Free parking lot salt calculator
Enter your surface area, temperature and application rate to see how much salt you need. Free, no login.
Temperature
The pavement, not the air.
Application rate
Enter your surface area to see how much salt you need.
Work out a price
Use your supplier's price.
Your own number.
Your own number.
It has to cover the driver, the truck and the spreader.
Your own count, for a seasonal cap.
Selling salt this winter? Put it on a quote.
A free MakeHay account measures the lot from satellite, keeps salt as its own per application line, and bills each completed visit.
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How it works
How the parking lot salt calculator works
- 1
Surface area, in your units
Enter it in square feet, square yards, acres, square meters or hectares.
- 2
A rate for the temperature
Colder pavement takes more salt. Enter the temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
- 3
Light, standard or heavy
Light and heavy are the low and high published rates for that temperature, and standard is halfway between them. They can be about four times apart, so start light and add more only if you need it.
- 4
Pounds and bags
Pounds are the rate times the area in square feet, divided by 1,000. Bags are pounds divided by 50.
FAQ
Questions, answered straight.
How much salt do I need for a parking lot?
It depends on the temperature and the rate. At 20°F, a 40,000 sq ft lot takes about 110 lb at the light rate, 245 lb at standard and 380 lb at heavy.
Does rock salt work below 15°F?
Not well. Plain rock salt isn't recommended from 0 to 15°F. Use salt pretreated with other blends.
Should I use the light, standard or heavy rate?
Published rates vary by about four times, and too much salt can leave the lot slippery and track indoors. Start light and add more only if you need it.
How much should I charge to salt a parking lot?
Salt is the small part. With salt at $64 a ton, a 30 percent markup and a one hour trip at $100, a 40,000 sq ft lot at the heavy rate comes to $116 per application, or $2.90 per 1,000 sq ft. Enter your own numbers under Work out a price.
How do I set my spreader?
Pick a gate setting and a ground speed, run a measured 1,000 sq ft strip or catch the drop on a tarp, weigh it, and write the pounds per 1,000 sq ft next to that setting. At the right rate, granular salt crystals sit about 2 to 3 inches apart.
How much salt does a driveway need?
About 1 lb per 250 sq ft after clearing. A 20 by 30 ft driveway is 600 sq ft, so about 2.4 lb.