Gravel driveway cost in Chico, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,850 – $11,700
- Per sq ft
- $2.85 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +14%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #37
- 1 = most expensive
A gravel driveway in Chico, CA usually costs $2,850 to $11,700 for 1,000 sq ft. That works out to about $2.85 to $11.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $920 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $26.31 an hour in the Chico area, 16% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Chico, CA, standard level
$5,500 to $9,050
About $5.45 to $8.90 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $4,050 |
| Labor | $3,000 | $4,850 |
| Permits and fees | $60 | $140 |
| Total | $5,500 | $9,050 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Chico, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $3,250 | $5,250 | 45% |
| Labor | $1,600 | $3,900 | $6,200 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $100 | $200 | 1% |
| Total | $2,850 | $7,250 | $11,700 | 100% |
Where the Chico price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: construction laborers at 50%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 50%. Weighted together, Chico wages are 1.24 times the national level. Labor makes up about 54% of the midpoint estimate (50% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Chico is at 105.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,100 nationally becomes $3,250 here (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 101.2: $0 to $200.
How Chico compares
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Santa Rosa is the priciest of the group at $8,150. Redding is the cheapest at $7,250.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CAthis page | $2,850 – $11,700 | $7,250 | |
| Sacramento, CA70 miles | $3,100 – $12,500 | $7,800 | +7% |
| Redding, CA80 miles | $2,850 – $11,600 | $7,250 | level |
| Napa, CA90 miles | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,750 | +6% |
| Vallejo, CA100 miles | $3,150 – $12,800 | $7,950 | +9% |
| Santa Rosa, CA105 miles | $3,250 – $13,100 | $8,150 | +12% |
| California (statewide) | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,700 | +6% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | −13% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Chico ranks #37 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Chico is 6% below the California figure.
Elsewhere in California
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | +8% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $3,650 – $14,700 | $9,200 | +26% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $2,900 – $11,700 | $7,300 | +1% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $3,000 – $12,100 | $7,550 | +4% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $3,550 – $14,300 | $8,950 | +23% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $3,100 – $12,500 | $7,800 | +7% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Chico against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | 79,510 jobs | $2,800 – $11,500 | $7,150 | −2% |
| Napa, CA | 77,860 jobs | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,750 | +6% |
| Saginaw, MI | 80,000 jobs | $2,450 – $9,950 | $6,200 | −15% |
| Racine, WI | 76,280 jobs | $2,850 – $11,500 | $7,200 | −1% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Chico bid
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.
What nearby projects cost in Chico
Jobs that often go together with gravel driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Chico wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, asphalt driveway comes out highest (+18%) and concrete slab lowest (+8%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,550 – $8,800 | +18% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,000 – $10,100 | +10% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $700 – $2,450 | +17% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,650 – $3,600 | +10% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,650 – $5,600 | +8% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,300 – $6,000 | +11% |
What local crews earn in Chico
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Chico the blend is 1.24.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $26.31 an hour, which is 16% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $34.60 an hour. BLS counts 480 of them working in the area, 61.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 50% of the weighting: a median of $38.00 an hour, 32% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $30.40 and $59.81 an hour. About 230 work in the metro. That is 29.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $580 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $290. That is a swing of roughly 4.0% to 7.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Chico has 78,220 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 241st by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.14 | $26.31 | $34.60 | $22.66 | 1.16 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $30.40 | $38.00 | $59.81 | $28.78 | 1.32 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.24 | |||||
Optional extras in Chico
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.15 for Chico, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.24) and goods price index (1.05). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add edging (approx. 1 ft per 10 sq ft) | $570 – $2,050 |
Pick a size, pick a tier: gravel driveway pricing in Chico
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Chico. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from single car (500 sq ft) to long rural (2,000 sq ft).
Basic
$2,850 to $6,400
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$5,500 to $9,050
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$8,150 to $11,700
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,800 – $4,600 | $4,150 – $5,950 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,850 – $6,400 | $5,500 – $9,050 | $8,150 – $11,700 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,850 – $6,400 | $5,500 – $9,050 | $8,150 – $11,700 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $5,750 – $12,700 | $11,000 – $17,900 | $16,200 – $23,100 |
Chico weather and the gravel driveway calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Chico Univ Farm (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in Chico are October through June: 9 of 12. Outside them, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Chico gets about 27 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (5.1 inches in February). Inside the workable window, May and June are the driest, at 1.4 and 0.6 inches. The station averages about 99 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 36 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 62 | 38 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 1.9 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 52 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 57 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 95 | 61 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 59 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 91 | 55 | 0.3 | Hot |
| Oct | 80 | 47 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 5.0 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $5,500 to $9,050 for Chico, CA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Chico, CA: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Gravel driveway in Chico: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Chico?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,850 to $11,700 in the Chico area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,500 to $9,050. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Chico?
About $2.85 to $11.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $200 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $2.50 to $10.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Chico or Sacramento?
Sacramento is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $7,800, which is 7% more than Chico ($7,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Chico?
About 54% at the midpoint, or $3,900 out of $7,250. Materials are 45% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Chico?
$2,850 to $11,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Chico?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $200 for fees in the Chico area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Chico expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of California?
Chico is 6% below the California statewide estimate ($7,700 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Chico?
The BLS median is $26.31 an hour in the Chico area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.14 to $34.60.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Chico?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,850 to $6,400 and premium work $8,150 to $11,700. Basic means: crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground. Premium means: deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage.
+When is the best time to install a gravel driveway in Chico?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through June. May and June are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add edging" add in Chico?
$570 to $2,050 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Chico
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.