Spreading gravel on your driveway is usually pretty easy. Tip it into dispersed piles over your driveway area and then use a rake to spread it out evenly. If you’re creating a particularly large driveway and are getting your gravel delivered, you might be able to get help from your delivery driver.
Gravel Paving and Driveway Costs
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Gravel paving and driveways
Gravel paving and driveways
In the UK, gravel driveways have shot to popularity, replacing block paving as the nation’s favourite material.
It’s easy to see why it has become so popular too, not only looking great, but being easy to maintain too. It’s hugely successful in creating an aesthetically pleasing look, especially in the country settings where materials tend to be stone and brick.
With gravel driveways you’ll also have a wide variety of choice, with the size of area covered, colour and texture. As an added benefit, gravel paving can even act as a security measure, alerting you to anyone coming towards the house.
The maintenance of gravel driveways
The maintenance of gravel driveways is generally very straightforward. Of course, as with anything it will eventually deteriorate over time and dirt, dust and weeds will begin to take over.
To keep the fantastic look gravel paving originally creates it’s important to maintain. This can be just removing weeds and spraying weed killer, or sweeping escaped gravel back into place.
If a vehicle is constantly using the surface, the top gravel layer will eventually need replacing over time. The weight of the vehicle will slowly break down the gravel pieces and make the surface compact.
Benefits of gravel driveways
With a gravel driveway you’ll benefit from a range of features including:
An aesthetically pleasing look for your front garden which will last for years with little maintenance
An ultimate choice in style, colour and area covered by the gravel
A surface that matches with your home’s exterior look
A cheaper alternative to adding something different to your front area
Added security to your home
Gravel driveway quotes
Gravel driveways offer something different to block paving, creating a fantastic look that needs little maintenance throughout the year.
For up to four FREE quotes from specialist providers, just complete our quick form and hear from vetted and reputable professionals in your area.
Average Gravel paving and driveways cost
The amount that you could end up spending on a gravel path or driveway depends on several things. These include the size of your new gravel area, the type of gravel and sub base you use, where your property is and the professional you hire to help you. The average price for a UK gravel driveway is about £3,000-£4,600.
Average price per Gravel paving and driveways job in 2024
Avg. price low | Avg. price low |
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Avg. price | Avg. price |
Avg. price high | Avg. price high |
£11600
£8700
£5800
£2900
£0
Gravel paving and driveways installation cost in your area 2024
Labour cost | £2,800 | |
Material cost | £1,000 | |
Waste removal | £200 |
Advantages for Gravel paving and driveways
- Gravel is one of the lower cost driveway options
- Gravel is also less vulnerable to damage from seasonal freeze-thaw cycles
- Gravel driveways can be repaired and replenished on an ongoing basis
Disadvantages for Gravel paving and driveways
- Gravel driveways require regular maintenance, much more than concrete or asphalt driveways
- Gravel surfaces may need regrading once a year or more
Gravel paving and driveways Manufacturers
Gravel paving and driveways FAQs
If you’re considering laying gravel on your driveway, then you’d probably want to know the amount of gravel you’ll need to complete the project. When you are calculating the amount of gravel you’ll require to cover your driveway, there’s an important factor you’ll need to consider and that is the type of gravel you opt for such as a crushed or pea gravel. There are varying grades which are found in particles from fine to course, with a size ranging from 2mm to 64mm. Therefore, there’s a need to estimate the volume of the gravel while also having the rock’s size in mind. Also, there’s a need to select your most preferred gravel which you’ll like to use before proceeding to dig the depth of your driveway and subsequently determine the amount of gravel that’ll be needed using these excellent tips.
✓ Determine the size and coverage. As you would have expected, the smaller the gravel is, the bigger the coverage will be, and gravels should be at least 4 inches deep. However, if the rocks happen to be a bit large then you can allow for an extra 1/2 inch.
✓ Measure the driveway. Multiply the width by the length and depth to get the size of the driveway in cubic feet. Meanwhile for cubic yards, you can divide the total cubic feet by 27. This is due to the fact that one cubic feet is same as 1.13 tons.
✓ Working with gravel. Here, you’ll have to calculate an underlay measurements differently. You can use 2 inches of road base that’ll be overlaid with 2 inches of gravel.
Being a fantastic alternative to slabs or block paves, gravel drive way slowly becoming an extremely popular driveway surfacing option in the UK. Not only does gravel driveway value adding investment to a home, but also allows you to be very creative and can make a beautiful addition to your home.
It’s normal to think that having a new gravel laid is a herculean task but when the necessary tools and materials are within your reach then it’s a fair simple task for the competent DIYer. So if you’re about to lay your new gravel driveway option of your home and wondering how deep to dig the driveway, then you’ve come to the right place. There are times, however, that the best option would be to hire a reliable and trustworthy professional who can guarantee the best results while also helping you save time and additional expenses which could result from costly mistakes. However, in this guide, we offer some handy tips on the appropriate depth of a gravel driveway in order to put you on the right path from the start. So let’s take a closer look!
Normally, it’s required to lay a a 10 mm aggregate on a depth which should be within the range of 30 mm to 40 mm. However in the case of driveway, this structure must be at least 50mm deep. As a result of this requirement, you’ll require to dig a minimum depth of about 50 mm to 60mm on your driveway. If you’re using a larger aggregate, it’s going to settle and bond together more easily than the smaller alternatives. Therefore, the depth of your driveway will mostly be determined by the size of the aggregate you opt for as well as how you intend to use the surface.
Gravel driveways, when properly installed, can be a very cost effective way of surfacing all driveways including both the big and the small ones. As a result, it has grown to become a common choice amongst homeowners in the UK. It does a great job at giving a property a more natural look than other driveway surfacing options which includes concrete, block paving or tarmac.
Are you planning to install a gravel on your driveway? If yes, then you’ll most likely be interested to know exactly how much it’s going to cost. Well, to get started you’ll have to decide whether you’ll be doing this yourself or perhaps you’d be hiring a specialist. The project could be much more effective if you decide to tackle it on your own as you’re only going to be worried about the paying for the materials without any labour costs. However, installing a driveway is in no way an easy task even for the competent and more experienced DIYers. So if you choose to carry out the project on your own, you should also get ready for a longer completion time than it would have been if you hired a tradesman which is usually around 48 hours. If you have all the tools and materials in place before commencement, then it’s possible to complete the project over the weekend. However, there are many risks involved such as the possibility of misjudging the amount of base layer and gravel required etc.
Here, we’ll look at the various material costs of gravel driveways, as labour costs largely varies from one tradesman to the other.
The material cost of a gravel driveway of about 20 square metre should range between £1100 to £1200, 40 square metre should cost between £1600 to £2000 and 80 square metre gravel driveway should cost between £2800 to £3200.
Gravel is the cheapest driveway surfacing material. Asphalt costs a little more than gravel, and concrete is significantly more expensive. The cost of paving depends on the material you use. Obtain as many quotes as possible as materials and costs differ from company to company.
Weeds growing on your gravel can look unsightly, so it’s worth taking steps to stop them sprouting up.
When you lay your driveway, make sure you use a weed proof membrane. This will help to stop most growth, although it won’t totally prevent weeds occurring. For any other growth, dig the weed out or use a weed killer.
Clearing snow from a gravel driveway can be tricky – you need to remove the snow without taking the gravel with it.
If the snow’s quite light and dry, try using a leaf blower. You might find that this is enough to get the snow out the way. If it isn’t, start by using a shovel. Use this to clear the top layer of snow off your driveway, leaving about an inch behind. Then, use a rake to remove most of the remaining snow. This won’t take away 100% of the snow or leave all of your gravel in place, but it’s still pretty effective. You can then lay salt to melt away the rest of the snow and stop it turning into ice.
It’s up to you what size gravel you use for your driveway, but there are some guidelines that are worth following. If you go too small, your gravel will get displaced easily. But, if you go too big, you driveway might be quite tricky to walk on. Generally, it’s a good idea to go for a gravel size somewhere between 10-20mm.
How To Install Gravel Grid
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