How Much Does A Gravel Driveway Cost?

Choosing the right material for your driveway is tough due to all of the options and cost factors. If saving money is one of the biggest selling points to you, you’ve likely already considered gravel. Gravel driveways can save you hundreds, and even thousands compared to materials like concrete, but how much do they cost?

The average gravel driveway cost is $1,225, and installation and labor costs $1.50 per square foot. Homeowners spend an average of $0.70 per square foot to install a gravel base, and it costs $2 per square foot for crushed stone gravel. You can save money with caliche which costs $0.50 per square foot to install.

More cost factors can affect the price tag of your new gravel driveway beyond necessary procedures. Some of the cost factors in question are relatively minor. They won’t force you to alter your spending plans that much.

Other cost factors are more significant. They could suddenly make the project less feasible for you from a financial standpoint.

Keep the following cost factors in mind as you make plans for your gravel driveway. You may even be able to save some money by considering them first before finalizing your plans.

The first supplemental cost factor to consider is the building permit. The permits required for building driveways usually cost around $125.

The tricky thing about these particular permits is that they aren’t always required. Permit requirements depend on where you live. Check the local laws in your area to find out if you need a permit before you can start building your gravel driveway.

Your contractor can also tell you if you need a driveway. If they’ve been working in that area for a while, they may even be able to help you secure the necessary permit.

Also, you should know that the positioning of your gravel driveway could affect how much you have to pay for the permit. Permits are often more expensive for driveways located close to a public road. Either pay extra for that spot or change the alignment of your gravel driveway.

You should also factor delivery charges into your expenses if you’re building a gravel driveway. Delivery charges for gravel hover around $50 to $100.

It’s harder to pin a solid number down for the gravel delivery charges because so many factors have to be accounted for. You have to account for the distance of the delivery and how accessible your property is. Suppliers may also charge a bit extra if you’re hiring them to deliver a large amount of gravel.

When shopping for gravel to use for your new driveway, sticking to local suppliers is almost always a good idea. Buying from those local suppliers allows you to save money and the installation can also be completed faster with their help.

Adding drainage fixtures to your gravel driveway is also an option. Expect to pay close to $2,500 to add drainage-focused fixtures to your new gravel driveway.

The drainage fixture added could be something as simple as a ditch. You can ask the workers to dig up some soil and place some pipes in there. That will give the water in the driveway somewhere else to go.

You can also go for a more sophisticated addition like a grid. Aside from helping drain water, the grid can also further stabilize your driveway. It’s a useful addition for sure, but it’s also quite pricey.

Gravel driveways cost an average of $1.50 per square foot including installation, and the average driveway is 640 square feet. A 640 square foot driveway is often a 2 car driveway, but single car driveways can be as small as 200-300 square feet, or smaller.

It can cost as little as $1.20 per square foot for a gravel driveway installation. On the high end, you can spend $2 or more per square foot, but most homeowners pay $1.50. Options such as pea gravel can cost you as little as $0.75-$0.90 per square foot if you buy high volume.

Besides the gravel itself, there are many materials that go into a gravel driveway, and they’re all low cost. There are several options to choose between for what kind of gravel driveway you want.

Gravel consists of several rock fragments that include sand, fine rock, and stone. It is essentially just weathered rocks, and that is why cold weather and wind affect it. No matter which material you choose, you need to have a rock base installed first.

Rock serves as a base and foundation for your gravel driveway. Your rock base generally costs $0.60-$0.80 for each square foot, depending on the specific base. Without a rock base, you’d simply have loose gravel with no support, which would be bad for the driveway, and any car’s tires.

For non-gravel driveways, gravel itself is actually often used as a base for other materials. Gravel makes a great base due to its low cost and compactness, as well as drainage capabilities. Many homeowners use gravel for paver driveways as well.

If your driveway does not have a good rock base, it won’t drain properly, and that can lead to mold. Erosion is another possibility, so spend the money on a great and effective rock base.

If you buy crushed shells by the cubic yard, it can cost up to $120. One cubic yard is enough to cover 100 square feet, so the average driveway needs 3-6 cubic yards of shells. If your driveway is between 400 and 600 square feet, crushed shells will cost $400-$720.

You are best off choosing a shell top layer if you have a flat and straight driveway. Otherwise, when rain, snow, and wind come, shells can easily blow and roll down the driveway. Crushed shells are also quite common for walkways.

The one thing to remember is that you shouldn’t be alarmed if the crushed shell driveway smells bad at first. That is totally natural, and crushed shell driveways sometimes smell strong when first installed.

Unlike gravel, crushed stone does not occur naturally, and needs to be manufacturer. Crushed stone is not overly artificial, however, as it is still made up of natural stones that are pulverized. You can expect to pay between $1 and $3 per square foot for a crushed stone driveway.

Between the two, gravel is smoother and typically contains smaller chunks, so to speak. It is generally considered to be of a higher quality than gravel, and that’s why crushed stone costs more. Buying bulk can save you money, and 2,000 pounds of crushed stone costs between $60 and $150.

Crushed limestone is another popular choice, and 2,000-pound bulk starts at $65 and up.

Pebbles are similar in cost to crushed stone and average $1.50-$2.00 per square foot. If you buy pebble stones in bulk, you’ll pay $75 or more, on average. Like shell driveways, pebble stones make a better driveway material for driveways that are flat so that loose material doesn’t slide.

One key benefit to pebble stone driveways is that you’re less likely to lose your footing and slip when wet. Besides functionality and cost, pebble driveways have a distinct look that is natural and adds curb appeal.

Caliche is a rich mineral deposit that actually contains gravel, and other materials as well. It occurs naturally, typically in South America, and includes sands and nitrates in the mixture. Caliche costs as little as $0.50 per square foot for a caliche driveway, excluding labor.

It is effectively a natural cement and that makes caliche sturdy while still cost-effective. Caliche driveways do better in states with low humidity and infrequent rain. It’s important to note that there are holes in the top layer of caliche so that it can properly drain and avoid pooling.

Limestone and caliche are not that different, as they both contain calcium carbonate. However, limestone can cost a dollar more per square foot than caliche. It would cost $320 for a caliche driveway without the cost of a rock base and labor.

Crush and run driveways offer the best of both worlds between gravel and limestone. Small bits of gravel and limestone are mixed together making for a longer-lasting driveway. Expect it to start at $0.50 per square foot for a crush and run driveway, but it could cost even less.

Gravel may not handle rain too well, but limestone does, and that’s an advantage to crush and run. Limestone handles rain like a pro, and actually sticks together, which helps stop the top gravel from running. It is also sometimes used as a base layer for other driveway materials, instead of the top layer.

Material and installation costs start at $300 for a crush and run driveway. That typically includes labor and material costs, but if not, expect another $25-$35 an hour labor.

Pea gravel is an excellent choice for a gravel driveway, and it is easy to install. Many builder-owners pay between $400 and $1,200 to install a pea gravel driveway. Like standard gravel, pea gravel is a great choice for long driveways due to the low cost.

It gets pricier when you get into big, 2 car driveways that are 500 square feet or more. Labor costs will total $250-$350 for a 500 square foot driveway, or larger. Between $300 and $600 of the total pea gravel driveway cost comes from the materials.

Pea gravel is easy to come by and buying it in bulk saves money. You can buy a full ton of pea gravel for $45 or less. There are several colors of pea gravel to choose from, such as gray, brown, amber, spruce, and white.

Professionals may charge you $25-$35 per hour for labor for gravel driveway installation. It can take between 2 and 4 ½ hours to install a gravel driveway. Sometimes, the labor rate applies to each person on the job, and other times it is general.

Most gravel driveway installation involved 2 or 3 people. Small driveways can easily take under 3 hours, and long ones rarely take over 4 with multiple workers. Some contractors incorporate labor into the cost per square foot, which typically evens out to another $50-$120 at least.

Grading is a factor that plays into labor costs and is not necessary for all homes. Sloping and grading is sometimes required if there is not an ideal flow of water. If there is improper sloping and grading, water can flow from the gravel driveway and into the foundation.

When water gets into the foundation, it causes mold and damage. Grading and sloping costs roughly $500-$5,000, and depends on driveway size, and how much labor is required. Mold remediation can easily cost $3,000 or more, and it is not worth risking foundation damage or mold.

Despite the shorter lifespan, concrete driveways are in fact much more durable than gravel. Concrete driveways are also significantly more expensive and can easily cost over $7,000. One thing to consider about concrete is that it is hard to treat and repair without costly maintenance.

It can cost $2-$3 per square foot to resurface a driveway, and that generally excludes labor. Within 8-15 years, you will need to resurface your concrete driveway again. You generally spend between $400 and $500 for every 100 square feet of concrete that you have resurfaced.

Asphalt driveways cost an average of $10 per square foot but can cost as little as $7 per square foot. Pavers, on the other hand, are quite pricey and range from $10 to $45 per square foot. An asphalt driveway can cost up to $6,500, and paver driveways cost between $3,000 and $25,000 or more.

Asphalt driveways only last for a maximum of 30 years, and pavers can last up to 50 years. There are several choices for paver materials, such as cobblestone, brick, stone, and grass. Paver driveways can cost up to 10 or more times the cost of gravel driveways.

The installation cost alone for paver driveways can be more than an entire gravel driveway, including labor. It is normal for builder-owners to spend roughly $1,015 on labor for a paver driveway, but it can cost $1,500 or more.

You may be one of the builder-owners that rightfully wonder if a weed barrier is worth it. Some professionals and builders encourage the use of a weed barrier in a gravel driveway. Weed barriers are made of cloth, and the concept is that it prevents weeds from sprouting up.

Generally, you will pay between $45 and $120 for high-quality weed barriers. The pro installing your driveway can apply the weed barrier. If the driveway is already done, you can remove the top layer and lay the weed barrier yourself.

There is a debate as to whether weed barriers are worth it, and some homeowners don’t find them helpful. Weed barriers generally do work well, but weeds can still sprout up near seams or week spots in the fabric. Considering that it only adds $45-$120 to your gravel driveway bill, it is a worthy investment.

Gravel roads are popular for both residential and commercial use. The total cost for a gravel road depends on the size, and size depends on what kind of road it is. It still costs roughly $1.50 per square foot for a gravel road, but it is more costly because roads are larger than driveways.

Before you can even build a residential gravel road, you need to spend money on permits. Permits can cost you up to $2,000 or more and failing to get one lands you in trouble. Residential roads are typically small and private, but commercial roads are large and far-reaching.

A 5-mile gravel road can cost between $10 and $15 million, and that is a small road. Larger roads can cost double and triple that number, but it’s still cheaper than other road materials. Repaving that same gravel road is going to cost another $1-$2 million per mile, and roads are repaved every 10-15 years.

Gavel walkways cost between $750 and $3,500 based on size and depth. It is an excellent choice for a walkway material, especially if practicality and savings are in the back of your mind. Less gravel is used for walkways because they do not have to support and accommodate heavy cars.

Constructing gravel walkways is not that difficult, and often does not require much landscaping or excavation. The biggest concern with gravel walkways is the quality of soil beneath it and weed prevention. Installing a weed barrier helps, as does regularly treating the area for weeds if the problem persists.

It costs roughly $1,100 for a 3,000 square foot parking lot with 12 parking spaces. You can spend as little as $300-$400 for a gravel parking lot, but that doesn’t get you much space. Many parking pads measure 10×20 ft., so how many pads you want determines the total cost.

If you only needed 2-3 parking spots, you could spend roughly $180-$300, depending on size. Sometimes, people use gravel as a temporary placeholder parking lot and use it as a base for the next material. You will also notice that many businesses that have huge parking lots choose gravel to save with each square foot.

Compared to concrete, gravel is significantly cheaper, albeit not quite as sturdy for a parking lot. A concrete parking lot measuring 2,000 square feet can cost up to $14,000. Gravel is a better choice if you are on a budget, even if concrete is sturdier and better for tires.

Yes, gravel is quite permeable, and that makes it a practical driveway material. Permeability refers to how well gases and water can pass through a material, such as gravel. Materials like concrete and stone, however, are impermeable as water does not pass through them.

If you live somewhere with a lot of rain and moisture, permeable materials like gravel and porous asphalt are helpful. Porous asphalt drains water well and costs roughly $2.75 per square foot on average.

The only way that the permeability of gravel can be a negative is if you experience constant and heavy snowfall. It is easy to shovel snow off of gravel, but the snow can crumble and erode the material. Utilize rock salt, which costs $5-$10 for 40 pounds, to prevent ice and snow damage, and provide tire traction.

Related Questions

Do you need a permit for a gravel driveway?

You do not typically need a permit for a gravel driveway but check with your municipality to be sure. If you have a homeowner’s association, however, check to make sure that everything is above board. Check into your neighborhood, municipality, or homeowner’s association to make sure you are compliant with their requirements and standards.

How Much Does It Cost to Resurface a Gravel Driveway?

Resurfacing a gravel driveway involves adding a new layer of gravel to the existing installation. It’s a restorative procedure for driveways that typically costs around $250.

What Is the Cheapest Gravel for a Driveway?

Labor costs for gravel driveways can get very expensive very quickly. If you wish to cut down on your expenses somewhat, you can use pea or basic gravel for your driveway. Both pea and basic gravel are priced at around $2 per square foot.

Does a gravel driveway add value?

Unfortunately, no, gravel driveways do not add any value to a home, unlike other materials, such as asphalt. Gravel driveways are worth it in the sense that they save you money in the moment, but they do not earn you money later on. A new concrete driveway, however, can easily add $5,000-$7,000 in value to the selling price of your home.

Gravel is the cheapest driveway material and costs an average of $1.50 per square foot. You can spend as much as $2,400 on a gravel driveway, but many builder-owners only spend $1,125 in total. The high permeability gravel offers is a major benefit, and it is the best choice to save money on large driveways.

Professionals can install your gravel driveway in 1-3 days, in most cases, and charge $25-$35 an hour. You can save a small fortune by choosing gravel over materials like concrete and asphalt, and it is a great driveway material.