-compact millings in 2 to 3 in lifts. A thick pile dumped and left loose stays soft and ruts.
• Loads vary a lot by supplier: some are fine and even, others are chunky or mixed with debris. Look at the pile before you order.

• Ordering the finished depth. Millings compact about a quarter, so order extra; the calculator adds it.
• Dumping 6 inches at once and leaving it loose. It stays soft and ruts. Compact in thin layers.
• Hauling a full bed of millings in a half-ton pickup. A yard weighs over a ton.
• Putting millings near a well, a stream, or in a wet low spot without checking local rules.

1. Strip topsoil and roots, and grade the ground so water drains off the driveway.
2. On soft or wet ground, lay woven driveway fabric and a crushed stone base first. The gravel driveway planner has the layers.
3. Spread the millings in 2 to 3 inch layers and compact each one with a roller or plate compactor. Damp millings compact better than bone-dry ones.
4. Crown the center slightly so rain runs off to the sides.
5. Check where millings are allowed. NYC keeps them above the water table, and some states limit use near wells, streams, or wetlands.