How to lay a gravel driveway yourself (2024)

Jump To:

• How to lay a gravel driveway
• What gravel works well on a driveway?
• Do I need a membrane under gravel?
• How much does a ton of gravel cover?
• How much does a ton of gravel cost?

Laying your own gravel driveway is hard work, there will be a lot of digging involved though some

are easier to implement than others. Plan in advance, get the right tools and equipment and you will have a gorgeous looking gravel driveway in no time.

Here we reveal the essential steps you need to follow, how much gravel you’ll need and how much it will cost.

The first step is to mark out where you want your new driveway to be. You can use pegs and string if you have straight edges and/or a line marker like this

. This is ideal for marking out curved areas.

Once marked out you need to measure the length and width of the area and use an online calculator to help work out how much gravel you are going to need. The depth should be at least 50mm as builder Chris Longhurst reveals, "If you're thinking of using a 20mm gravel, like Cotswold yellow stone or Red Granite chippings, I would recommend at least a depth of50mm for the gravel/stone layer". He continues, "And a depth of at least150 mmofwellcompacted MOTType 1 as a sub-base. So, you're gravel/stone driveway should over all be at least 200mm deep."

You need to dig down deep enough to accommodate your sub base and at least 50 mm of gravel. A depth of 150mm-200mm is ideal to accommodate the sub base and gravel.

If you have a large area to dig out, hiring a mini digger to get the job done in a sensible timeframe is a no-brainer.

You will need a MOT type 1 subbase like this

to create the base. A sub base is a must if your driveway is going to have vehicles parked on it. Spread out a 75mm layer of the sub base with a rake like this

and compact with a wacker plate. Wacker plates are expensive to buy so hire one from your local hire station.

Go over the sub base three or four times to compact properly and then add another 75mm layer, spread out and compact again. If needed add another layer to get a decent compacted sub base.

Most gravel driveways will encounter vehicles, so you need to make sure that you are choosing an appropriate gravel that can cope as builder Longhurst explains, “Depending on the traffic, for instance if you have cars and vans using the driveway it is better to use an angular stone such as small grade white stone or the coloured stone such as Cotswold yellow stone or Red Granite chippings. This type of stone allows vehicles to pass over much more easily than the rounded gravels.”

Ideally use a 20mm gravel as smaller gravel is likely to get caught in tyre treads and moved around, often ending up on your grass or flower beds. Also while white looks great when clean, darker colours are better at hiding dirt.

It's not essential but introducing a suitable membrane will bring with it a host of short and long term benefits and we strongly recommend using one. A strong landscape fabric will help reduce the growth of weeds and stabilise the soil once your gravel is in place. Check out our

guide to get rid of any if they do make an appearance.

Another benefit of introducing a membrane means you will need less gravel to complete your driveway. The membrane will help stop the gravel sinking into the sub base, saving you money and will help with drainage. And in the long run it will mean less maintenance and expense as you won’t need to keep replacing sinking gravel.

This will depend on the chosen depth of your driveway, but typically a gravel driveway should be at least 50mm deep. Assuming this is the depth – or similar – being used on your driveway, a ton of gravel should cover around 10-15 square metres. This is approximately an area that measures 5m x 2/3m.

Use an

to work out how much gravel you are going to need to complete the whole job. Add in a little extra – around 5-10% – to make sure that you have enough for the job. It’s always better to have too much rather than too little and any leftover gravel can be stored and used for future maintenance.

Do some research before you buy to see how prices from a nearby independent supplier compare. And make sure to check if delivery is free or not.

A ton of gravel in the UK is 1016kg, while a metric tonne is 1000kg. This is worth noting as a lot of suppliers sell gravel in 800kg bulk bags, which are often slightly cheaper than a ton – or tonne – ideal if you don't need a ton.

Expect to pay around £70-120 for a 800kg bulk bag depending on what type of driveway gravel you are purchasing.

Steve is Homebuilding & Renovating's DIY content editor, and has been a writer and editor for two decades. He is an avid DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating homes. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has strong all-round building skills, having previously worked in the industry for 10 years.