What a gravel driveway really costs
Materials for a proper two layer driveway run $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot in most US markets: about 4 inches of crusher run base at $30 to $45 per ton plus 3 inches of 3/4 inch surface stone at $40 to $60 per ton, and a delivery fee of $75 to $150 per load. A 50 x 12 ft driveway lands around $600 to $950 in stone. Professionally installed with grading, fabric and compaction, expect $2 to $5 per square foot total. If a quote is far outside that band, ask what layer depths it assumes; thin quotes hide shallow stone.
Why two layers instead of one
The base layer of crusher run compacts into a load bearing crust that spreads wheel weight; the clean stone surface sheds water and takes the wear. One thick layer of surface stone alone never stops shifting because clean stone cannot compact. The calculator prices each layer at its own density (compacted 115 lb per cubic foot for base, loose 105 for surface) and its own price, because the cheap base tonnage doing most of the work is what makes gravel the best value driveway surface there is.
Where the money hides
Delivery is a flat fee per truckload, and a tri axle carries about 15 to 18 tons. If your total tonnage barely tips into a second load, trimming half an inch of surface depth or a foot of width can save an entire delivery fee. The other hidden cost is culverts and drainage: water ruins gravel drives, and a $200 culvert pipe at the low spot outlives $200 of patch stone every spring. For the drainage math, our French drain calculator covers the trench side.
Maintenance budget
Plan on one top up load of surface stone every 2 to 4 years, roughly 20 percent of the original surface tonnage, plus an hour of raking or box blading a few times a year. Over 20 years a gravel driveway still totals a third of the cost of asphalt, and unlike asphalt it is repairable by one person with a shovel on a Saturday.