Building a Gravel Driveway in Southeast Texas
Here in southeast Texas, we have an abundance of BBQ Joints and Pretty Girls. No wait, I digress.
What we do have is 1000’s of gravel driveways, dirt roads and gravel parking lots. From small bars to rural markets, food truck parks and more than a few BBQ joints. Add to those all the farms, ranches and rural homes that have gravel driveways and you have millions of yards of gravel.
The second thing we have more than our share of is RAIN! Over 48” in 2021, without a hurricane. Rain can destroy a poorly constructed gravel driveway or parking area in no time.
Installing and Maintaining Gravel Driveways
A gravel driveway is an attractive and inexpensive addition to your farm, ranch, or rural home. Gravel driveways last longer than paved driveways, they cost less and are environmentally friendly.
At first glance, gravel driveways appear quite simple – grade the ground flat, spread some gravel and start using it. Actually, there is more to it than that.
Here are Three Must Haves for a Quality Gravel Driveway along with a few tips on grading and maintaining a dirt road, gravel driveway or parking area.
1 - Build a Solid Foundation
First off, your gravel driveway needs a solid foundation. After any mud or unstable vegetation has been scrapped away we bring in select fill clay soil. This medium is readily available in southeast Texas and is great to stabilizer. This soil gets firmly packed and graded and any crown is built here.
Next comes about 4” of crushed (1 to 1 ½” and fines mix) limestone or crushed concrete. This is also compacted and graded to the desired crown.
2 - Good Gravel Roads Require Good Drainage
The most important part of a good solid gravel driveway or parking lot is good drainage. If your gravel driveway is not carefully planned and constructed, then it can turn out poorly.
Look for any drainage issues in the area where the driveway will be. Limiting low spots in advance and getting the water to run off the sides will help tremendously.
Some gravel roads traverse drainage culverts which require a professional installation. We also do easement road maintenance and construction including culvert and drainage.
3 - Be prepared for annual maintenance
A gravel driveway or access road comes with its own maintenance concerns, which can be kept to a minimum with proper installation techniques and regular maintenance.
During the rainy months the gravel will sink into the ground easily and is more likely to be washed out of place by rainwater or runoff from irrigation causing potholes.
Yearly re-grading helps keep the driveway looking its best. C & C’s Land Services suggest regular maintenance.
Maintain your Ranch and Farms Dirt Roads
You will need to maintain your gravel driveway and dirt roads in different ways throughout the seasons. Here are three areas of your property that could use a well-maintained dirt road.
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- Fire prevention – Brush fires will only burn where there is fuel. Creating a wide dirt perimeter or fire line around your property or vulnerable environmental area helps protect against brush fires. Those roads also act as access for the fire trucks.
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- Right-of-way – You may share property with a neighbor who needs a right-of-way adjacent to yours to reach his property. Hydro axing a path and installing a gravel road would solve that problem.
- You may need Utility Easements – Easements may need to be cleared to make way for overhead electric wires, or underground cables and drainage pipes.
PRO's Tip - Repairing Potholes and Low Spots
According to Chance Knight owner of C & C’s Land Services, “We service the Conroe, west Waller and NW Houston areas. Here, most of the gravel driveway and dirt road work centers around Limestone base or crushed concrete.” Chance continued, “Hands down, compacted crushed granite (1 to 1 ½” and fines mix) is best to fill the low spots. Follow that up with some gravel top mix and it should hold up well.”
Want to see more? Here’s a Project Highlight of a Gravel Road build we did recently in Bedias, Texas for the Hinojosa Family.
C & C’s Land Services
From older access roads that have deteriorated over the years and need leveling, and potholes filled to complete gravel driveway and easement builds from scratch based on your vison. C & C’s Land Services can service your property with expertise and care. Contact us for a Free Quote.
Check out these before and after photos in our land services project gallery.
