A gravel driveway is probably one of the simplest ways to provide somewhere to park your car. They’re relatively easy to build, look good, you can choose many different colours, and you don’t have a rainwater runoff problem. But, is the cost of laying a gravel driveway in the UK affordable, considering long-term maintenance?
The average cost of a gravel driveway is about £70 per m2 to dig from scratch or £30 per m2 for an overlay. Alternatively, if we estimate a typical driveway of 50m2, the total amount is £3500 or £1500 respectively. However, the cost of a gravel driveway per square metre will vary depending on the gravel type, the contractor’s labour cost, and where you live. But, we’ll talk more about these later on.
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How Much Does a Gravel Driveway Cost?*
Calculating the cost of your gravel driveway can be tricky if you aren’t used to estimating DIY projects. So, to make life easy, we’ve compiled the table below to use as a cost calculator for your driveway.
| Driveway size | Estimated time | Material price | Labour charge | Total estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small, 20m2 | 1 to 2-days | £1200 | £500 | £1700 |
| Medium, 40m2 | 2 to 2.5-days | £2000 | £600 | £2600 |
| Large, 80m2 | 2.5 to 3-days | £3000 | £800 | £3800 |
| Overlay gravel only, 40m2 | 1-day | £850 | £350 | £1200 |
*All the figures shown in the table are estimates. Use them as a starting point for your research. Remember that labour costs in London and Southeast England can be up to 20% higher than elsewhere.
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Gravel Driveway Cost Factors
Several factors affect the cost of your new gravel drive. Here are a few.
Size
This is probably the most obvious factor. The size will depend on how many cars you have in the family and how large they are. You will also have to factor in how far your house is from the road, and if you have any features in the front garden, you don’t want to disturb, such as avoiding particular trees.
Foundation depth
This factor depends on the underlying geology of the area. A well built and stable driveway needs firm foundations. Generally, you must remove topsoil and build from subsoil or bedrock. Unless you drill exploratory boreholes or know the site’s history, you’re only sure of the topsoil depth when you dig. Soil removal costs around £80/m3.
Waste removal
You might have to remove an existing driveway first and excavate soil to prepare for foundations. Waste skips range in size and Price. Typically, the smallest skip costs around £50/week
Weed mat
Geotextiles prevent surface gravel from mixing with foundations and stop weeds from growing through the newly laid driveway surface. A typical weed mat or geotextile membrane costs around £40/m2.
Hardcore thickness
We’ve already mentioned that the foundation excavation depth depends on the soil conditions. So, it makes sense that the hardcore thickness will vary too. Hardcore costs from £35 to £60/tonne. However, knowing how much hardcore fits into a cubic metre is a problem, as you will always have space between lumps of rock.
So, use this guide.
- Crushed concrete hardcore costs £150/m3.
- MOT Type 1 aggregate costs around £150/m3.
Slopes
Slopes and other terrain issues will increase the amount of gravel and hardcore you need because of the gravel’s natural creep downhill. Try to maintain the driveway as level as possible.
Edging
A gravel driveway needs to have a perimeter edge to prevent the gravel from creeping into the surrounding flower beds or lawn. Concrete edging blocks, bricks or kerbstones make ideal borders.
Drainage
Fortunately, a gravel driveway with compacted hardcore is porous, so surface water will seep through and drain away naturally. Therefore, it won’t usually need additional drainage. However, if the driveway has a steep gradient, the surface water might run away before it has time to drain. In this case, it’s worthwhile adding extra drains at the garage entrance and where the drive meets the public pavement to divert rainwater to a soakaway. Sometimes, install additional drainage channels depending on the drive’s length.
Gravel type
There are many different types of stone used in a gravel driveway. Use a suitable size and colour to suit your house and the neighbourhood. You will find that local stone is often the cheapest and blends in better than foreign stone.
Plant hire
You can excavate foundations by hand using only a shovel and pickaxe. But that will take a long time. It’s easier and quicker to hire a mini-excavator for between £150 and £200/week.
Compact the hardcore to fill all cavities and provide a firm base for the top gravel layer. A plate compactor costs around £30/day.
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Driveway Options
Many types of gravel and broken rock are available for a driveway. Each has unique properties and adds to the overall effect. The following list shows the various stones available and can be used as a cost calculator. However, remember that small amounts cost more per kilogramme than large amounts. You can buy small quantities in a bag from local DIY stores or builders merchants. And larger loose volumes by the truckload from a quarry. So if possible, always buy more than you need. You can always use it up on a garden path.
MOT Type 1
This is available under many names and is used to make a stable and compacted yet porous base. 40mm aggregate makes a good foundation, or use 25mm aggregate as top layer gravel. Prices range around £70 for 850kg bags.
Pea Shingle
Also known as pea gravel or pea grit, this comprises stones of varying diameters between 10mm and 20mm. The gravel stones are smooth and don’t lock together, so they need a perimeter edge. Colours are white, yellow, blue, brown, grey and red and are primarily mixed. Prices are usually around £70 for 850kg bags.
Crushed Marble Chips
Marble chips come in many colours, although pure white, known as white spar or dolomite, are standard. You can also buy marble chips in different diameters. Because marble is “slippery”, the chips tend to creep and need an edging to keep them contained.
Marble costs more than many other gravel types, priced at around £190 per 900kg.
Crushed Stone
This is a mix of crushed stone and coarse sand, useful as hardcore, raw material for concrete, or a top layer. It compacts well and makes an excellent all-purpose aggregate for drainage and landscaping. You can buy an 850kg bag for about £70.
Washed Stone
Similar to crushed stone, but with the sandy fraction washed away. This gravel has varying uses as a foundation material, and a top layer. Price for an 850kg bag is about £70.
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Blue Grey Slate Chips
These make a pleasant alternative to standard gravel. They have uses as a garden path, driveway covering, and flowerbed mulch. Its colour blends with the natural surroundings and complements many building materials. Although this rock is more expensive than others, you can buy it relatively cheaply in regions that have slate quarries, as it’s a natural waste product of quarrying. However, if you have to purchase bags from garden centres or builders merchants, a 25kg bag costs £10 or £160 for an 850kg bag.
Stone Screenings
Also known as stone dust, it looks like coarse sand and can be used on its own or blended with small stones.
Screenings have various uses:
- On its own and compacted, it’s used as an impermeable surface.
- Mixed with larger stones into an aggregate, it produces a binding layer.
- Mix with asphalt or cement to create a path or road surface.
This product costs £70 for an 850kg bag.
River polished pebbles
Washed and polished pebbles from a river bed or shingle beach, polished stones come in many colours and allow maximum surface water drainage. Although they look good and produce a porous surface, they migrate easily and don’t give a good driveway surface. Often, these are used to make a driveway border to more stable gravel. An 850kg bag costs about £300 and covers 9m2.
Gravel Driveway Installation Tips
Choosing suitable gravel for your driveway is a good start, but it’s not everything you need to do. Here are a few tips to help create your new driveway.
Edging
Edging and borders help to keep a gravel driveway tidy. Many gravel types are smooth and rounded and don’t interlock. Therefore, the individual stones move whenever you walk or drive across them. Eventually, if not contained, the gravel would end up on the lawn, flowerbeds, and public roads.
Drainage
Drainage is essential for a stable and long-lasting surface.
Firstly, if sand and small stones become submerged, they work loose and separate. Eventually, blown soil accumulates on the surface, forming a horrible muddy mix, further preventing proper surface water drainage.
Secondly, the planning regulations recognise that poor drainage and man-made surfaces contribute to urban flooding. The SUDS regulations ensure that surfaces like driveways are either porous or have additional drainage to divert rainwater to soakaways.
Site preparation
Ensure the excavated site has foundations prepared correctly before laying the surface layer. You must ensure that all topsoil has been removed and the foundation layers adequately compacted. Also, you must prevent weeds and tree roots from pushing up from below. Therefore,
- Excavate to the required depth.
- Lay the hardcore and compact until there is no more movement.
- Lay the blinding aggregate layer to fill any holes and cavities. Ensure this layer is compacted too.
- To prevent mixing and weeds, place a geotextile membrane on top of the foundations and below the surface layer.
Choose a professional
Although you can lay a gravel driveway if you are a DIYer, it’s a good idea to have a professional do the work. An expert knows how much to excavate and which raw materials to use for the foundations. Professionals also know how much foundation and surface layers to order for the minimum wastage.
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Why Lay a Gravel Driveway?
A gravel driveway is probably the most sustainable and eco-friendly way to produce a hard standing for your car. Also, it increases your home’s value. But, gravel has a lot more going for it too.
- Gravel is more affordable than other driveway surfaces.
- Laying a gravel driveway doesn’t need specialist skills or tools. You can follow the instructions from a book, although experienced labour is a help. Also, hire equipment if you want to, but it’s not essential.
- It’s easy to maintain a gravel surface. You need a bag of the same gravel, a shovel and a rake.
- Unlike Tarmac or concrete, you can use a gravel driveway immediately.
- One of the most significant reasons to lay a gravel driveway is that the surface is porous. Therefore, rainwater drains into the ground without causing problems.
- Various colours and textures ensure that you can produce a genuinely unique surface to differentiate your drive from the neighbours.
- A well-built driveway increases the value of your home. Therefore, it’s a good idea to choose a competent contractor who will do the job at a competitive rate. Then, your investment will pay for itself many times over during its lifetime.
How Long Does It Take?
Although a contractor is the best choice for laying an affordable gravel driveway, the process is so simple that a DIY enthusiast can also do a reasonable job.
Let’s look at the steps needed to give your home a new driveway.
Mark the boundaries
Use wooden or metal stakes and a ball of string to mark the driveway’s perimeter.
Remove topsoil
Remove all vegetation and topsoil from the enclosed area. There are three ways:
- Do it by hand with a shovel and pickaxe.
- Hire a mechanical excavator and do it yourself.
- Hire an excavator and operator.
Calculate the foundation’s volume
When you reach subsoil, calculate the excavation’s volume. Multiply the length by the width to calculate the area. For example, if the driveway is 4m long by 3m wide, the area is 4×3 = 12m2.
The gravel top layer should be 50mm thick, and you need at least 125mm of sub-base foundation. Therefore, measure the depth from the surrounding level to the excavation base. Subtract 50mm, and you have the top level of the foundation. If the proposed foundation depth is less than 125mm, excavate more. Otherwise, leave it as it is.
Multiply the foundation depth by the area which gives you the foundation volume. 125mm = 0.125m. 0.125×12 = 1.5m3.
Add 4% onto the foundation volume to allow for compaction 1.5×1.04 = 1.56m3. This volume is the amount of crushed stone or MOT Type 1 you need.
Calculate gravel volume
Multiply the area (12m2) by 50mm (0.05m) to give the volume of the top layer. 12×0.05 = 0.6m3.
Add on 4% to allow for settling: 0.6×1.04 = 0.84m3.
Order and lay the foundations
Lay a hardcore layer onto the excavation base and compact it using a plate compactor. This action pushes the hardcore into the ground to produce a stable base. Continue shovelling additional layers up to the required thickness, compacting as you go, to create a smooth surface.
Geotextile membrane
Lay the membrane on top of the compacted foundation. Tuck the membrane into the corners and allow it to upstand the surrounding ground level. You can remove excess membrane later.
Lay edging stones
Place a bed of mortar around the perimeter of the driveway and bed the kerbstones into it. Use the kerbs to hold the membrane in place.
Lay the top layer of gravel
Lay the top gravel to 50mm thick. Any more than 50mm will make it difficult to walk or drive on the surface.
Use a rake to spread the layer, ensuring there aren’t hollows or mounds. The layer will settle over a few days, so be prepared to add more gravel to bring it up to the top of the kerbstones.
Trim the weed membrane.
Keep the gravel tidy by topping it up and sweeping any escaped gravel back onto the driveway.
What’s the job’s duration?
Assuming you have a mechanical excavator, the entire job should take two to three days, excluding the time to order the stone.
Day one: excavate the foundations, lay hardcore, blind with sand.
Day two/three: lay membrane, bed kerbstones, lay gravel.
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UK Planning Permission
We don’t require Planning Permission for resurfacing or building a new driveway as long as we comply with the following:
- Ensure the surface is permeable. Gravel is ideal.
- Or divert surface rainwater to a flowerbed, lawn or soakaway.
- Or if an impermeable driveway is smaller than 5m2.
The SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) regulations reduce urban flooding and minimise surface water runoffs by simulating natural ground drainage.
You will need permission from the local authority to install a dropped kerb. Not only must this be done to certain specifications by a local authority approved contractor, but also the pavement will need strengthening to protect buried utilities. You must apply to the local authority, who will organise the work and send you the bill.
However, you must comply with UK Building Regulations to ensure you don’t make access to the house more difficult than it was previously. For example, if you have to build steps where none were before, the steps must comply with the appropriate regulations, and you must include a wheelchair ramp from the driveway to the door.
To Finish
Adding a gravel driveway to connect the public road to your home is one of the most straightforward driveways to build if you can do DIY. Although it’s an excellent way to save money on a budget, it’s easy to make mistakes if you don’t know what you’re doing. Alternatively, you can contact a professional contractor to do a perfect job, which will cost more.
If you want to hear from a professional with some gravel driveway quotes, complete the form on this page, and you’ll hear from up to four contractors who know what they’re doing.
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