Gravel driveway cost in Washington
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,950 – $11,900
- Per sq ft
- $2.95 – $11.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +17%
- US $6,350
- Metros covered
- 7
What does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Washington? Plan on $2,950 to $11,900 for 1,000 sq ft. Wages (1.29x the US blend), materials (price index 104.4) and permit costs (107.0) put the state above the national midpoint by 17%.
Inside Washington, the metros we cover range from $6,850 (Yakima) to $7,850 (Seattle) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Washington (statewide), standard level
$5,650 to $9,200
About $5.55 to $9.05 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 55% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $4,050 |
| Labor | $3,100 | $5,050 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $150 |
| Total | $5,650 | $9,200 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Washington
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $3,250 | $5,200 | 44% |
| Labor | $1,700 | $4,100 | $6,450 | 55% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $110 | $210 | 1% |
| Total | $2,950 | $7,400 | $11,900 | 100% |
Washington against its neighbors
Washington ranks 6 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for gravel driveway, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $9,200 and the cheapest Arkansas at $5,400, both for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint. Washington sits at $7,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 170 miles away | $2,750 – $11,200 | $7,000 | −6% |
| Idaho | 380 miles away | $2,450 – $10,100 | $6,250 | −15% |
| Montana | 500 miles away | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | −14% |
| Utah | 650 miles away | $2,450 – $10,000 | $6,250 | −16% |
| Nevada | 780 miles away | $2,600 – $10,600 | $6,600 | −11% |
Washington seasons and gravel driveway
Season matters for gravel driveway. For each Washington metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Seattle has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Washington at 12 months; Yakima has the shortest at 6 (April through June and August through October). Rainfall runs from 8 inches a year in Kennewick to 57 inches in Bremerton.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 37 | 77 | 38 | 12: all year |
| Spokane | 26 | 87 | 17 | 7: April through October |
| Olympia | 33 | 78 | 51 | 11: March through January |
| Kennewick | 28 | 93 | 8 | 6: March through June and September through October |
| Yakima | 24 | 90 | 8 | 6: April through June and August through October |
| Bremerton | 36 | 77 | 57 | 12: all year |
| Bellingham | 34 | 73 | 35 | 12: all year |
Washington metro-by-metro prices
3 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $7,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 14%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (1,000 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | +6% |
| Olympia, WA | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | +6% |
| Bellingham, WA | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,700 | +4% |
| Kennewick, WA | $2,900 – $11,700 | $7,300 | −2% |
| Bremerton, WA | $2,850 – $11,600 | $7,250 | −2% |
| Spokane, WA | $2,750 – $11,300 | $7,000 | −5% |
| Yakima, WA | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −7% |
Gravel driveway: what moves the price in Washington
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.
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.
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.
Quality levels and sizes in Washington
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Washington wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$2,950 to $6,500
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$5,650 to $9,200
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$8,300 to $11,900
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,450 – $3,300 | $2,850 – $4,700 | $4,200 – $6,050 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,950 – $6,500 | $5,650 – $9,200 | $8,300 – $11,900 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,950 – $6,500 | $5,650 – $9,200 | $8,300 – $11,900 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $5,850 – $13,000 | $11,200 – $18,300 | $16,500 – $23,600 |
What construction laborers and the other trades earn in Washington
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 2 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.29 for Washington.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $27.75 an hour, 22% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.56 and $34.69 an hour. About 25,060 work in the state. That is 70.6 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 $39.28 an hour, which is 36% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $30.96 and $55.12 an hour. BLS counts 10,290 of them working in the state, 29.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($34.69 an hour) would add about $480 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($22.56) would take off about $360. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 3,550,970 jobs across Washington (May 2025), which is 2.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.56 | $27.75 | $34.69 | $22.66 | 1.22 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $30.96 | $39.28 | $55.12 | $28.78 | 1.36 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.29 | |||||
Other Washington jobs that often go with gravel driveway
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Washington wages and prices. Against national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+22%) and sod installation lowest (+12%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,600 – $9,050 | +21% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,400 – $11,300 | +22% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $720 – $2,550 | +21% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,700 – $3,700 | +12% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,950 | +16% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,500 – $6,400 | +17% |
Add-ons priced for Washington
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Washington by the average of the local wage index (1.29) and goods index (1.04), a factor of 1.17. 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) | $580 – $2,100 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed gravel driveway report for Washington, $9
The report lays out the gravel driveway numbers for Washington 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 Washington: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Washington?
$2,950 to $11,900 for 1,000 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Washington can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Washington is cheapest for gravel driveway?
Yakima at about $6,850 (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). The priciest is Seattle at $7,850.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Washington than the US average?
It is 17% more expensive: $7,400 against $6,350 for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Washington?
About 55% ($4,100). Materials are 44%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.29x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Washington?
The BLS statewide median is $27.75 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.56 to $34.69.
+Where does Washington rank for gravel driveway costs?
6th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $7,400 for 1,000 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Washington?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,950 to $6,500 and premium work $8,300 to $11,900. Basic means: crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground. Premium means: deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage.
+Does the season matter for gravel driveway in Washington?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Washington metros we cover, Seattle has the most comfortable months (12 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add edging" add in Washington?
$580 to $2,100 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway by city in Washington
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.