How To Lay And Maintain A Gravel Driveway In 7 Simple Steps

There’s nothing as welcoming as the familiar crunch of a gravel driveway as you arrive home. If you’re looking to improve the look of your home, laying a gravel driveway yourself is a fun, affordable project that allows you to get creative.

Regardless of your landscaping experience, creating a gravel driveway is really simple and can be achieved by any motivated DIYer.

 This step-by-step article will help you ensure your new driveway comes out looking amazing.

What is a gravel driveway?

Gravel driveways are an attractive and affordable exterior surface that can vastly improve the appearance and kerb appeal of your home.

Created from a variety of loose, crushed decorative stones, the choice of gravel colours, shapes and sizes means you can easily personalise the look and feel of your new gravel driveway.

Gravel can be used for a variety of landscaping surfaces, including patios, paths, rockeries, gardens, and decorative edging. However, gravel driveways are an exceptionally popular option due to their wide range of benefits.

How to create a gravel driveway

Materials Required

• High quality decorative gravel, for a beautiful finish.

• MOT Type 1 leveling material, for a stable base.

• Driveway Fabric Weed Prevention Membrane, for water drainage and weed resistance.

• Decorative boulders, for an extra stylish driveway border (optional).

Step 1: Select Your Gravel

To start creating a beautiful gravel driveway, the first thing you need to do is choose your gravel chippings. Gravel is highly versatile and complements properties of all styles and eras. However, it’s certainly true that different types of aggregate are better suited to different types of properties and driveways. 

For this reason, consider the type and size of chippings you want carefully, as well as the specific colour that will best suit your driveway project. Here at Decorative Aggregates, we stock a wide range of gravel chippings suitable for driveways - check out our entire selection here.

Step 2: Measure out your driveway

Once you have decided on your gravel driveway colour scheme, you will need to measure out your driveway. This will allow you to calculate how much gravel you need to order for your project.

To save you trouble, we have designed a helpful gravel calculator tool to do the maths for you.

As a general rule of thumb, one bulk bag of gravel will roughly cover 5m2 at a depth of 50mm, which we recommend for gravel driveways (not including the sub-base).

Step 3: Decide edging for your gravel driveway

Edging is a crucial part of your gravel driveway design. Not only does it improve the overall appearance of the drive, it also helps to keep the gravel contained.

There are a few ways to do this. Solid block borders look attractive while also helping to effectively maintain the gravel within the driveway area. Different coloured edging can also complement your gravel colour scheme. Alternatively, medium to large boulders or rockery stones can also be used for edging with a more natural look. These can also be used to create planting areas alongside your driveway.

TOP TIP: Ensure your driveway edging is tall enough to keep the gravel within the driveway boundaries.

Step 4: Prepare the driveway area

Before you start to lay your gravel driveway, you need to prepare the area by removing any debris, turf, or topsoil.

To do this, first dig out the area to a depth of 50mm to 200mm. Ensure that at least 50mm is reserved for the gravel layer, with an additional 150mm for the sub-base if you plan to include one.

Make sure the base is flat and compacted. Softer areas may need extra attention and should be replaced with MOT Type 1. For larger driveways, compacting the base layer might require a roller.

Step 5: Install the sub-base

Next it’s time to lay the gravel for your sub-base. To do this, we recommend applying a layer of MOT Type 1 aggregate to your driveway base.

MOT Type 1 is a bulk fill and levelling material that ensures the stability of your driveway and prevents it from sinking under the weight of vehicles over time. The aggregate size ranges from 40mm down to dust.

Remember to always leave at least 50mm between the sub-base and the surface for your decorative gravel.

Step 6: Install a Weed Prevention Membrane

Using a Weed Prevention Membrane is strongly recommended. As the name suggests, this simple layer stops weeds from growing and allows water to better drain through the surface and prevent pooling.

To do this, simply cut the membrane to fit your driveway shape and place it over the compacted MOT Type 1 base.

Step 7: Spread your decorative gravel

Now for the most satisfying part - laying your chosen gravel!

Shovel the gravel onto the Weed Prevention Membrane, ensuring it is at least 50mm (5cm) deep. Spread the gravel evenly across the driveway using a rake to distribute it uniformly.

By following these steps, you can create a stunning and durable gravel driveway.

Gravel driveway project summary

1. Choose your decorative gravel.

2. Measure out your driveway & calculate how much gravel you need.

3. Decide on the driveway edging you are going to use.

4. Dig the area for your gravel driveway.

5. Install a sub-base using MOT Type 1 aggregate.

6. Add a layer of Weed Prevention Membrane.

7. Top up with your decorative gravel.

How to clean and maintain a gravel driveway

Keeping your gravel driveway looking attractive and clean requires little effort. Here’s how you can keep your new driveway looking pristine all year round:

• Semi-regularly rake your gravel driveway, especially during the Autumn months, removing unwanted twigs, leaves and other debris. This will also help break up any compacted gravel – a win win!  

• Although a weed prevention membrane is in place, wind-swept seeds may occasionally cause weeds to form. Simply remove these by hand, using gardening gloves. In the areas affected, spray weed killer (or herbicide) containing glyphosate.

For more information about removing weeds from your gravel driveway, read our guide to weed busting.

• After years of use, your gravel driveway may thin, creating sparse areas. Fortunately, this is easily rectifiable by topping up the affected areas with more gravel.

TOP TIP: It’s a good idea when ordering gravel to purchase an extra bag or two, that way you can ensure the gravel you use to top up with is the same as the stone used in the original driveway design.

FAQs

How much gravel do I need for my driveway?

To calculate how much gravel you need, we’ve put together a handy gravel calculator. Simply enter the length, width and depth of your area and the tool will calculate how many bags or bulk bags you need - it’s that easy!

For gravel driveways, we recommend a depth of at least 50mm used when calculating how much gravel you need.

How much do gravel driveways cost?

Gravel driveways are relatively inexpensive compared to other options such as paving. The cost of materials will depend on the gravel used, the size of your driveway, whether a sub-base is used and material delivery fees.

For example, using our beautiful Cotswold Gold 20mm as an example, the gravel required for a 6x4m driveway at a depth of 5cm will require approximately 3 bulk bags, with a bulk bag costing from £99.72 (including estimated delivery).

How deep should my gravel driveway be?

If using 20mm gravel, we recommend a depth of at least 5cm or 50mm for the gravel layer, and a depth of at least 15cm or 150mm for an MOT Type 1 sub-base.

Therefore, a gravel driveway should be at least 20cm or 200mm deep, including the sub-base.

For more information, read our ultimate guide to gravel.

Can a gravel driveway be laid on a slope?

You can lay a gravel driveway on a slope, however, to prevent loose gravel from being displaced towards the bottom of the slope, we recommend the use of a driveway grid to hold the stone in place.

How long do gravel driveways last?

Not only are gravel driveways affordable and attractive, but with regular maintenance, a gravel driveway can last for decades. Gravel driveways can be regularly topped up, resulting in a timeless and beautiful driveway surface which is why some last 100 years!