Gravel driveway cost in Hilton Head, SC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,350 – $9,550
- Per sq ft
- $2.35 – $9.35
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #195
- 1 = most expensive
Hilton Head homeowners pay roughly $2,350 to $9,550 to install a gravel driveway at 1,000 sq ft, or $2.35 to $9.35 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Hilton Head is 6% lower. Construction laborers earn a median of $21.99 an hour in the Hilton Head area, 3% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Hilton Head, SC, standard level
$4,500 to $7,400
About $4.45 to $7.25 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 48% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,250 | $3,700 |
| Labor | $2,200 | $3,550 |
| Permits and fees | $60 | $140 |
| Total | $4,500 | $7,400 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Hilton Head, SC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $3,000 | $4,800 | 50% |
| Labor | $1,200 | $2,850 | $4,550 | 48% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $100 | $200 | 2% |
| Total | $2,350 | $5,950 | $9,550 | 100% |
Why Hilton Head 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, Hilton Head wages are 0.91 times the national level. Labor makes up about 48% of the midpoint estimate (50% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Hilton Head metro is 96.3 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 1,000 sq ft comes to $3,000, compared with $3,100 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (98.0) and land at $0 to $200.
Pick a size, pick a tier: gravel driveway pricing in Hilton Head
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Hilton Head 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
$2,350 to $5,250
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$4,500 to $7,400
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$6,650 to $9,550
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,150 – $2,650 | $2,300 – $3,750 | $3,400 – $4,900 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,350 – $5,250 | $4,500 – $7,400 | $6,650 – $9,550 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,350 – $5,250 | $4,500 – $7,400 | $6,650 – $9,550 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $4,700 – $10,400 | $8,950 – $14,600 | $13,200 – $18,900 |
When to schedule gravel driveway in Hilton Head
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Beaufort Mcas (10 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through June is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Hilton Head (10 of 12 months). July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Hilton Head gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, May and November are the driest, at 2.5 and 2.5 inches. The station averages about 73 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 | 60 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Mar | 70 | 49 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 84 | 64 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 5.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 74 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 78 | 59 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 69 | 48 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 43 | 3.2 | Workable |
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 Hilton Head is 0.91 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $21.99 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.13 and $25.12 an hour. About 910 work in the metro. That is 111.1 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 $24.39 an hour, which is 15% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.23 and $28.60 an hour. BLS counts 320 of them working in the area, 39.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($25.12 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $220. At the 25th percentile ($18.13) it shrinks by about $270. The total moves by 3.7% or 4.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 81,920 jobs in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal area. That makes it the 232nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $18.13 | $21.99 | $25.12 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $23.23 | $24.39 | $28.60 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Why two Hilton Head quotes can differ
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.
Add-ons priced for Hilton Head
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Hilton Head by the average of the local wage index (0.91) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.94. 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) | $470 – $1,700 |
What nearby projects cost in Hilton Head
Because every project leans on different trades, Hilton Head's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −3% and concrete driveway −9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $6,900 | −6% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,400 | −9% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $2,000 | −6% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,250 – $4,850 | −7% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,100 | −7% |
Hilton Head against nearby metros and the rest of South Carolina
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Hilton Head. Savannah is the lowest at about $5,600 (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft), 30 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head, SCthis page | $2,350 – $9,550 | $5,950 | |
| Savannah, GA30 miles | $2,200 – $9,050 | $5,600 | −5% |
| Charleston, SC65 miles | $2,300 – $9,450 | $5,900 | −1% |
| Augusta, GA100 miles | $2,200 – $9,050 | $5,650 | −5% |
| Columbia, SC115 miles | $2,250 – $9,300 | $5,800 | −3% |
| Florence, SC135 miles | $2,300 – $9,400 | $5,850 | −2% |
| South Carolina (statewide) | $2,300 – $9,350 | $5,800 | −2% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | +7% |
Across 300 US metros, Hilton Head comes in at #195 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, Hilton Head is 2% above the South Carolina figure.
Other South Carolina metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $2,300 – $9,400 | $5,850 | −2% |
| Columbia, SC | 394,200 jobs | $2,250 – $9,300 | $5,800 | −3% |
| Charleston, SC | 394,170 jobs | $2,300 – $9,450 | $5,900 | −1% |
| Spartanburg, SC | 165,150 jobs | $2,250 – $9,300 | $5,800 | −3% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $2,200 – $9,000 | $5,600 | −6% |
| Florence, SC | 89,060 jobs | $2,300 – $9,400 | $5,850 | −2% |
Cities with a workforce like Hilton Head's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Hilton Head against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | 82,160 jobs | $2,400 – $9,750 | $6,050 | +2% |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 81,840 jobs | $2,500 – $10,100 | $6,300 | +6% |
| Houma, LA | 83,440 jobs | $2,150 – $8,850 | $5,500 | −7% |
| Johnson City, TN | 81,690 jobs | $2,250 – $9,150 | $5,700 | −4% |
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 $4,500 to $7,400 for Hilton Head, SC is attached.
Detailed gravel driveway report for Hilton Head, SC, $9
The report lays out the gravel driveway numbers for Hilton Head, SC line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 Hilton Head: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Hilton Head?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,350 to $9,550 in the Hilton Head area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,500 to $7,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Hilton Head?
About $2.35 to $9.35 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 Hilton Head or Savannah?
Savannah is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $5,600, which is 5% less than Hilton Head ($5,950). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Hilton Head?
About 48% at the midpoint, or $2,850 out of $5,950. Materials are 50% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Hilton Head?
$2,350 to $9,550. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Hilton Head?
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 Hilton Head area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Hilton Head expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of South Carolina?
Hilton Head is 2% above the South Carolina statewide estimate ($5,800 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in South Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Hilton Head?
The BLS median is $21.99 an hour in the Hilton Head area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.13 to $25.12.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Hilton Head?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,350 to $5,250 and premium work $6,650 to $9,550. 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 Hilton Head?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. May and November 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 Hilton Head?
$470 to $1,700 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Hilton Head
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.