What gravel should I use for a driveway?

Are you looking to build a new driveway or touch up your existing driveway?

Here’s what you should know about driveway gravel for your Northwoods home.

Understanding the ground type where you want to build your driveway and the traffic that is going to be driving on the driveway is an important factor.

In all applications the topsoil needs to be removed because the organic matter in the topsoil holds water and does not compact well. 

For heavy clay soils laying down geotextile fabric is often a good choice to prevent the rock from pushing into the clay and having clay bubble up through the rock. 

We recommend using a bigger base rock like 2” or 3” if the driveway is going to require heavy trucks like concrete trucks during spring construction or a dumpster truck all year. 

If installing a geotextile before the gravel/rock is not possible then using a larger rock like 4-6” minus will create a bridge effect for the smaller rock to lay on.

For topping a driveway we recommend 1 ¼” or ¾” gravel. Quarry gravel is the best choice because there are no round edges and it locks together better. The most important part is the driveway base. If you have soft spots then adding 1 ¼” quarry gravel over those spots will be better than ¾” because it is a bigger stone and it doesn’t push into the ground as easily. 

Smaller stone like ¾” is going to be nicer for walking, grading and pushing snow. All driveways have different use and soil types so give us a call if you need additional guidance.  

The last thing you need to consider is the color. In our area we have standard road gravel, red quarry gravel, blue/grey quarry gravel or even recycled blacktop. Each gravel pit or quarry will have its own color of stone. If cost is a bigger factor then the closest quarry or pit to you will most often be the cheapest. 

KV Tech Construction offers a large variety of gravel and rock for your needs. From small pea rock to large riprap or landscaping stones.