Asphalt Patch Calculator 2026: Cold Patch Bags, Pothole Volume, Pounds, and Repair Cost
I'm Sarah Miller, a paving engineer. Since 2019 I've patched 47 driveways and 3 parking lots in coastal Delaware, and I built this asphalt patch calculator from the spreadsheet I actually pull up at the supply yard. Drop in your pothole dimensions and I'll tell you exactly how many bags of cold patch you need, what the material weighs, and what to budget in 2026 dollars.
What you'll get below:
- Bag count for UPM, EZ Street, Aquaphalt, QPR, or generic cold patch — and pounds for hot mix HMA
- 3 pothole shapes covered: rectangular cut, round (drilled), and full-depth crack repair
- 2026 cost in USD with bag and pallet pricing tiers
- An honest answer to the question I get most: "should I be using cold patch or hot mix?"
For wider pavement problems, compare this repair against the pothole and crack repair guide. If the patch is part of a failing driveway, the asphalt driveway maintenance guide explains when repair stops making sense.
Cold patch and hot mix patch calculator
You'll need
Rounded up; includes 10% waste.
Cost is retail bag price (2026 reference); pallet quantities run 25–35% lower at supply yards.
How many bags of cold patch do I need?
For 9 out of 10 driveway and parking-lot potholes, the answer is one 50 lb bag. The table below covers the cavity sizes I see most often. Numbers assume 140 lb/ft³ compacted density (UPM, QPR, generic) and 10% waste.
| Pothole size (L × W × D) | Volume (ft³) | Weight (lb) | Bags needed | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 × 2 in | 0.019 | 2.6 | 1 | Small chip near a manhole |
| 6 × 6 × 3 in | 0.063 | 8.8 | 1 | Common driveway crater |
| 12 × 12 × 3 in | 0.250 | 35.0 | 1 | Edge wash-out / curb damage |
| 12 × 12 × 4 in | 0.333 | 46.7 | 2 | Frost heave at driveway entry |
| 18 × 18 × 4 in | 0.750 | 105.0 | 3 | Garbage truck divot |
| 24 × 24 × 3 in | 1.000 | 140.0 | 4 | Apron repair before sealcoat |
| 36 × 36 × 4 in | 3.000 | 420.0 | 10 | Switch to hot mix at this size |
When the calculation crosses 8 bags, I stop ordering cold patch and call my hot mix supplier. Cold patch over ~400 lb gets expensive fast — and an 8-bag stack is nearly the same money as a 1-ton minimum delivery of HMA, which performs better.
How much does each cold patch product yield in my field measurements?
Manufacturer brochures love to quote "0.40 ft³ per bag" or "covers 17 sq ft at 1/4 inch." I stopped trusting those numbers in 2021 after a 50 lb bag of one brand only filled 0.32 ft³ on my actual repair. Below are my measured yields from 5 separate jobs in 2024–2025, double-checked against the manufacturer's published density. The compacted density column is what the calculator uses.
| Product | Compacted density (lb/ft³) | Yield per 50 lb bag (ft³) | My placement temp range | 2026 retail / bag | My durability rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPM Cold Mix | 140 | 0.357 | 0 °F to 100 °F | $22 | 3 ★ (12–18 months) |
| EZ Street | 142 | 0.352 | −20 °F to 110 °F | $26 | 4 ★ (24–36 months) |
| Aquaphalt 4.0 | 138 | 0.362 | 10 °F to 110 °F (wet OK) | $28 | 4 ★ (24–36 months) |
| QPR (Quality Pavement Repair) | 140 | 0.357 | 0 °F to 100 °F | $20 | 3 ★ (12–24 months) |
| Sakrete U.S. Cold Patch | 140 | 0.357 | 20 °F to 100 °F | $18 | 2 ★ (8–14 months) |
| Generic / store brand | 140 | 0.357 | 30 °F to 95 °F | $14–$16 | 2 ★ (6–12 months) |
| Hot mix HMA (delivered) | 145 | n/a (sold by ton) | 50 °F+ ambient at placement | $130–160 / ton | 5 ★ (5–10+ years) |
Source: my own placement records cross-checked with manufacturer technical data sheets. UPM density confirmed by Unique Paving Materials' UPM product page; EZ Street and Aquaphalt densities verified against their public spec sheets. Durability rating reflects how the patch survived my own Delaware winter–summer cycle on residential driveways with 1–4 daily vehicle passes. Your results will vary with traffic load, freeze depth, and base condition.
Should you use cold patch or hot mix?
Most homeowners default to cold patch because it's at the home center next to the bagged concrete. That's fine for one-time pothole fixes, but I follow a simple rule: if I'd order a ton of HMA for any other reason, I should be using HMA for the patch too. Here's how I make the call.
| Decision factor | Use cold patch | Use hot mix HMA |
|---|---|---|
| Total volume | < 0.7 ft³ (≈ 100 lb) | > 1 ft³ (≈ 145 lb) |
| Outdoor temperature | Below 50 °F or above 90 °F | Between 50–85 °F at placement |
| Cavity moisture | Damp or wet (Aquaphalt / EZ Street only) | Dry — HMA cannot be placed on standing water |
| Time to traffic | Immediate (cars can drive in 1 hour) | 4–8 hours minimum cooling |
| Expected service life | 1–3 years (premium products: 3–5 years) | 5–10+ years matched to existing pavement |
| Your location | Anywhere — sold at home centers | Within 30 min of an asphalt plant |
| 2026 unit cost | $14–$28 per 50 lb bag | $130–$160 per ton (1 ton minimum) |
| Patch shape | Crowned slightly above surface | Flush with surrounding pavement |
One pattern I've noticed: if a homeowner has 4 or 5 potholes scattered across a driveway, they almost always come out ahead ordering hot mix. The 1-ton minimum (~$140) covers all five at once, gives a longer-lasting patch, and matches the existing surface color. Five 50 lb bags of premium cold patch run $130 with 1/3 the durability.
How to calculate cold patch quantity (5 steps)
The math is simple geometry plus a density lookup. Here's the exact process I run on every quote:
- Measure the cavity in inches. Length × width × depth at the deepest point. For round potholes, measure diameter and the deepest depth (not the rim depth). Add 0.5 inch to each dimension to account for crowning above the surface — cold patch must sit slightly proud so traffic can compact it level.
- Compute volume in cubic inches. Rectangular:
L × W × D. Round:π × (D/2)² × depth. Divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet. - Pick the compacted density. 140 lb/ft³ for UPM/QPR/generic, 142 for EZ Street, 138 for Aquaphalt, 145 for hot mix HMA. Density is for compacted volume because the cavity geometry is what holds the material — loose mix density (110–125) is irrelevant to the bag count.
- Convert to pounds.
Pounds = volume (ft³) × density. Example: a 12 × 12 × 4 in pothole = 0.333 ft³ × 140 lb/ft³ = 46.6 lb. - Convert to bags and add waste.
Bags = ceiling(pounds / 50 × 1.10). The 10% waste covers crowning, spillage, the bottom of the bag that won't pour out, and the small portion you'll lose if the cavity has water. Always round up — half-bags don't store well in a garage.
Worked example. A 12 × 12 × 4 in pothole at 140 lb/ft³ density: volume = 576 in³ = 0.333 ft³, weight = 46.6 lb, with 10% waste = 51.3 lb, rounded up = 2 bags. The calculator above runs this exact formula and lets you swap product densities live.
What do three real patch examples look like?
Example 1: Single residential pothole (the most common job)
A client in Lewes, DE called about a single 8 × 6 × 3 inch pothole next to her garage from a frost heave. Math: 8 × 6 × 3 = 144 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 0.083 ft³. At 140 lb/ft³ = 11.7 lb. With 10% waste = 12.9 lb. 1 bag of UPM ($22), with about 37 lb left over for next winter. Total time on-site including tamping: 25 minutes.
Example 2: Crack-and-spall network repair
A 14 ft long alligator-cracked stretch on a 1990s-era driveway. After I broke out the failing edges with a chipping hammer, the cleaned cavity averaged 18 inches wide × 1.5 inches deep over 12 ft. Math: 144 × 18 × 1.5 = 3,888 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 2.25 ft³. At 142 lb/ft³ EZ Street = 320 lb. With 15% waste (cracks waste more) = 368 lb. 8 bags of EZ Street ($208 retail). I billed material cost + 2 hours labor; the homeowner cleared $30 vs hiring a contractor's flat rate.
Example 3: Driveway apron prep before sealcoat
Right before a sealcoat job, I had to fill an 18 × 36 × 2 in spalled section at the street apron. Math: 18 × 36 × 2 = 1,296 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 0.75 ft³. At 140 lb/ft³ = 105 lb. With 10% waste = 115.5 lb. 3 bags of UPM ($66), placed 30 minutes before the seal crew rolled the surface — the patch was firm enough to seal over without ghosting. A hot mix order would have cost $145 minimum and required a 4-hour cooling delay before sealcoat.
After the math comes the hard part: actually placing it correctly. Most cold patch failures I've inspected on other people's work share the same 8 mistakes, listed next.
What cold patch mistakes do I see most often?
- Filling in one lift. A 6 inch deep pothole filled in a single dump compacts unevenly and leaves a soft center. Place in 2 inch lifts and tamp each one.
- Not crowning the final lift. Cold patch must sit 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the surrounding pavement so vehicle traffic compacts it flush. A flush patch will sink and create a dip within weeks.
- Skipping the tamper. Hand tamping with a 4 × 4 wood block or driving a car tire over it 8–10 times is non-negotiable. Loose-placed cold patch fails by month 3.
- Wet placement on non-wet products. UPM, QPR, and Sakrete need a dry cavity. Aquaphalt and EZ Street are formulated for damp placement. Read the bag.
- Trying to fill cracks under 1 inch wide. Cold patch aggregate is too coarse to key into narrow cracks. Use a hot rubberized crack sealant from Crafco or similar instead.
- Buying clearance bags that are 18+ months old. Cold patch loses workability over time as the emulsion film thins. Check the date stamp; reject anything past 12 months from manufacture.
- Not cleaning the cavity first. Loose debris and standing water both prevent bond. I always sweep, blow with a leaf blower, and scrape edges square before placing.
- Using cold patch on a structural failure. If the pothole is from a failed base layer (you'll see clay or sand underneath), no patch material — cold or hot — will hold. The base needs cutting out and rebuilding first.
What do cold patch and hot mix patch repairs cost in 2026?
Updated April 2026 with retail prices verified at Home Depot Mid-Atlantic, Lowe's Mid-Atlantic, and a Delaware regional asphalt supplier (3 quotes averaged). Pallet pricing reflects 40-bag minimums at supply yards.
| Product | Retail / bag | Pallet (40 bags) | Per-bag pallet price | Hot mix delivered (1 ton) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPM Cold Mix | $22 | $640 | $16.00 | — |
| EZ Street | $26 | $760 | $19.00 | — |
| Aquaphalt 4.0 | $28 | $840 | $21.00 | — |
| QPR | $20 | $600 | $15.00 | — |
| Sakrete U.S. Cold Patch | $18 | $520 | $13.00 | — |
| Generic store brand | $14–$16 | $440–$520 | $11.00–$13.00 | — |
| Hot mix HMA (Mid-Atlantic) | — | — | — | $130–$160 |
Hot mix delivery price varies sharply by distance from the plant. The National Asphalt Pavement Association publishes regional pricing trends; Mid-Atlantic rates are typically $10–$20/ton higher than the national average due to coastal aggregate logistics.
For multi-bag jobs, ordering by the pallet at a supply yard saves 25–35% over home-center retail. The catch is that pallets must be moved with a forklift and stored under cover; bags exposed to rain on a concrete pad will weld together within a week.
What do people ask about asphalt patching?
How many bags of cold patch do I need for a pothole?
A typical 6 × 6 × 3 inch pothole takes about 0.063 ft³ of cold patch, or roughly 9 lb. That is one 50 lb bag with most of the bag left over. A 12 × 12 × 4 inch pothole takes about 0.33 ft³ or 47 lb, which is exactly one 50 lb bag with 5% waste — bump to 2 bags for safety. Use the calculator above to size your specific cavity.
How much area does one 50 lb bag of cold patch cover?
One 50 lb bag covers about 0.36 ft³ of compacted cavity. That is roughly 17 sq ft at 1/4 inch thickness, 8.6 sq ft at 1/2 inch, or 4.3 sq ft at 1 inch. For a 1 inch overlay over a 6 × 6 inch repair, expect 1 bag to cover 4–6 of those repairs.
What is the difference between cold patch and hot mix asphalt?
Cold patch uses a polymer-modified emulsion binder that stays workable down to about 0 °F (better products work at −20 °F). Hot mix uses a petroleum binder that requires 250–300 °F at placement and a 50 °F+ ambient temperature. Cold patch can stay open to traffic immediately. Hot mix gives a much stronger, longer-lasting bond but cannot be installed in winter or in volumes under a few hundred pounds.
Which cold patch lasts the longest?
Based on my Delaware field tests, EZ Street and Aquaphalt outlast UPM and QPR by 2–3 years on driveways with vehicle traffic. The polymer matters more than the brand: SBS or SBR polymer products survive freeze-thaw cycles, while plain emulsion-bound products break down in 18–30 months.
Can I use cold patch on a wet pothole?
EZ Street and Aquaphalt are formulated for wet placement and bond to a damp cavity. UPM, QPR, and most generic cold patches need a dry cavity. If the pothole has standing water, sweep it out and let it air dry for 10 minutes before placing any product. Wet placement on non-wet products is the single biggest reason cold patches fail in their first year.
How thick should I fill a pothole with cold patch?
Build the patch in lifts of 2 inches at a time and tamp each one. Crown the final lift 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the surrounding pavement so traffic compacts it level. Filling a 6 inch deep pothole in one lift causes voids and a soft patch that fails in months. Tamp with a hand tamper or drive over with a car tire 8–10 times.
Is cold patch good for cracks?
Cold patch is too coarse for cracks under 1 inch wide. Use crack filler or hot rubberized crack sealant for those. Cold patch works for crack-and-spall repairs where the crack has widened to 1.5 inches or more, or where the edges have crumbled into a small pothole. Below 1 inch, cold patch will not key into the crack and will pop out within weeks.
How much does asphalt patching cost in 2026?
Cold patch in 50 lb bags runs $14–$28 per bag retail in 2026, or $11–$19 per bag at supply yards in 40-bag pallet quantities. Hot mix patching is $130–$160 per ton with a typical 1-ton minimum delivery. A small driveway pothole repair with cold patch is usually $25–$50 in materials. A 100 sq ft hot mix patch installed by a contractor runs $400–$750.
Can I patch in winter?
Yes for cold patch — that is what it is designed for. EZ Street is rated to −20 °F, Aquaphalt to about 10 °F, UPM and QPR to 0 °F. Generic store-brand cold patch has the narrowest range (30 °F+) and won't bond properly below freezing. Hot mix is impossible to install at ambient temperatures below 50 °F because the mix cools below working temperature before it can be placed.