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Asphalt binder price index by state

The binder is the part of asphalt that follows the oil market. Here is what each state's published index says this month, with a link to the agency's own page so you can check it.

Common questions

What is the asphalt binder price index?

Hot mix asphalt is mostly stone held together by a liquid asphalt cement called the binder. Many state highway agencies publish a monthly price for that binder, in dollars per ton, and use it to adjust payments on their own contracts when the price moves.

Is this the price of hot mix per ton?

No. It is the price of the liquid binder, not the finished mix. A ton of mix costs far less per ton than a ton of binder, because the binder is only about 5 to 6 percent of the mix by weight. Your plant's mix price is the number to use for a bid.

Why can I not compare one state to another?

Each agency defines its own index: which grade it prices, how it averages supplier prices and when it posts. A number is only comparable with the same state's other months.

How current are these numbers?

Each agency posts monthly, and agency indexes can trail the market when prices move fast. This page copies each published figure by hand and shows the day it was last checked. Open the agency's link before you rely on a number in a contract.

How do I use an index in a proposal?

A private job usually has no adjustment, so you carry any rise between the day you quote and the day you pave. One way to share that risk is an adjustment clause that names an index, a base price on the day of the proposal, a trigger such as 5 percent, and an adjustment on the tons placed. Bidcore can add that clause to a proposal. Have an attorney review the wording first.

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