Self-performed crews and operators
New Acreage Driveways
A full road section from the county road to your house or barn, built for heavy trucks.
Residential & Acreage Site Work
Gravel Driveways
in Houston, TX
Gravel driveways and ranch roads across Greater Houston. Fabric over the clay, a thick rock base, and a crown that sheds rain.
23Years on Houston Ground
1Superintendent Per Job
$2MGeneral Liability
98%Repeat & Referral
Service Overview
Gravel Driveways Built for Houston Clay
Rock dumped on bare Houston clay turns to ruts after the first hard rain. The clay pumps up, the stone sinks, and the low spots hold water. A gravel driveway that lasts is a small road: fabric, a compacted base, surface rock, a crown and a ditch. As a self-performing gravel driveway contractor, we run every gravel driveway installation with our own operators and one superintendent.
We build driveways to homes, shops and barns on acreage, plus ranch roads, RV and barndominium pads, and rebuilds. We help you choose crushed concrete, limestone or flex base. We also handle the driveway culvert, or prep the ditch where the county crew sets the pipe. We cut the grading, and clear the route where trees stand in the way.
Water is what wears a gravel driveway out. A normal Houston year brings about 52 inches of rain, and the Beaumont clay below lets it soak away slowly. So we crown the top about half an inch per foot, slope the sides, and cut a ditch to the culvert. Want to pave later? The same base can carry a concrete driveway.
Gravel Driveways at a Glance
- Self-performed crews and operators
- Organics stripped, clay subgrade shaped
- Road fabric over soft clay
- Crushed concrete, limestone or flex base
- Crowned about half an inch per foot
- Culvert and county permit at the road
Coverage
Gravel Driveway Services We Self-Perform
From the county road to the barn door, our own operators build it.
Ranch & Pasture Roads
Long private roads, crowned and ditched to stay passable after a week of rain.
Fabric & Base Over Soft Clay
Road fabric on soft clay, then a thick lift of crushed rock, so the clay stays down.
Crushed Concrete, Limestone & Flex Base
Crushed concrete for value, limestone for a cleaner finish, flex base for heavy loads.
Shop, RV & Barndominium Pads
Parking and turnaround pads beside your building, graded to drain away from the doors.
Driveway Repair & Regrading
Ruts and potholes cut out, remixed and re-crowned, with new rock only where thin.
Our Process
Our Gravel Driveway Process
Five steps take a muddy path to a crowned, drained driveway. Step one is a free site walk: call (832) 576-3278.
- 01
Site Walk, Route & Permits
We walk the route and see where water runs today. Then we help line up the county culvert permit and call 811 before anyone digs.
- 02
Strip & Shape the Subgrade
Grass, roots and soft topsoil come off. The clay is crowned and compacted, and soft spots are dug out and replaced.
- 03
Culvert & Ditches
Where the county allows a contractor, we set the culvert to the size it gives us. Where its crew sets the pipe, we prep the ditch. Then we cut side ditches to move water off.
- 04
Fabric & Base Rock
Fabric goes over soft clay. We push base rock onto it in thick lifts, then wet and roll each one. No tire touches bare fabric.
- 05
Surface Rock, Crown & Walkthrough
A finer top course is spread and crowned about half an inch per foot. We walk it with you after its first hard rain.
Timeline
How Long Does a Gravel Driveway Take?
Rough ranges for planning. Rain and soft ground move them.
| Project Type | Typical Size | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shop or RV gravel pad | Up to 2,500 sq ft | 1 - 2 Days |
| Standard acreage driveway | Up to 300 ft | 2 - 4 Days |
| Long driveway with culvert | 300 - 1,000 ft | 1 - 2 Weeks |
| Ranch or pasture road | 1,000+ ft | 2 - 4 Weeks |
| Rut and pothole regrade | Existing driveway | 1 - 2 Days |
Engineering & Compliance
Materials, Methods & Code Compliance
A gravel driveway fails from the bottom up. We build the bottom first.
Subgrade & Fabric
- Organics and topsoil stripped
- Clay shaped and compacted first
- Road fabric on soft, pumping clay
- Thick first lift, no tires on fabric
Rock & Base
- Crushed, angular rock with fines
- Crushed concrete screened of steel and trash
- Limestone or flex base under heavy loads
- Each lift watered and rolled tight
Crown & Drainage
- Crown about half an inch per foot
- Straight slope, no flat middle
- Sides sloped off to a cut ditch
- Water kept off neighbors and the road
Culverts & Permits
- Harris County permit for ditch crossings
- 18-inch minimum concrete pipe in Harris County
- Montgomery County rules vary by precinct
- 811 called before any digging
Why Jimenes
Why Choose
Jimenes Construction
Built on the Clay, Not in It
Rock on bare clay ruts and sinks in one wet season. We strip topsoil, compact the clay, fabric the soft spots, then build the base in thick lifts.
Crowned So Rain Runs Off
Flat driveways hold water and pothole. We crown the top about half an inch per foot and cut side ditches, so rain sheds off.
Our Crew, Start to Finish
A material yard drops rock and drives away. Our operators clear, grade, ready the culvert crossing and spread the rock, under one superintendent.
Line-Item Pricing
Fabric, base rock, surface rock, culvert, clearing and haul-off each get a line. Change orders are signed before work starts.
Credentials
Insurance, Warranty & Sign-Off
No Texas license exists for driveway builders. Ask for proof of insurance instead. Ours goes out with every estimate.
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County General Liability $2M per occurrence
General Liability $2M per occurrence Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage
Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage Warranty 1-yr workmanship
Warranty 1-yr workmanshipWhere We Work
Our Service Area
Based in Houston, we build gravel driveways on acreage from Cypress out past the Grand Parkway. Searching for a gravel driveway contractor near me? These are the towns and county roads we cover.
- Houston
- Spring
- The Woodlands
- Conroe
- Cypress
- Katy
- Sugar Land
- Missouri City
- Pearland
- Pasadena
- Baytown
- League City
Do not see your town? Call us, we travel for the right project.Check Your Address
Good Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Still weighing rock, depth or the culvert at the road? The superintendent who would build your drive can answer by phone.
Talk to a Builder(832) 576-3278
What is the best gravel for a driveway in Houston?
Pick crushed, angular rock with fines. Sharp edges lock together, and fines pack the gaps.
- Crushed concrete usually costs less around Houston. It binds well but can be dusty.
- Crushed limestone gives a cleaner, lighter finish and costs more.
- Flex base, the state road-base material, suits heavy trucks.
- River rock is round, so it rolls under tires and never firms up.
- Bull rock works only as a bottom layer over very soft spots, under finer rock.
How much does a gravel driveway cost in Houston?
There is no flat rate. Cost moves with length and width, how soft the clay is, and rock type and depth.
- Soft clay that needs undercut and fabric adds material and days.
- A culvert and county permit add their own cost.
- Clearing, truck access and haul distance all matter.
How deep should a gravel driveway be, and is 2 inches enough?
No. Two inches of rock on bare clay sinks into the mud after the first wet spell. You need a thick base course plus a finer surface course, deeper on soft clay and for heavy trucks. Skipping the sub-base only works on firm, well-drained ground, which Houston clay rarely is.
Why does my gravel driveway rut and pothole after rain, and can it be fixed?
Ruts come from no crown, no ditch, and rock mixed into the clay. Water sits and the rock pumps under every tire. A shovel of rock in the hole does not last.
- We cut below the bottom of the holes, remix, and re-crown about half an inch per foot.
- We add rock only where the base is thin.
- If the clay is pumping, we rebuild with fabric and a thicker base.
What are the downsides of a gravel driveway?
It needs an occasional regrade, can be dusty, and is hard on strollers and bikes. Rock also drifts to the edges. On the plus side, it costs less than concrete, drains, and repairs one section at a time. You can also pave the same base as a concrete driveway later.
Do I need a permit for a gravel driveway or a culvert?
Outside city limits, the rock on your land often needs no permit. Crossing the county ditch does. In unincorporated Harris County, a driveway culvert needs a county permit and at least an 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe. Montgomery County rules vary by precinct, and the county or a precinct inspector sets pipe size. Our culverts page covers the crossing in full.
Keep Reading
Related Services
Culverts, grading and clearing often come with a new driveway.
Driveway Culverts
Driveway culverts and ditch crossings sized and set to Harris and Montgomery County rules.
Learn More
Fabric. Base. Crown.
A Driveway That StaysFirm After the Rain.
A free site walk, a line-item price, and our own crew from the first cut to the last pass.
OR CALL (832) 576-3278
