Gravel driveway cost in Olympia, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $3,100 – $12,600
- Per sq ft
- $3.10 – $12.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +24%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #11
- 1 = most expensive
Olympia homeowners pay roughly $3,100 to $12,600 to install a gravel driveway at 1,000 sq ft, or $3.10 to $12.50 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Olympia is 24% higher. Construction laborers earn a median of $25.52 an hour in the Olympia area, 13% above the US median of $22.66.
Estimate your gravel driveway cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Olympia, WA, standard level
$5,950 to $9,750
About $5.90 to $9.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 57% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $4,050 |
| Labor | $3,450 | $5,550 |
| Permits and fees | $60 | $150 |
| Total | $5,950 | $9,750 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Olympia, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $3,250 | $5,250 | 42% |
| Labor | $1,850 | $4,500 | $7,100 | 57% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $100 | $210 | 1% |
| Total | $3,100 | $7,850 | $12,600 | 100% |
What is behind the Olympia number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $25.52 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Olympia is 1.42 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 57% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Olympia metro is 105.0 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 1,000 sq ft comes to $3,250, compared with $3,100 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (103.7) and land at $0 to $210.
Specs and site conditions that change a Olympia bid
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.
When to schedule gravel driveway in Olympia
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Olympia Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
March through January is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Olympia (11 of 12 months). February has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In February the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 77 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Olympia gets about 51 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (8.2 inches in November). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 0.5 and 1.0 inches. The station averages about 7 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 | 46 | 33 | 7.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 49 | 32 | 5.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 54 | 35 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.7 | Workable |
| May | 66 | 43 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 71 | 47 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 78 | 51 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 78 | 51 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 46 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 60 | 41 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 51 | 36 | 8.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 45 | 33 | 7.8 | Workable |
Pick a size, pick a tier: gravel driveway pricing in Olympia
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Olympia 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
$3,100 to $6,900
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$5,950 to $9,750
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$8,800 to $12,600
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,550 – $3,500 | $3,000 – $4,950 | $4,450 – $6,400 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $3,100 – $6,900 | $5,950 – $9,750 | $8,800 – $12,600 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $3,100 – $6,900 | $5,950 – $9,750 | $8,800 – $12,600 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $6,200 – $13,700 | $11,800 – $19,300 | $17,500 – $24,900 |
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 Olympia is 1.42 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $25.52 an hour, 13% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.90 and $33.85 an hour. About 730 work in the metro. That is 56.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 50%) the local median is $49.55 an hour, which is 72% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $33.47 and $54.71 an hour. BLS counts 260 of them working in the area, 20.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($33.85 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $580. At the 25th percentile ($21.90) it shrinks by about $250. The total moves by 7.4% or 3.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 130,300 jobs in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater area. That makes it the 167th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.08% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $21.90 | $25.52 | $33.85 | $22.66 | 1.13 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $33.47 | $49.55 | $54.71 | $28.78 | 1.72 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.42 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Olympia?
Because every project leans on different trades, Olympia's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, asphalt driveway runs +25% and sod installation +9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,700 – $9,350 | +25% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,350 – $11,200 | +21% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $740 – $2,600 | +24% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,650 – $3,600 | +9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,900 | +15% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,400 – $6,200 | +14% |
Optional extras in Olympia
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Olympia by the average of the local wage index (1.42) and goods index (1.05), a factor of 1.24. 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) | $620 – $2,250 |
Is Olympia cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Seattle is the priciest of the group at $7,850. Yakima is the cheapest at $6,850.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia, WAthis page | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | |
| Bremerton, WA50 miles | $2,850 – $11,600 | $7,250 | −8% |
| Seattle, WA60 miles | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | level |
| Portland, OR95 miles | $2,850 – $11,700 | $7,250 | −7% |
| Yakima, WA105 miles | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −12% |
| Bellingham, WA140 miles | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,700 | −2% |
| Washington (statewide) | $2,950 – $11,900 | $7,400 | −5% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | −19% |
Across 300 US metros, Olympia comes in at #11 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, Olympia is 6% above the Washington figure.
Other Washington metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | level |
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $2,750 – $11,300 | $7,000 | −11% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $2,900 – $11,700 | $7,300 | −7% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −12% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $2,850 – $11,600 | $7,250 | −8% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,700 | −2% |
Cities with a workforce like Olympia's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Olympia against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | 131,430 jobs | $2,300 – $9,350 | $5,800 | −26% |
| Waco, TX | 129,860 jobs | $2,150 – $8,850 | $5,500 | −30% |
| South Bend, IN | 131,670 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −13% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $2,900 – $11,700 | $7,300 | −7% |
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 $5,950 to $9,750 for Olympia, WA is attached.
Take this estimate with you: PDF report, $9
Multi-page report for Olympia, WA: 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 Olympia: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Olympia?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $3,100 to $12,600 in the Olympia area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,950 to $9,750. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Olympia?
About $3.10 to $12.50 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 Olympia or Bremerton?
Bremerton is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $7,250, which is 8% less than Olympia ($7,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Olympia?
About 57% at the midpoint, or $4,500 out of $7,850. Materials are 42% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Olympia?
$3,100 to $12,600. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Olympia?
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 Olympia area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Olympia expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of Washington?
Olympia is 6% above the Washington statewide estimate ($7,400 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Olympia?
The BLS median is $25.52 an hour in the Olympia area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.90 to $33.85.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Olympia?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $3,100 to $6,900 and premium work $8,800 to $12,600. 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 Olympia?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through January. July and August 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 Olympia?
$620 to $2,250 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Olympia
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.