Gravel driveway cost in Arkansas
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,150 – $8,700
- Per sq ft
- $2.15 – $8.55
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −15%
- US $6,350
- Metros covered
- 4
Across Arkansas, a gravel driveway costs about $2,150 to $8,700 for 1,000 sq ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 15% below the US figure of $6,350. Construction laborers earn a median $18.09 an hour in Arkansas (US: $22.66).
Inside Arkansas, the metros we cover range from $5,300 (Fort Smith) to $5,650 (Fayetteville) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Arkansas (statewide), standard level
$4,100 to $6,750
About $4.05 to $6.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $3,600 |
| Labor | $1,850 | $3,000 |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 |
| Total | $4,100 | $6,750 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Arkansas
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $2,900 | $4,700 | 54% |
| Labor | $1,000 | $2,450 | $3,850 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $85 | $170 | 2% |
| Total | $2,150 | $5,400 | $8,700 | 100% |
Gravel driveway cost by metro in Arkansas
3 of the 4 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $5,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 6%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (1,000 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | $2,200 – $9,050 | $5,650 | +4% |
| Jonesboro, AR | $2,150 – $8,750 | $5,450 | +1% |
| Little Rock, AR | $2,150 – $8,750 | $5,450 | +1% |
| Fort Smith, AR | $2,100 – $8,550 | $5,300 | −2% |
Arkansas versus the states around it
Arkansas ranks 51 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for gravel driveway, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $9,200 and the cheapest Arkansas at $5,400, both for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint. Arkansas sits at $5,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 220 miles away | $2,200 – $8,950 | $5,550 | +3% |
| Missouri | 230 miles away | $2,600 – $10,500 | $6,550 | +21% |
| Kansas | 280 miles away | $2,300 – $9,400 | $5,850 | +8% |
| Mississippi | 330 miles away | $2,200 – $8,950 | $5,600 | +3% |
| Tennessee | 360 miles away | $2,350 – $9,550 | $5,950 | +10% |
Quality levels and sizes in Arkansas
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Arkansas wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$2,150 to $4,750
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$4,100 to $6,750
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$6,100 to $8,700
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,050 – $2,400 | $2,100 – $3,450 | $3,100 – $4,450 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,150 – $4,750 | $4,100 – $6,750 | $6,100 – $8,700 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,150 – $4,750 | $4,100 – $6,750 | $6,100 – $8,700 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $4,250 – $9,450 | $8,150 – $13,300 | $12,000 – $17,200 |
Gravel driveway: what moves the price in Arkansas
Depth and layers
A proper driveway is a 4-inch base plus a 2-inch top course. Each extra inch of stone adds weight in tons and money.
Labor share
HomeGuide puts labor at about 50% of a gravel driveway's total cost, so a longer or harder-to-reach site moves the price more than the stone does.
Grading and edging
Grading runs $1-$3 per sq ft. Edging to keep the stone in is $5-$18 per linear foot.
Stone is sold by weight
Stone is priced by the ton, so every extra inch of depth or foot of width adds loads of delivery.
Permit
A driveway permit is typically $50-$200 where one is needed for a new curb cut or connection; plenty of rural counties require none.
Weather windows across Arkansas
Season matters for gravel driveway. For each Arkansas metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Little Rock has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Arkansas at 9 months (February through June and September through December); Jonesboro has the shortest at 8 (February through May and September through December). Rainfall runs from 47 inches a year in Fayetteville to 50 inches in Little Rock.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | 31 | 92 | 50 | 9: February through June and September through December |
| Fayetteville | 25 | 89 | 47 | 9: March through November |
| Fort Smith | 30 | 94 | 47 | 8: February through June and September through November |
| Jonesboro | 31 | 91 | 49 | 8: February through May and September through December |
What construction laborers and the other trades earn in Arkansas
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 2 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 0.77 for Arkansas.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $18.09 an hour, 20% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.63 and $21.31 an hour. About 10,650 work in the state. That is 81.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 50%) the local median is $21.41 an hour, which is 26% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $18.44 and $23.97 an hour. BLS counts 5,800 of them working in the state, 44.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($21.31 an hour) would add about $220 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($16.63) would take off about $100. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,303,630 jobs across Arkansas (May 2025), which is 0.8% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $16.63 | $18.09 | $21.31 | $22.66 | 0.80 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $18.44 | $21.41 | $23.97 | $28.78 | 0.74 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.77 | |||||
If you are planning more than one job in Arkansas
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Arkansas wages and prices. Against national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−9%) and concrete driveway lowest (−16%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,700 – $6,450 | −12% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,700 | −16% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $510 – $1,800 | −15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,100 – $4,550 | −13% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,800 | −12% |
Optional extras in Arkansas
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Arkansas by the average of the local wage index (0.77) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.85. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add edging (approx. 1 ft per 10 sq ft) | $430 – $1,550 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Gravel driveway in Arkansas: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Arkansas?
$2,150 to $8,700 for 1,000 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Arkansas can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Arkansas is cheapest for gravel driveway?
Fort Smith at about $5,300 (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). The priciest is Fayetteville at $5,650.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Arkansas than the US average?
It is 15% cheaper: $5,400 against $6,350 for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Arkansas?
About 45% ($2,450). Materials are 54%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.77x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Arkansas?
The BLS statewide median is $18.09 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.63 to $21.31.
+Where does Arkansas rank for gravel driveway costs?
51st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,400 for 1,000 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Arkansas?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,150 to $4,750 and premium work $6,100 to $8,700. Basic means: crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground. Premium means: deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage.
+Does the season matter for gravel driveway in Arkansas?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Arkansas metros we cover, Little Rock has the most comfortable months (9 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add edging" add in Arkansas?
$430 to $1,550 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway by city in Arkansas
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Gravel Driveway Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- CalculateGravel: Gravel Driveway Cost in 2026 (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Installed range spans a basic spread-and-compact job ($2.50/sq ft low, CalculateGravel) to a full build with excavation ($10/sq ft high, HomeGuide). Materials low end is DIY stone ($1.20/sq ft, CalculateGravel); high end is half of HomeGuide's $10 because it says labor is about 50% of the project.