Gravel driveway 'top-up' cost

MrThrifty

We have a gravel driveway which has been through the wars and is looking the worst for wear (almost bare with a crater or two here and there). Would a tarmacadam contractor be the best person to go to for quotes to top it up with new gravel and sort the holes? Also, what sort of price (ballpark) should say a 200m driveway cost to top-up?

mistermister

Here is a formula to calculate how much stone you'll need.

Length(metres) x width(metres) x depth(metres) x 1.8 x price per tonne = cost

The 1.8 figure is the number of tonnes per cubic metre ( if the stone is dry)

If you want 15 cm of stone to top off you drive and it is 3 metres wide and the cost per tonne is 10 Euros, then:

200 x 3 x 0.15 x 1.8 x 10 = 1620 Euros.

MrThrifty

Thanks mistermister - and I thought a gravel driveway was going to be dirt cheap! 15cm sounds quite thick - I presume I can back this down to 5 to 10cm maybe unless you see a big issue in doing so. The biggest prob at the mo is that I have no idea who to contact about doing the job - would it be paving contractors, tarmacadam contractors or simply a local quarry? Won't have the time myself to be involved so a DIY job is not an option. Have made a few calls to some companies but am waiting to hear back...

gears

Personally I think the biggest problem with gravel drive ways is when the gravel is too thick and 15cm sounds way too much.

mistermister

15 cm is just used for the example. I don't know what depth you should use, but it does compact after being driven on for a while. There's usually 22 tonnes in a truck, so if you had 5 cm, that would be 2 and a half trucks. The quarries are usually E200 a truck so that would be E500 approximately. They can just dump the gravel and drive forward at the same time, then it won't be too much work to spread it out.

I'll be building a 300 metre driveway soon with gravel that will be a foot deep and 3 metres across. I'm not sure what width to build it though for saving money i.e. would you get away with 2 metres wide. What width is yours MrThrifty

Stove Fan

When I did ours I cleared the driveway of grass and removed 1ft of soil and had limestone delivered (Pencil) 100 euro a load as a firm base and then spread out decorative stone ontop only 2 inches thick to finish. If the gravel is too thick your feet sink into it.

We used a mini digger to lay the drive:D.

Stove Fan:)

mistermister

Thanks.

MrThrifty

mistermister wrote: »

What width is yours MrThrifty

Looks to be about 2m but the garden has kinda grown into it over the years so it may originally have been wider!!! The width of it now is grand although maybe could be bit wider at any bends. Also if driveway is any longer than 100m might be worth going wider or having a passing point in case you meet the postman or the other half coming against ya!