Gravel & Chert Driveway Installation
Driveways built up off the ground, shaped to shed water and topped with chert or gravel from our own trucks. The kind that hold up to a loaded truck and do not wash out in the first big rain.
Why most driveways fail, and how we build ours
Nearly every bad driveway has the same problem: water. It sits on top and makes potholes, or it runs down the middle and cuts a ditch. Throwing more rock on top only buys a season or two.
A driveway that lasts starts with the dirt underneath. We strip what is soft, shape the base with a crown so water runs off to the sides, give that water somewhere to go, and then put the stone down. In north Alabama, a culvert at the road or at a low spot is often part of the job.
What we build
- New driveways on raw land
- Long rural drives across acreage
- Rebuilds of washed out or potholed drives
- Construction entrances for home builds
- Turnarounds and parking areas
- Chert or gravel top coats on existing drives
Chert or gravel?
Chert is the crushed rock you see on country roads all over north Alabama. It has enough fine material in it to pack down hard, which makes it a good base and a good low cost driving surface. The trade off is that it can get dusty when dry and greasy when soaked.
Clean gravel drains better and stays neater, but it does not lock together the way chert does and it can move around on a steep grade. A lot of good driveways use both, with a packed base under a gravel top. Tell us how you use the drive, and whether anything heavy comes down it, and we will tell you what we would do on our own place.
What moves the price
We quote every job on its own. These make the biggest difference.
Length and width
Stone is figured by the ton, so longer and wider drives take more loads.
Grade
Steep runs need more shaping and more thought about where the water goes.
Culverts and drainage
Road ditches and low crossings often need pipe, which adds material and digging.
Haul distance
How far the truck runs from the pit to your place is part of the price of every load.
Driveway Installation questions
How much does a gravel driveway cost?
Length, width, grade, what is under it now and how many loads of stone it takes all matter. Send the rough length and a photo to (256) 735-3214 for a straight number.
Do you pave or pour concrete driveways?
We build chert and gravel driveways. If you plan to pave later, tell us, and we can build the base with that in mind so your paving or concrete crew has something solid to work on.
Can you fix my washed out driveway?
Usually. The fix depends on why it washed out. If water is the cause, more rock alone will not hold, so we start with the shape and the drainage.
Do I need a culvert?
If your driveway crosses a road ditch or a low spot that carries water, probably yes. See driveway culverts for how that works.
Do I need a permit for a driveway?
An entrance onto a state route usually goes through ALDOT, and county or city roads go through the local road or engineering office. We flag what we know when we quote.
Can you clear the path too?
Yes. If the route runs through woods, we can clear it first and build the driveway in the same job.
Where we do this work
We install gravel and chert driveways across north Alabama from Cullman. See local notes under service areas, or call (256) 735-3214 for a free estimate. Longer than a driveway? See access roads.
Get your free driveway installation estimate
Send a few photos, a map pin and what you want the land to do. Kalob will tell you what it takes and how many days it should run before anyone unloads a machine.
Request an estimate
Photos help most. Text them to (256) 735-3214 after you send this.