Measure the repair cavity
Use the prepared repair dimensions after loose and failed material is removed.
Segment irregular potholes when depth or width changes substantially.
Calculate compacted volume
Multiply length by width by compacted depth using consistent units.
The target is the finished repair volume, not the loose pile volume.
Use product-specific conversion
Bag weight alone does not define installed volume.
Use manufacturer yield, density, or coverage information for the exact cold-patch product when available.
Account for compaction
Cold patch is placed and compacted, so installation method affects the relationship between loose material and finished repair.
Follow the product instructions rather than adding an arbitrary compaction factor.
Round to whole bags
Convert the adjusted requirement to the selected bag size and round up.
Verify lift thickness, preparation, compaction, temperature, and traffic-opening instructions separately.