Constructiongravel, driveway
How Much Does a Gravel Driveway Cost in 2026? (National Averages & Real Pricing)
How Much Does a Gravel Driveway Cost in 2026? A gravel driveway costs $1 to $10 per square foot installed in 2026, with most homeowners paying $1,500 to $5,000 for a standard 12x100 ft driveway. Materials run $0.50-$3/sq ft, and professional installation adds $4-$8/sq ft for grading, compaction, and drainage. A typical 1,200 sq ft driveway uses 15-25 tons of gravel. I tracked 6 gravel driveway projects in rural Pennsylvania last year, and the number that consistently blindsides people is the base layer. A 100-foot driveway in Bucks County came to $3,400 total -- but the homeowner expected $1,200 because they only priced the top layer of decorative stone. The reality: a proper gravel driveway has 3 layers (base, middle, surface), and the invisible base aggregate is 60% of the material volume. Use our Gravel Calculator(/construction/gravel-calculator) to estimate how many tons of gravel you need for your specific driveway dimensions....