Gravel Driveways in Tuscaloosa, AL
Gravel driveway installation and repair in Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County: new drives and access roads graded, based, crowned and ditched so the water leaves the road. Culverts set where it has to cross. Call or text (205) 535-6376.
We build and repair gravel driveways that shed water
Out past the Tuscaloosa city limits, most new home sites start with the same problem: there is no way in. The lot is on a county road toward Coaling, Duncanville or Samantha, the house site is back in the trees, and a concrete truck has to get there before anything else can happen. The drive is the first thing built and the thing everything else rides on.
We build gravel driveways and access roads across Tuscaloosa County. The route is cleared and cut to grade with the Cat dozer. The road gets a crown so water sheds to the sides, ditches to carry it away, culverts where it has to cross, and a base course under the surface gravel. Usually that is a crusher run base with a surface layer over it. Gravel can come through us or be delivered ahead of us, and we place and grade it.
Every gravel drive that fails, fails the same way: water got on it and had nowhere to go. So we look at the water first, then the route. Estimates are free and priced off the property. Already have a drive that ruts or washes? That is a different job, covered under gravel driveway repair. For clearing and other work nearby, see our Tuscaloosa page.
What a new gravel drive includes
- Route cleared and cut to grade
- Crown built into the roadbed
- Ditches both sides where needed
- Culverts set at crossings
- Crusher run base placed
- Surface gravel spread and graded
Two kinds of drive in one county
Hill drives north and east
The north-east side of Tuscaloosa County is forested hills, toward Lake Tuscaloosa and the Walker County line. A drive there climbs. On a grade, water picks up speed in the wheel tracks and takes the fines with it, so the crown and the ditches matter more than the rock on top. We lay the route across the slope where we can, keep the grade something a loaded truck can pull, and put a culvert or a turnout wherever the ditch needs to empty.
Flat, wet drives south and west
South-west of Tuscaloosa the land drops onto the coastal plain, low and in places swampy. A drive there does not wash so much as sink. Soft subgrade swallows gravel, and adding more just feeds it. The fix is to get the roadbed up out of the wet, cut ditches so the base can drain, and build the base thick enough to carry a truck. Bottom land near the Black Warrior and its creeks may be floodplain or wetland, so check with the city, the county or the Corps of Engineers before building across it.
Where the drive meets the road
Who signs off on the entrance depends on the road. US-43, US-82, US-11 and Highways 69, 215 and 216 are state routes, and a driveway onto one needs an ALDOT permit. County roads belong to Tuscaloosa County Public Works, so ask them about the pipe size and placement. Inside the city, Tuscaloosa lists a land development permit for expanding a residential driveway, and a right-of-way use permit can apply. Once you know what the office wants, we set the pipe. See culvert installation.
Real Job Photos
Phone pictures from real jobs, captioned with what they show. See more recent work or read about our full driveways service.
Tuscaloosa Gravel Driveways Questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (205) 535-6376 and ask.
How much does a gravel driveway cost in Tuscaloosa, AL?
Length is only the start. Width, slope, how much clearing and cutting the route needs, how many culverts, how soft the ground is and how much rock it takes all move the price. Our gravel driveway cost guide walks through each. We price the drive after seeing the route, and estimates are free.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway in Tuscaloosa County?
It depends on the road it connects to. A state or US highway needs an ALDOT permit. A county road goes through Tuscaloosa County Public Works. Inside the city, Tuscaloosa lists a land development permit for expanding a residential driveway. Call the office that has your road before any pipe goes in the ditch.
What kind of gravel do you use for driveways around Tuscaloosa?
Usually a crusher run base with a surface layer over it. Crusher run has fines in it, so it packs tight and carries weight. The top layer gives you the wearing surface. On soft or wet ground the base is built thicker. What goes on your drive depends on the ground and what will be driving on it.
Can you build a long gravel driveway to a house site near Lake Tuscaloosa?
Yes. Long drives through timber are cleared, cut to grade, crowned, ditched and rocked, with culverts where water crosses. Lots directly next to Lake Tuscaloosa come under City of Tuscaloosa permits for disturbing soil, so get the city's answer before the route is cut.
Tuscaloosa and Around
We cover Tuscaloosa and the country around it, including:
Forestry Mulching in Tuscaloosa
Brush, briars and small timber ground to mulch where they stand. No piles, no hauling.
See the Tuscaloosa pageExcavating in Tuscaloosa
Footings, trenches, culverts, stumps and the digging jobs that have no name.
See the Tuscaloosa pageHouse Demolition in Tuscaloosa
Old houses and outbuildings torn down, hauled off, slab out, lot filled and graded.
See the Tuscaloosa pageTree Removal in Tuscaloosa
Dead, leaning and storm-damaged trees taken down by machine, stumps pulled, ground left level.
See the Tuscaloosa pageHouse Pads in Tuscaloosa
Pads cut, filled in lifts and compacted to grade for houses, shops and mobile homes.
See the Tuscaloosa pageAll Services in Tuscaloosa
Everything we do in Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County.
Tuscaloosa overviewTuscaloosa County
Land clearing, mulching and dirt work across Tuscaloosa County.
County overviewDriveways & Access Roads
Gravel drives and access roads cut in, based, crowned and ditched so they last.
The full serviceGravel Driveways in other places
Need Gravel Driveways in Tuscaloosa?
Call or text, or send a few details. Estimates are free.