Driveways · 7 min read
Building a Gravel Driveway That Does Not Wash Out
Base depth, gradation and crown are the three things that decide whether your driveway lasts a decade or ruts out by the second wet season.
June 20, 2026 · Gulf Gravel & Dirt
Quick takeaways
- Use crushed material with fines, never clean washed rock.
- Four inches minimum compacted, six to eight on soft ground.
- Crown the center two inches for drainage.
01
Choose the right stone
You want a crushed, well-graded material with fines left in — 3/4 inch minus limestone base or 1-1/2 inch minus crushed concrete. The fines are what bind the larger stone into a locked mat.
River rock and clean washed gravel with no fines look beautiful and will scatter under your tires within a month. They belong in drainage beds, not driveways.
02
Depth and lifts
Residential drives on stable ground: four inches compacted. Soft or clay-heavy ground, or anything seeing loaded trucks: six to eight inches, and consider a geotextile fabric under the first lift so the base does not sink into the mud.
Place in lifts no thicker than three or four inches and compact each one. A single deep dump never compacts through and the surface will rut.
03
Crown and edges
Build the center of the drive about two inches higher than the edges so water sheds sideways instead of running down the middle and carving a channel.
Contain the edges with timber, steel edging, or a simple compacted shoulder. Unconfined gravel migrates into the grass a little more every year.
04
Maintenance
Plan on a top-up load every two to four years depending on traffic. Rake potholes level before adding material rather than filling the hole and leaving a hump.
If a spot stays soft after rain, that is a drainage problem, not a gravel problem. Fix the water and the stone will stay put.
Run your numbers
ESTIMATED
7.4 yd³
Order round numbers — material settles as it spreads.
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