Gravel driveway cost in Dubuque, IA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,450 – $10,000
- Per sq ft
- $2.45 – $9.85
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #145
- 1 = most expensive
Dubuque homeowners pay roughly $2,450 to $10,000 to install a gravel driveway at 1,000 sq ft, or $2.45 to $9.85 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Dubuque is almost level. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.7).
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Dubuque, IA, standard level
$4,750 to $7,800
About $4.70 to $7.65 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 52% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $3,600 |
| Labor | $2,500 | $4,050 |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 |
| Total | $4,750 | $7,800 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Dubuque, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $2,900 | $4,700 | 46% |
| Labor | $1,350 | $3,250 | $5,200 | 52% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $85 | $170 | 1% |
| Total | $2,450 | $6,250 | $10,000 | 100% |
Where the Dubuque price comes from
Labor is 52% of the midpoint bill here, against 50% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (50%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (50%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Dubuque the blended ratio comes out at 1.04.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Dubuque metro is 93.7 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 1,000 sq ft comes to $2,900, compared with $3,100 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (87.3) and land at $0 to $170.
Why two Dubuque quotes can differ
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.
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.
Extras that change the Dubuque total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Dubuque by the average of the local wage index (1.04) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.99. 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) | $490 – $1,800 |
What nearby projects cost in Dubuque
Because every project leans on different trades, Dubuque's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, paver patio runs +1% and concrete slab −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,000 – $7,400 | −1% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,600 – $9,200 | level |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | level |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,250 | −1% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $5,050 | −3% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,050 – $5,500 | +1% |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 2 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Dubuque is 1.04 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $23.46 an hour, 4% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.37 and $28.85 an hour. About 500 work in the metro. That is 85.5 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 $29.93 an hour, which is 4% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.92 and $35.52 an hour. BLS counts 160 of them working in the area, 27.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($28.85 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $370. At the 25th percentile ($22.37) it shrinks by about $75. The total moves by 6.0% or 1.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 58,470 jobs in the Dubuque area. That makes it the 292nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.04% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.37 | $23.46 | $28.85 | $22.66 | 1.04 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $26.92 | $29.93 | $35.52 | $28.78 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.04 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Dubuque
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Dubuque wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$2,450 to $5,500
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$4,750 to $7,800
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$7,000 to $10,000
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,250 – $2,800 | $2,400 – $3,950 | $3,550 – $5,100 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,450 – $5,500 | $4,750 – $7,800 | $7,000 – $10,000 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,450 – $5,500 | $4,750 – $7,800 | $7,000 – $10,000 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $4,950 – $10,900 | $9,450 – $15,400 | $13,900 – $19,900 |
When to schedule gravel driveway in Dubuque
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Dubuque Rgnl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Dubuque (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 144 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Dubuque gets about 38 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 43 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (5.2 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.8 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 6 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 11 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 31 | 15 | 1.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 2.3 | Cold |
| Apr | 58 | 37 | 4.1 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 49 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 2.2 | Cold |
| Dec | 32 | 17 | 1.8 | Cold |
Dubuque against nearby metros and the rest of Iowa
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Dubuque. Iowa City is the lowest at about $6,200 (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft), 75 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque, IAthis page | $2,450 – $10,000 | $6,250 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA45 miles | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | level |
| Iowa City, IA75 miles | $2,450 – $9,950 | $6,200 | −1% |
| Davenport, IA75 miles | $2,600 – $10,500 | $6,550 | +4% |
| Madison, WI80 miles | $2,800 – $11,400 | $7,100 | +13% |
| Waterloo, IA80 miles | $2,900 – $11,600 | $7,250 | +16% |
| Iowa (statewide) | $2,450 – $9,950 | $6,200 | −1% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | +1% |
Across 300 US metros, Dubuque comes in at #145 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $9,500; the cheapest is McAllen, TX at $5,200 (midpoints, 1,000 sq ft). Statewide, Dubuque is 1% above the Iowa figure.
Other Iowa metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | +1% |
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $2,600 – $10,500 | $6,550 | +4% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | level |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $2,450 – $9,950 | $6,200 | −1% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $2,900 – $11,600 | $7,250 | +16% |
| Sioux City, IA | 75,010 jobs | $2,450 – $9,900 | $6,200 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Dubuque's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Dubuque against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona, PA | 58,650 jobs | $2,400 – $9,750 | $6,100 | −3% |
| Albany, GA | 58,390 jobs | $2,150 – $8,800 | $5,450 | −13% |
| Kingston, NY | 59,140 jobs | $2,650 – $10,800 | $6,700 | +7% |
| Wheeling, WV | 58,130 jobs | $2,400 – $9,850 | $6,150 | −2% |
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Gravel driveway in Dubuque: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Dubuque?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,450 to $10,000 in the Dubuque area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,750 to $7,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Dubuque?
About $2.45 to $9.85 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $170 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $2.50 to $10.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Dubuque or Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $6,300, which is 0% more than Dubuque ($6,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Dubuque?
About 52% at the midpoint, or $3,250 out of $6,250. Materials are 46% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Dubuque?
$2,450 to $10,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Dubuque?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $170 for fees in the Dubuque area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Dubuque expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of Iowa?
Dubuque is 1% above the Iowa statewide estimate ($6,200 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Iowa; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Dubuque?
The BLS median is $23.46 an hour in the Dubuque area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.37 to $28.85.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Dubuque?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,450 to $5,500 and premium work $7,000 to $10,000. 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 Dubuque?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October 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 Dubuque?
$490 to $1,800 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Dubuque
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.