How much does a gravel driveway cost in Tennessee?
National cost guides put a new gravel driveway at about $1.25 to $10 per square foot, installed. For a 10 by 100 foot drive, that spread runs from about $1,250 to $10,000. A regrade with fresh top stone costs far less, about $0.25 to $2.20 per square foot.
These are market numbers, not our price list. Phillips Land Services handles gravel driveway cut-ins and refreshes around Pleasant View. We quote each one in writing after we see it. The guides tie the price to size, gravel type, depth, site prep and labor.
What do cost guides say a new gravel driveway costs?
Three national cost guides supply the ranges below. They disagree, so check the scope behind each number.
| What you are pricing | Market range | Kind of source |
|---|---|---|
| New drive, installed | $1.25 to $4.00 per square foot | National cost guide 1 |
| New drive, installed | $4 to $10 per square foot | National cost guide 2 |
| 1,000 square foot drive (10 by 100 feet) | $4,000 to $10,000 | National cost guide 2 |
| Long rural drive, about 2,000 square feet | $3,500 to $6,000 or more | National cost guide 3 |
| Private road, a tenth of a mile by 16 feet | $10,600 to $33,920 | National cost guide 1 |
| Grading before the stone goes down | $1 to $3 per square foot | Guides 1 and 2 |
| Culverts or drains | $500 to $2,000 | National cost guide 2 |
| Regrade and resurface a worn drive | $0.25 to $2.20 per square foot | Guides 1 and 2 |
| Upkeep, such as regrading and fresh gravel | $100 to $400 a year | National cost guide 3 |
Guide 2 says labor makes up about half of a typical total. It also notes that rural properties may pay more for delivery, since they sit farther from suppliers.
What do crusher run and 57 stone cost by the ton?
The national guides list crusher run at about $20 to $50 a ton. Crushed stone, which includes 57 stone, runs about $25 to $60. Guide 2’s figures include delivery.
For a Tennessee check, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) posts average unit prices from the contracts it awards. In its most recent year of awards, its Nashville region averaged $57.45 a ton for size 57 stone. Its most-used road base material averaged $32.35 a ton. That region takes in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson and Sumner counties, among others. These are bids on big road jobs, so treat them as a market check.
Crusher run is crushed rock mixed with its own dust. Guide 2 says it packs down hard and often serves as the base layer. 57 stone is cleaner. TDOT’s aggregate tables size it from 1 inch down to a No. 4 screen, about 3/16 of an inch. It carries almost no dust, so water drains through it.
The Federal Highway Administration’s gravel roads guide says stone this low in fines will not crust on top. Its sample spec for surface gravel allows 4 to 15 percent fines, which bind the top. Most installs build in layers, per Guide 2. A 3 to 4 inch base of crusher run or crushed stone goes down first. Then 2 to 3 inches of top stone go over it.
How much stone does a driveway take?
Guide 2 says length and width have the biggest effect on the total. It figures one ton covers about 60 to 80 square feet at 4 inches deep. At that depth, a 10 by 100 foot drive takes about 13 to 17 tons. At 8 inches, the same guide’s math reaches about 33 tons. Its depth advice is 5 to 6 inches at a minimum, and 8 to 12 inches for trucks or RVs.
Stone also shrinks once traffic packs it. The federal guide puts that loss at 30 percent or more in many places. Hauling adds up on a long rural drive. Guide 3 lists $100 to $500 a load, and Guide 1 uses about $5 a mile.
Who pays for the culvert where the drive meets the road?
Where a new drive crosses a roadside ditch, a culvert pipe carries the water under it. The rules come from whoever owns the road.
In Cheatham County, the highway department sizes the pipe. The landowner installs it and covers it with at least 6 inches of crusher run, then the county inspects. On a grade over 10 percent, the first 50 feet from the county road must be paved or concreted. That apron is another trade’s work, so get a paving quote for it.
Dickson County puts the cost and installation of the culvert on the applicant. Montgomery County takes a bond deposit sized to the culvert and returns it after a good reinspection. With no culvert, it charges a $250 frontage fee. Inside Pleasant View, the town’s driveway permit costs $35, and the permit form notes whether a culvert is required.
State routes such as Highway 49 fall under TDOT, and the property owner must get its highway entrance permit. Its manual sets drainage pipes at 18 inches across or more, installed by the applicant.
Why does drainage matter so much on a gravel drive?
NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals put yearly precipitation at 51 to 53 inches at Cheatham Lock and Dam and Springfield. Spring is the wettest season, and about 15 days a year bring an inch or more. NRCS soil data show cherty silt loam over slow-draining clay across much of the Pleasant View area.
The federal gravel roads guide says water held on the surface leads to ruts that can reach the subgrade. Its fix is a crown that rises about 1/2 inch per foot from the edge to the center. That is roughly a 4 percent slope. A flat or rounded middle holds water, and potholes and ruts form there. The guide also calls the roadside ditch the most important drainage feature on a rural road. Shaping the ground so water leaves the drive is land grading for drainage.
When is a regravel enough?
A refresh suits a drive with a sound base that still sheds water. It regrades the old stone and crown, then adds new top stone. Guides 1 and 2 put that work at about $0.25 to $2.20 per square foot.
The federal guide warns against simply filling potholes with new gravel. It says to fix lost crown, potholes, high shoulders and ruts first, so the new layer goes on even. Guide 3 favors a full rebuild when ruts run deep or the sub-base fails, at $1,500 to $6,000. On soft, wet ground, the federal guide says to remove weak soil or raise the drive with clean stone. A fabric under the new stone keeps wet silt and clay from pumping up into it. Removing soft soil is dirt work, and it comes before any new gravel.
What should a written quote for your driveway cover?
A clear quote lists each layer of stone with its depth and tonnage. It shows the length and width it priced, plus the hauling. It also says what the culvert and your road’s permit rules require. If the route runs through woods or brush, clearing it is a separate line. Our guide to what land clearing costs per acre covers that part.
Ready for a number on your own drive? Call or text (931) 265-1151 about a new gravel driveway or a regrade. We look at the job and put the quote in writing.