Driveway information...

[oz in SC]

How can I figure out how much gravel will be needed for our driveway??

It is 140' long and about 12' wide with a parking/turnaround area about 25' wide and 60' long.

this is at our house here in SC and shouldn't need much in the way of drainage as the land here is as flat as a pancake... :haha:

Also we are thinking of doing this for the 'curb appeal' to help sell the house more than anything else-if it is too expensive it will remain dirt.

Thanks.

[mtman]

call a gravel place tell them how long and how wide and how deep you want it to be they will tell you how much you need and the cost

[oz in SC]

Well I just got off the phone and THAT idea is out the window...LOL

Gravel is $41/ton...over 8 tons needed...too much for a nice looking driveway...

Thanks for the reply.

[caballoviejo]

A cubic yard of gravel will yield 9 cubic feet of gravel (3x3x3). If you put the gravel down 3" thick you'd have 4 sq feet of 3" thick gravel per cubic foot or 36 sq feet per yard. If you put gravel down 2" thick then you'd get 6 sq ft per cubic foot or 54 sq feet per yd.

You've got 3180 sq feet to cover.

= 58.9 yards at 2" thick

= 88.3 yards at 3" thick.


Looks like just over two 26 yard trailer loads for 2"
and about 3 1/2 trailer loads for 3"

If my math is right.


What kind of rock (or base) do you have available by the trailer load in your area? Are you going to put down a base of clay gravel or limestone crush or go staight over your soil with gravel? It's worthwhile to get a hauler that knows how to and can "gate" the rock out of the trailer. It will save you a lot of time spreading.

[mtman]

i dont blame you if they want it theyll take it with gravel or dirt

[wy_white_wolf]

Originally Posted by oz in SC

Well I just got off the phone and THAT idea is out the window...LOL

Gravel is $41/ton...over 8 tons needed...too much for a nice looking driveway...

Thanks for the reply.

Might check into Rotomill (ground up pavement). We get that for $10 to $16 a ton for roads and parking lots.

[caballoviejo]

Originally Posted by oz in SC

Well I just got off the phone and THAT idea is out the window...LOL

Gravel is $41/ton...over 8 tons needed...too much for a nice looking driveway...

Thanks for the reply.

Call elsewhere. $41/ton is an absurd price. Sounds like a retail price. Also 8 tons is nothing for rock. I'd be surprised if that would cover the area you want.

BUT, if you COULD get your driveway and parking/turning area well graveled at $320 it would be a great bargain.

Find out where the gravel pits are and call them directly. Ask them their price per ton at the pit. Then ask them for the list of operators that haul from their pit. In our area its not worth hauling less than 20 tons (one trailer load).

[caballoviejo]

You can also check for "reclaim" - rock, sand, cement washed or dumped from trucks at concete mixing places. I got this a few years ago for $5/yard but now everbody wants it.

[oz in SC]

I think(just my opinion...) the problem here is we have NO rocks of ANY description...

Nothing....Nada.

It is ALL sandy dirt.

So it is all trucked in and as a result is $$$...

Of course it could simply be high priced at that place...LOL

I didn't include the turnaround area in my estimate above,just the 12'x140' driveway.

Glad to know that the above price is high as at our future home in NC the driveway is 3/10ths of a mile long....that was kind of freaking me out at the thought of putting gravel down.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by caballoviejo

A cubic yard of gravel will yield 9 cubic feet of gravel (3x3x3).....

No, a yard of gravel is 27 cubic feet, so 1 yard at 3" thickness will cover about 108 square feet. So, if Oz has 3180 sq. ft to cover, it will take about 30 yards of gravel (at 3" depth).

$41/yard is a ridiculus price! Shop around (unless the price quoted includes spreading and leveling)

[Quint]

Couldn't tell you exactly but it never seems to go as far as what you think it will. I had 3 truckloads brought in last year and the stuff just seems to disappear once it hits the ground.

[indypartridge]

When you ask for prices, make sure you ask about "delivery charges". We recently got a load (10+ tons) of gravel for our shared driveway. The delivery charge was $185!! (My absentee neighbor agreed to pay for the gravel in exchange for me mowing along the drive all summer. Boy did I get a deal!)