How much is a ton of asphalt in 2026?

Standard hot mix runs $100–150 per ton picked up at the plant in most US markets. Binder and base mixes sit $5–10 under surface mix because they use larger, cheaper aggregate and slightly less liquid binder. Delivered pricing adds $8–20 per ton in trucking depending on distance, and small orders may carry a plant minimum.

How much area does one ton of asphalt cover?

At compacted density of roughly 145 lb per cubic foot, one ton covers about 80 square feet at 2 inches thick and about 55 square feet at 3 inches. Coverage is the bridge between the per-ton price plants quote and the per-square-foot price homeowners think in — run the conversion before comparing bids.

Do asphalt plants sell to homeowners?

Most do, for pickup in a truck or trailer that can legally carry the load. Expect a 1–2 ton minimum, cash-or-card terms, and mix loaded at 300°F — you have roughly 60–90 minutes of workable time in mild weather. For anything beyond a small patch, a contractor with a paver will beat hand work on both quality and compaction.

Why did my quote change from last month?

Liquid asphalt binder is refined from crude oil and repriced monthly by most plants. At $600–700 per ton and 5–6% of mix weight, binder alone is $30–42 of every ton of hot mix, so a 15% crude move shifts finished mix by several dollars per ton. Large projects handle this with a binder price-adjustment clause instead of re-quoting.

Are asphalt millings worth buying?

At $10–25 per ton, millings are the cheapest paving material available and work well for rural drives, farm lanes and parking pads. They are reclaimed pavement, not new mix: they need compaction while warm or with a binder rejuvenator to knit together, and they will never match hot mix for a finished surface.

Is warm mix asphalt cheaper than hot mix?

Usually within $5 per ton either way. Warm mix is produced 50–100°F cooler, which saves plant fuel but adds additive cost — the two roughly cancel. Its real value is longer haul distances and a wider paving window in cool weather, not a lower sticker price.

Asphalt · Cost Series

Asphalt price per ton, 2026

Plants quote by the ton, contractors bid by the square foot, and the binder market moves both. Here are the current per-ton numbers and the mechanics behind them.

$100–150
per ton hot mix, at plant: $150–250
per-ton equiv., bagged cold patch: 5–6%
of mix weight is liquid binder: ±40%
regional price swing

Contents

1.Price per ton by product (2026)
2.The binder index: why prices move
3.How to get a real local price
4.Worked example: pickup vs delivered

Price per ton by product (2026)

US plant-gate pricing, mid-2026, before trucking. Metro plants with binder terminals nearby sit at the low end; remote plants at the high end.
Item	Unit	Low	High	Average
Standard HMA surface mix9.5–12.5 mm dense-graded; the default quote	ton	$100	$150	$125
Binder / base course mixCoarser stone, less binder — $5–10 under surface	ton	$95	$140	$118
Polymer-modified (PG+) mix+$15–30 over standard; heavy traffic, hot climates	ton	$115	$180	$148
Warm mix asphalt±$0–5 vs hot mix; longer haul window	ton	$100	$155	$128
Cold patch, baggedPer-ton equivalent at $4–6 per 50 lb bag	ton	$150	$250	$200
Asphalt millings (RAP)Reclaimed; availability tracks local milling work	ton	$10	$25	$18

Where you sit inside these ranges is mostly geography — plant density, binder terminal distance and season length. The regional price factors guide breaks down the ±40% swing. If you are weighing asphalt against a concrete slab, the concrete cost guide is the per-yard counterpart to this page.

The binder index: why prices move

The remainder of the ton is aggregate (cheap but freight-sensitive), burner fuel to hit 300°F, and plant overhead. Aggregate and fuel move slowly; binder moves with the oil market. When a contractor says the price is only good for 30 days, that is not a sales tactic — it is how their plant quotes them.

How to get a real local price

Published averages get you to a budget; only a phone call gets you to a number. Call the nearest hot mix plant — not a contractor — and ask three things: the per-ton price for standard surface mix, the pickup vs delivered difference, and the minimum order. Plants typically charge $8–20 per ton for trucking depending on distance, and many carry a 1–2 ton pickup minimum or a $150–300 small-load fee. Ask whether the quote is this month's price and when it resets.

Two more questions worth asking: whether they sell millings (often first-come, priced by the loader bucket), and whether a nearby paving job could piggyback your tonnage — a plant already trucking to your area quotes delivery cheaper.

Worked example: pickup vs delivered

Worked example

You need 10 tons of surface mix for a parking pad. Plant price $120/ton pickup; delivered adds $15/ton for the 18-mile haul.

1
Pickup material cost
10 × $120 = $1,200
2
Pickup hauling reality
3-ton dump trailer → 4 round trips × 45 min, mix cooling the whole time
3
Trailer rental + fuel
$120 + $60 = $180, and the last load arrives marginal for compaction
4
Delivered cost
10 × ($120 + $15) = $1,350 in one hot load

Result: Delivered wins: $1,350 in one hot load vs $1,380 all-in for pickup — and every ton arrives at temperature. Under ~5 tons with your own truck, pickup pencils out; at 10 tons, pay for the truck.

Frequently asked questions

Turn tons into dollars

Enter your area, thickness and local per-ton price — the calculator handles density and waste.

Asphalt Cost Calculator

Continue the cost series

Cost Per Square FootInstalled $/ft² by thickness and job size.Guide Regional Price FactorsWhy the same driveway varies 40% by state.Guide Cost Saving TipsWhere to save — and where never to.Guide

Sources & references

[1]Asphalt Pavement Design Guide (APD-1) — National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2020
[2]MS-4: The Asphalt Handbook, 7th ed. — Asphalt Institute, 2007