Gravel driveways in Cleveland TN: built with a crown to shed water
If your driveway washes out every spring, you’ve added gravel more than once, and the channels keep coming back, the problem isn’t the gravel. It’s that the crown was never built in. Water that has nowhere to go makes its own path, and it takes the gravel with it. We fix the grade, build the crown, compact the base, and put culverts where the drive crosses a ditch. One job that holds.
What a correctly built gravel driveway Requires
A correctly built gravel driveway has a slight crown so water sheds off the surface, a compacted base of crusher run rather than loose gravel over dirt, at least 4-6 inches of compacted base, properly sized culverts where it crosses a ditch, and no reverse grade pooling water down the center.
If your driveway ruts every spring, loses gravel off the low side after rain, or has a washout channel down the middle, at least one of those was skipped. The fix isn’t another load of gravel. It’s regrading, re-establishing the crown, and correcting the base so the surface actually sheds. We see this constantly on the longer rural driveways out toward McDonald, Georgetown, and Climer.
Benefits of Working With Pullen's Land Work
STOPS WASHING OUT EVERY SPRING
Crown Built Into the Surface So Water Sheds Off the Edge
A driveway without a crown gives water no direction. It channels through the center and takes gravel with it. We regrade with a crown from center to edge and compact a proper base. Water sheds. Gravel stays.
BASE THAT HOLDS THROUGH SEASONS
Crusher-Run Compacted in Lifts. Not Dumped and Leveled
Gravel dumped on native clay sinks within a season. Crusher-run base compacted in lifts gives the surface somewhere stable to sit. That’s what separates a driveway that holds its grade from one you’re fixing every other spring.
CULVERTS SIZED FOR THE ACTUAL LOAD
Ditch Crossings That Move Water Under the Drive
An undersized culvert backs up water until it finds another path, usually over or through the driveway. We size every culvert for the drainage load at that specific crossing.
What we build and repair
- New gravel driveway installation with compacted crusher-run base, crown, and drainage fall
- Culvert installation at ditch crossings, sized for the actual drainage load at each crossing
- Regrading existing driveways to restore a lost crown and stop recurring washout
- Base correction on driveways that have been patched repeatedly without addressing the subgrade
- Long rural driveways across Bradley County. McDonald, Georgetown, Tasso, Climer, Calhoun
Gravel driveway costs in Bradley County
What does gravel driveway installation cost in Bradley County? Shorter residential driveways start around $1,500-$3,000. Longer rural driveways run higher depending on length, base depth, and access. We quote on your actual site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my driveway wash out even after I add gravel?
Because the crown is gone or was never built in. Gravel on a flat or reversed-slope surface gives water material to move. Regrading to establish the crown and correcting the base is the fix, not more gravel.
Can an existing driveway be regraded without full replacement?
Often yes. If the base is still sound but the crown is gone, regrading and reshaping restores drainage without starting over. We assess what’s there before recommending a full rebuild.
Does grading need a permit in Cleveland TN?
Grading over one acre triggers TDEC permit requirements. Smaller residential grading usually doesn’t, though it may fall under a broader building permit. We check during the visit.