Bitumen sealer calculator: gallons, ft³, tons, optional $/gal
Specification writers and foremen usually work from net square feet, a target application rate in square feet per gallon, and how many film builds the job needs. This page turns that into theoretical gallons, converts to cubic feet of liquid for storage math, and—if you trust a pounds-per-gallon basis for the SKU—an approximate short-ton line. Porous asphalt, oxidized binder, and hand edges all eat extra product; keep that margin in your field rules, not a hidden slider here.
Calculator inputs
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Results (live)
- Treated area (ft²)
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- Liquid product volume (ft³)
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- Theoretical US gallons
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- Estimated US short tons (from lb/gal)
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- Estimated material cost (from $/gal)
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Enter a treated area, a positive spread rate (ft² per US gal), 1–5 coats, and a product lb/gal greater than zero to see gallons, volumes, tons, and optional cost.
Formula and units
Theoretical US gallons = (treated area in ft² × number of coats) ÷ spread rate in ft² per gallon. Liquid volume in cubic feet = gallons × (1 ÷ 7.48052) because one US gallon ≈ 0.1337 ft³. Approximate US short tons = (gallons × product weight in lb per gallon) ÷ 2,000. The default lb/gal is a planning placeholder; use the SDS or batch sheet when the check is real. Estimated cost = gallons × $/gal when you add a material price.
Example calculation
5,000 ft² at 80 ft²/gal in two coats is (5,000 × 2) ÷ 80 = 125 US gal. That is about 16.7 ft³ of liquid on the truck. At 8.2 lb/gal, that is roughly 0.51 short tons. If material is $3.40/gal at the rack, the material line is about $425 before waste drums and pump time.
Cost explanation
The $/gal field should match what your distributor quotes: bulk sealer, packaged pails, or FM-procured totes are not interchangeable. Add waste, tack, traffic control, and cleanup in your bid—this line is only the cold plan for the fluid you expect to burn on the mat.
Common mistakes
Confusing manufacturer’s lab rate with field rate
Smooth indoor trowel panels and rough open-graded parking lots do not move the same ft²/gal. If the lot is hungry, lower the spread in the form or add a percent in your crew note, not after the fact on the PO.
Forgetting fog, tack, and bond breakers
This calculator is one product line. Prime, bond, and dilute passes are separate quantities in the real world.
Using tons for every emulsion spec
Some plants sell by the ton of residual binder, not by the gallon of emulsion. Translate with your supplier’s conversion before you lock a bank draw.