How to Build a Gravel Driveway

Measure the length and width of the driveway you want to create and multiply one by the other to get the square footage.

Decide how deep you want the gravel to be.

Multiply your depth (in feet) by the square footage to get the cubic feet of gravel needed.

Figure out how many tons of gravel you will need for your driveway by multiplying your cubic yards by 1.5. This is how many tons you need to build your driveway properly.

Dig out the area where the driveway will be laid. If you find any soft spots, dig out the dirt until you hit a hard surface. Otherwise you will end up with ditches in your driveway as the gravel settles.

Get scalpings for a base to your driveway. Scalping can be purchased relatively cheaply from a stone quarry. It is the leftover residue from an excavation job.

Rent a vibrating plate to stamp down the dirt before the scalping is delivered. If you do not use the vibrating plate to stamp down the soft portions of the driveway, you eventually will have sagging.

Level the scalping with a rake or shovel.

Purchase the gravel you need and level it out on your driveway.