Gravel driveway repair
Topping up a washed-out drive with fresh rock just feeds the creek. We diagnose why it failed: no crown, no ditch, a blocked culvert, stone laid on bare clay. Then we fix the drainage and rebuild the stone in compacted lifts.
New gravel driveways and rescues of washed-out ones, built on a real base with a crown that sheds Carolina rain.
A gravel driveway that lasts is built in layers: topsoil stripped to firm ground, the subgrade shaped and compacted with a crown built in, woven fabric over our red clay so the stone can’t punch down into it, then crusher run compacted in thin lifts until it drives like a solid surface. The cheap version is a load of rock bladed over the dirt. It looks the same for one season. Then the clay eats it, the ruts come back, and you’re buying gravel again.
Rebuilds start with the question the last load skipped: why did it wash out? No crown, a blocked culvert, gravel sitting on topsoil. We find the cause, fix it, then rebuild the layers. Driveway entrances on public roads have their own rules (SCDOT and the county have culvert and encroachment requirements), and we handle that paperwork as part of the job.
Heavy brush to whole wooded lots. Cleared, hauled, and left build-ready.
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Laser-checked levels and slopes that drain the way they should.
Pads, trenches, and site prep dug right the first time.
A proper base and a real crown, so the driveway survives Carolina rain.
Farm and fishing ponds with a compacted-clay dam that holds water.
We walk the route, find where the water goes, and diagnose any washout at its cause.
Topsoil stripped, subgrade crowned and compacted, fabric down over clay where it earns its keep.
Crusher run spread and compacted in thin layers until it locks together.
Crown carried through every layer, ditches shaped, culvert set where the entrance needs one.
Topping up a washed-out drive with fresh rock just feeds the creek. We diagnose why it failed: no crown, no ditch, a blocked culvert, stone laid on bare clay. Then we fix the drainage and rebuild the stone in compacted lifts.
The entrance is where your drive meets the county ditch, and it’s the first thing to fail. We set the culvert so the ditch keeps flowing, build the apron up in compacted stone, and tie it into the road grade.
A parking pad is a short driveway: topsoil stripped, fabric over the clay, stone compacted in lifts. Built that way, it carries a camper or a loaded trailer year-round without rutting.
New sections tie into the old drive at full base depth, not feathered over the edge, so the addition wears at the same rate as the original instead of settling into a seam.
The same road-building method, scaled up: shaped subgrade, fabric where soils are soft, dense-graded stone compacted in lifts, and drainage that keeps the lot usable right after a storm.
Almost always because it was built without a crown or a proper base. Water needs to shed off the sides. A driveway graded flat, or laid thin over topsoil, turns into a creek bed every storm. We rebuild the base and crown it so rain runs off instead of through.
A compacted stone base with crusher run on top. The fines lock the surface together so it drives like a solid surface instead of loose rock. The exact mix depends on your soil and slope, which we check on the walk.
Yes. Widening, adding a parking pad, or extending a drive to a new garage or shop are common jobs. New sections get the same base treatment so they wear evenly with the old.
Built on a real base with a crown and working drainage, a gravel drive holds its shape for years with only occasional touch-up. The ones that fail early are the ones built without the base. That’s the difference you’re paying for.
Yes. Pads get the same build as a driveway: topsoil stripped, fabric over the clay, and stone compacted in layers, so they carry the weight without rutting.
Custom Cut Land Works
Based on 1 Google reviews
Richard Bardy
2026-09-01
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beyond 5 Stars! If you have a complex land, grading, or drainage issue, look no further than Brian at Custom Cut Land Works. We hired Brian to rework ou… Read more
Free written estimate. See the price before any work begins.
