Gravel driveway cost in Seattle, 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
- #10
- 1 = most expensive
A gravel driveway in Seattle, WA usually costs $3,100 to $12,600 for 1,000 sq ft. That works out to about $3.10 to $12.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,500 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $28.72 an hour in the Seattle area, 27% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Seattle, WA, standard level
$5,950 to $9,750
About $5.90 to $9.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 58% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $4,000 |
| Labor | $3,450 | $5,600 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $160 |
| Total | $5,950 | $9,750 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Seattle, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $3,200 | $5,200 | 41% |
| Labor | $1,850 | $4,500 | $7,150 | 58% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $110 | $220 | 1% |
| Total | $3,100 | $7,850 | $12,600 | 100% |
Where the Seattle price comes from
Labor is 58% of the midpoint bill here, against 50% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (50%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (50%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Seattle the blended ratio comes out at 1.43.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Seattle is at 104.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,100 nationally becomes $3,200 here (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 111.1: $0 to $220.
Optional extras in Seattle
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.24 for Seattle, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.43) and goods price index (1.04). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add edging (approx. 1 ft per 10 sq ft) | $620 – $2,250 |
Planning more than one job in Seattle?
Jobs that often go together with gravel driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Seattle wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+27%) and sod installation lowest (+14%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,750 – $9,450 | +26% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,550 – $11,800 | +27% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $750 – $2,650 | +26% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,700 – $3,750 | +14% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,950 – $6,100 | +18% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,700 – $6,750 | +23% |
Seattle weather and the gravel driveway calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Seattle: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Seattle gets about 38 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (5.8 inches in November). The station averages about 2 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 | 47 | 37 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 50 | 37 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 54 | 39 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 59 | 43 | 3.0 | Workable |
| May | 65 | 48 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 70 | 53 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 77 | 57 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 77 | 57 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 53 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 61 | 47 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 52 | 41 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 37 | 5.5 | Workable |
Is Seattle cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 1,000 sq ft range from $6,850 to $7,850 across Seattle and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WAthis page | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | |
| Bremerton, WA40 miles | $2,850 – $11,600 | $7,250 | −8% |
| Olympia, WA60 miles | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | level |
| Yakima, WA90 miles | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −12% |
| Bellingham, WA95 miles | $3,050 – $12,400 | $7,700 | −2% |
| Portland, OR135 miles | $2,850 – $11,700 | $7,250 | −8% |
| Washington (statewide) | $2,950 – $11,900 | $7,400 | −5% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | −19% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Seattle ranks #10 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Seattle is 6% above the Washington figure.
Elsewhere in Washington
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $2,750 – $11,300 | $7,000 | −11% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $3,100 – $12,600 | $7,850 | level |
| 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% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Seattle against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $3,650 – $14,700 | $9,200 | +17% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $3,000 – $12,100 | $7,550 | −4% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $2,450 – $10,100 | $6,250 | −20% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,900 | −12% |
What local crews earn in Seattle
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 Seattle the blend is 1.43.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $28.72 an hour, which is 27% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.67 and $37.03 an hour. BLS counts 13,040 of them working in the area, 62.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 50% of the weighting: a median of $46.04 an hour, 60% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $36.13 and $58.78 an hour. About 4,860 work in the metro. That is 23.3 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 $580 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $350. That is a swing of roughly 4.5% to 7.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has 2,086,210 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 13th 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% | $23.67 | $28.72 | $37.03 | $22.66 | 1.27 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $36.13 | $46.04 | $58.78 | $28.78 | 1.60 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.43 | |||||
Pick a size, pick a tier: gravel driveway pricing in Seattle
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Seattle. 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
$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 – $25,000 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Seattle 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.
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 Seattle, WA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Seattle, 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 Seattle: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Seattle?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $3,100 to $12,600 in the Seattle 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 Seattle?
About $3.10 to $12.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $220 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $2.50 to $10.
+Is gravel driveway cheaper in Seattle or Bremerton?
Bremerton is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $7,250, which is 8% less than Seattle ($7,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Seattle?
About 58% at the midpoint, or $4,500 out of $7,850. Materials are 41% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Seattle?
$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 Seattle?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $220 for fees in the Seattle area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Seattle expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of Washington?
Seattle 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 Seattle?
The BLS median is $28.72 an hour in the Seattle area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.67 to $37.03.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Seattle?
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.
+Is there a bad season to install a gravel driveway in Seattle?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
+What does "add edging" add in Seattle?
$620 to $2,250 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Seattle
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.