Gravel driveway cost in Manchester, NH
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,500 – $10,100
- Per sq ft
- $2.50 – $9.95
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #134
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a gravel driveway in the Manchester area: $2,500 to $10,100 for 1,000 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint lands close to the US figure. Building materials run about 2% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 97.7).
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Manchester, NH, standard level
$4,800 to $7,850
About $4.70 to $7.70 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,300 | $3,750 |
| Labor | $2,450 | $3,900 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $150 |
| Total | $4,800 | $7,850 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Manchester, NH
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $3,050 | $4,900 | 48% |
| Labor | $1,300 | $3,200 | $5,050 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $110 | $210 | 2% |
| Total | $2,500 | $6,300 | $10,100 | 100% |
Why Manchester prices look the way they do
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, Manchester wages are 1.01 times the national level. Labor makes up about 50% of the midpoint estimate (50% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Manchester is at 97.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,100 nationally becomes $3,050 here (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 105.7: $0 to $210.
The best months for gravel driveway in Manchester
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Manchester Ap (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 Manchester are April through November: 8 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March 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 129 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Manchester gets about 40 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (4.0 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and July are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 16 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 | 34 | 17 | 2.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 37 | 19 | 2.7 | Cold |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 3.5 | Cold |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.3 | Workable |
| May | 70 | 48 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 3.3 | Cold |
Planning more than one job in Manchester?
Jobs that often go together with gravel driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Manchester wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (+5%) and French drain lowest (−3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,550 | +2% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,650 – $9,200 | level |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $580 – $2,050 | −3% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,550 – $3,450 | +5% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,450 – $5,150 | −1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,050 – $5,600 | +3% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Manchester bid
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.
Manchester: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Manchester. 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
$2,500 to $5,550
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$4,800 to $7,850
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$7,050 to $10,100
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,250 – $2,800 | $2,400 – $4,000 | $3,600 – $5,150 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,500 – $5,550 | $4,800 – $7,850 | $7,050 – $10,100 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,500 – $5,550 | $4,800 – $7,850 | $7,050 – $10,100 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $4,950 – $11,000 | $9,500 – $15,500 | $14,000 – $20,100 |
Who does the work: Manchester trade wages
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 Manchester the blend is 1.01.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $22.84 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.68 and $26.49 an hour. BLS counts 1,070 of them working in the area, 53.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.02 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.00 and $33.38 an hour. About 210 work in the metro. That is 10.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $250 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $220. That is a swing of roughly 3.5% to 4.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Manchester-Nashua has 199,560 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 115th 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% | $19.68 | $22.84 | $26.49 | $22.66 | 1.01 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $25.00 | $29.02 | $33.38 | $28.78 | 1.01 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.01 | |||||
Add-ons priced for Manchester
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.99 for Manchester, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.01) and goods price index (0.98). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add edging (approx. 1 ft per 10 sq ft) | $500 – $1,800 |
Manchester against nearby metros and the rest of New Hampshire
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Boston is the priciest of the group at $7,350. Portland is the cheapest at $6,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester, NHthis page | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | |
| Worcester, MA45 miles | $2,850 – $11,500 | $7,200 | +14% |
| Boston, MA45 miles | $2,900 – $11,800 | $7,350 | +16% |
| Amherst, MA60 miles | $2,700 – $10,900 | $6,800 | +8% |
| Springfield, MA70 miles | $2,800 – $11,400 | $7,100 | +13% |
| Portland, ME85 miles | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | level |
| New Hampshire (statewide) | $2,550 – $10,400 | $6,450 | +2% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | +1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Manchester ranks #134 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Manchester is 2% below the New Hampshire figure.
Manchester is the only New Hampshire metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Manchester against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, CA | 200,760 jobs | $2,900 – $11,900 | $7,400 | +17% |
| Savannah, GA | 198,360 jobs | $2,200 – $9,050 | $5,600 | −11% |
| Springfield, MA | 201,240 jobs | $2,800 – $11,400 | $7,100 | +13% |
| Modesto, CA | 195,230 jobs | $3,100 – $12,500 | $7,750 | +23% |
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 $4,800 to $7,850 for Manchester, NH is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Manchester, NH: 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 Manchester: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Manchester?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,500 to $10,100 in the Manchester area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,800 to $7,850. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Manchester?
About $2.50 to $9.95 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $210 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $2.50 to $10.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Manchester or Worcester?
Worcester is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $7,200, which is 14% more than Manchester ($6,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Manchester?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $3,200 out of $6,300. Materials are 48% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Manchester?
$2,500 to $10,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Manchester?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $210 for fees in the Manchester area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Manchester expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of New Hampshire?
Manchester is 2% below the New Hampshire statewide estimate ($6,450 at the midpoint).
+What do construction laborers earn in Manchester?
The BLS median is $22.84 an hour in the Manchester area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.68 to $26.49.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Manchester?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,500 to $5,550 and premium work $7,050 to $10,100. 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 Manchester?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through November. April and July 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 Manchester?
$500 to $1,800 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Manchester
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.