Gravel Driveways & PathwaysBuilt On A Proper Base.Not Just Tipped From A Bag.
A gravel driveway with a full sub-base, weed membrane and haunched edging — a cost-effective, natural-looking surface that actually stays where you put it. 10-year workmanship guarantee.
About OurGravel Service.
A properly built gravel driveway is a compacted MOT type-1 sub-base, a weed-suppressant membrane, edge restraints all the way round, and a top layer of decorative gravel — often now laid over a plastic honeycomb grid to lock the stones in place.
It's the right pick for homeowners across Stourbridge and the West Midlands who want a warm, natural, permeable surface at a lower price point than block or resin — and don't mind an occasional rake and top-up.
Choose gravel when you're surfacing a country-property driveway, a long rural approach, or a side-access strip where a permeable, natural finish is wanted without the cost of a resin bound or block install.
Gravel fails when it's just tipped on the mud. No sub-base, no membrane, no edging and within a season it's on the lawn, on the pavement and in the flower beds. Built properly on a full base with grid or resin binding, it's a 15-year surface.
The Failures WeGet Called To Fix.
Cutting corners on gravel shows up fast. Here's what to avoid — and what we build into every install instead.
Gravel migrating off the drive
No edging = gravel on the pavement, on the lawn, and gone. Kerb-set edging is not optional.
Weeds through the surface
Skipped membrane and weeds push through inside 6 months, turning a smart driveway into a weeding chore.
Rutting and mud through the stone
No compacted MOT sub-base means the ground below turns to mud in winter and the stones sink into it.
Deep, un-walkable loose gravel
Too deep, no grid, and every step or car turn scatters stones. A gravel grid fixes this.
How We InstallYour Gravel.
Free site visit & written quote
We measure, discuss gravel colour and grade, and quote within 24 hours.
Excavation & sub-base
Excavate to depth, lay compacted MOT type-1 sub-base with drainage falls.
Weed membrane & edging
Heavy-duty weed-suppressant membrane laid over the sub-base, edging kerbs concrete-set all the way round.
Gravel grid (optional)
For driveways, a plastic honeycomb gravel-retention grid laid over the membrane and pinned down.
Gravel top layer
Decorative gravel spread, raked level and set into the grid cells. Walk-around and 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Why It's WorthDoing It Right.
Cost-effective per m²
Typically the lowest install cost of any mainstream surface.
Fully permeable
Rainwater drains straight through — no drainage worries.
Natural, warm look
Warmer, softer look than tarmac — a good fit for country properties.
Security "crunch"
A gravel drive is one of the cheapest, most-effective deterrents against unwanted visitors.
Easy top-ups
Faded or scattered? A fresh bag or two and it's like new — no specialist install needed.
10-year workmanship guarantee
The base, membrane and edging are backed in writing.
Everything We Install& How We Install It.
Materials we use
Sub-base is MOT type-1. Membrane is heavy-duty non-woven geotextile. Edging is block kerb or timber sleeper, concrete-set. Grid is either a recycled-plastic honeycomb (for driveways) or omitted (for pathways). Decorative gravel is 10–20mm angular or rounded stone — Cotswold buff, Scottish pebbles, golden gravel, granite chippings, or recycled crushed material to your preference.
Our methods
Excavation 150–200mm for driveways. Sub-base laid and compacted in layers. Membrane rolled out with 300mm overlaps and pinned. Edging installed first around the perimeter to give the gravel something to sit against. Grid pinned to the membrane, gravel spread to just proud of the grid tops and worked into the cells with a stiff broom or rake.
Where it applies
Gravel is the right call for country properties, long rural approaches, side-access strips and any drive where permeability and cost-per-m² matter more than a jointed pattern. It's the wrong call for steep drives (stones migrate downhill) or households with heavy-use wheelchairs or prams — grid-set or resin bound is the better answer there.
Residential vs commercial
Most gravel work is residential — driveways and paths across the West Midlands. We also install for rural commercial properties, riding stables and small hotels where a natural, low-cost surface is wanted.
Variations of this service
Loose gravel driveways
Traditional look with a full sub-base and edging — the classic country driveway.
Gravel-grid driveways
The same look with a plastic honeycomb grid underneath — stones don't migrate, no ruts, wheelchair and pram friendly.
Resin-set gravel
For a stone-look surface that doesn't move at all, we can also lay resin bound (see the resin bound page).
Gravel pathways
Front paths, side-access strips and garden paths at 100mm depth with edging.
Every gravel install is fully insured and backed for 10 years in writing. In-house crew, no sub-contracting, staged payments available.
Gravel is typically the lowest-cost mainstream driveway surface — we quote free within 24 hours based on size, sub-base condition and grid vs loose.
You Might AlsoNeed These.
Resin Bound Driveways
A resin bound driveway is a hand-trowelled surface made from washed, kiln-dried natural aggregate blended on-site with a two-part clear resin. It's laid over a properly prepared base — usually new tarmac or existing sound tarmac — to create a smooth, UV-stable and fully permeable driveway or patio finish.
Block Paving Driveways, Patios & Pathways
Block paving is a system of pre-cast concrete or clay blocks laid over a compacted engineered sub-base, bedded in sharp sand, and locked in place with kiln-dried jointing sand. Done properly, it distributes vehicle load across the whole surface — no sunken tyre tracks, no rocking blocks, no failed edges.
Tarmac Driveways, Patios & Pathways
Tarmac (bitmac / asphalt) is a hot-mix bitumen-bound surface laid and machine-rolled onto a compacted engineered sub-base. It's the surface that highways and airport aprons are built from — for good reason. Laid properly, it's dense, smooth, watertight and load-bearing.
Stourbridge · Halesowen · Kingswinford · Brierley Hill · Dudley · Hagley · Kinver · Kidderminster · Birmingham · Wolverhampton · Walsall · Bromsgrove · Droitwich
Ready For GravelDone Right First Time?
Free site visit — usually within 24 hours. Detailed written quote. No pressure, no sales patter.