Gravel driveway cost in San Antonio, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,200 – $9,000
- Per sq ft
- $2.20 – $8.80
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #265
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to install a gravel driveway in San Antonio, plan on $2,200 to $9,000 for 1,000 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $2.20 to $8.80 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 12% lower than the national one. Construction laborers earn a median of $18.94 an hour in the San Antonio area, 16% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in San Antonio, TX, standard level
$4,250 to $6,950
About $4.20 to $6.85 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $3,600 |
| Labor | $2,000 | $3,200 |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $130 |
| Total | $4,250 | $6,950 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in San Antonio, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $2,900 | $4,700 | 52% |
| Labor | $1,050 | $2,600 | $4,150 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $95 | $190 | 2% |
| Total | $2,200 | $5,600 | $9,000 | 100% |
What is behind the San Antonio number
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, San Antonio wages are 0.83 times the national level. Labor makes up about 46% of the midpoint estimate (50% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the San Antonio metro is 93.8 (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 (94.7) and land at $0 to $190.
San Antonio: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for San Antonio 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
$2,200 to $4,900
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$4,250 to $6,950
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$6,300 to $9,000
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,100 – $2,500 | $2,150 – $3,550 | $3,200 – $4,600 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,200 – $4,900 | $4,250 – $6,950 | $6,300 – $9,000 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,200 – $4,900 | $4,250 – $6,950 | $6,300 – $9,000 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $4,400 – $9,750 | $8,400 – $13,800 | $12,400 – $17,800 |
Planning more than one job in San Antonio?
Because every project leans on different trades, San Antonio's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −8% and concrete driveway −14%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,750 – $6,650 | −10% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,900 | −14% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,050 | −8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,150 – $4,650 | −11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
San Antonio labor market for gravel driveway
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 San Antonio is 0.83 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $18.94 an hour, 16% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.61 and $21.87 an hour. About 8,400 work in the metro. That is 74.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 50%) the local median is $23.44 an hour, which is 19% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.15 and $28.28 an hour. BLS counts 3,980 of them working in the area, 35.3 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 ($21.87 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $200. At the 25th percentile ($17.61) it shrinks by about $90. The total moves by 3.6% or 1.7%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 1,126,880 jobs in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area. That makes it the 28th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.72% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $17.61 | $18.94 | $21.87 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $22.15 | $23.44 | $28.28 | $28.78 | 0.81 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.83 | |||||
How San Antonio compares
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Austin is the priciest of the group at $5,800. Laredo is the cheapest at $5,350.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TXthis page | $2,200 – $9,000 | $5,600 | |
| Austin, TX80 miles | $2,300 – $9,350 | $5,800 | +4% |
| Laredo, TX125 miles | $2,100 – $8,600 | $5,350 | −5% |
| Corpus Christi, TX130 miles | $2,250 – $9,150 | $5,700 | +2% |
| Killeen, TX130 miles | $2,150 – $8,850 | $5,500 | −2% |
| College Station, TX155 miles | $2,150 – $8,850 | $5,500 | −2% |
| Texas (statewide) | $2,300 – $9,350 | $5,800 | +4% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | +13% |
Across 300 US metros, San Antonio comes in at #265 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, San Antonio is 4% below the Texas figure.
Other Texas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $2,400 – $9,850 | $6,100 | +9% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $2,350 – $9,550 | $5,950 | +6% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $2,300 – $9,350 | $5,800 | +4% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $2,100 – $8,650 | $5,400 | −4% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $2,050 – $8,350 | $5,200 | −8% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $2,250 – $9,150 | $5,700 | +2% |
Cities with a workforce like San Antonio's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is San Antonio against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $3,550 – $14,300 | $8,950 | +59% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,114,490 jobs | $2,600 – $10,500 | $6,550 | +17% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,400 | +14% |
| Columbus, OH | 1,105,580 jobs | $2,800 – $11,400 | $7,100 | +27% |
Extras that change the San Antonio total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to San Antonio by the average of the local wage index (0.83) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.88. 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) | $440 – $1,600 |
Specs and site conditions that change a San Antonio bid
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.
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.
Climate in San Antonio: timing your gravel driveway job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for San Antonio Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through May is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in San Antonio (8 of 12 months). June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
San Antonio gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, September and October (4.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 2.0 and 1.7 inches. The station averages about 122 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 | 63 | 41 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 68 | 45 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 80 | 58 | 2.4 | Workable |
| May | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 2.4 | Hot |
| Aug | 96 | 75 | 2.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.9 | Hot |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 65 | 42 | 2.0 | 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 $4,250 to $6,950 for San Antonio, TX is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
The report lays out the gravel driveway numbers for San Antonio, TX 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 San Antonio: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in San Antonio?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,200 to $9,000 in the San Antonio area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,250 to $6,950. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in San Antonio?
About $2.20 to $8.80 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $190 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $2.50 to $10.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in San Antonio or Austin?
Austin is 80 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $5,800, which is 4% more than San Antonio ($5,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in San Antonio?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $2,600 out of $5,600. Materials are 52% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in San Antonio?
$2,200 to $9,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in San Antonio?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $190 for fees in the San Antonio area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is San Antonio expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of Texas?
San Antonio is 4% below the Texas statewide estimate ($5,800 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in San Antonio?
The BLS median is $18.94 an hour in the San Antonio area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.61 to $21.87.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in San Antonio?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,200 to $4,900 and premium work $6,300 to $9,000. 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 San Antonio?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through May. January and February 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 San Antonio?
$440 to $1,600 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near San Antonio
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.