Gravel driveway cost in Eau Claire, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $2,750 – $11,100
- Per sq ft
- $2.75 – $11
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +9%
- US $6,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #68
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a gravel driveway in the Eau Claire area: $2,750 to $11,100 for 1,000 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 9% higher than the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $28.00 an hour in the Eau Claire area, 24% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Eau Claire, WI, standard level
$5,250 to $8,600
About $5.20 to $8.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 57% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $3,600 |
| Labor | $3,000 | $4,850 |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $130 |
| Total | $5,250 | $8,600 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Eau Claire, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $2,900 | $4,700 | 42% |
| Labor | $1,650 | $3,950 | $6,250 | 57% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $95 | $190 | 1% |
| Total | $2,750 | $6,950 | $11,100 | 100% |
Why Eau Claire prices look the way they do
Labor is 57% 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 Eau Claire the blended ratio comes out at 1.25.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Eau Claire is at 93.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,100 nationally becomes $2,900 here (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 92.8: $0 to $190.
Optional extras in Eau Claire
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.10 for Eau Claire, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.25) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add edging (approx. 1 ft per 10 sq ft) | $550 – $1,950 |
Who does the work: Eau Claire trade wages
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 Eau Claire the blend is 1.25.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $28.00 an hour, which is 24% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.33 and $36.35 an hour. BLS counts 640 of them working in the area, 74.4 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 $36.53 an hour, 27% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.77 and $45.13 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 30.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
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 $390. That is a swing of roughly 5.7% to 8.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Eau Claire has 86,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 226th 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% | $22.33 | $28.00 | $36.35 | $22.66 | 1.24 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 50% | $29.77 | $36.53 | $45.13 | $28.78 | 1.27 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.25 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Eau Claire
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Eau Claire. 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
$2,750 to $6,100
Crusher-run spread and compacted on firm ground
Standard
$5,250 to $8,600
Excavated base plus top course, fabric, light grading
Premium
$7,800 to $11,100
Deep multi-layer build, edging, culvert or drainage
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| single car (500 sq ft) | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,650 – $4,400 | $3,950 – $5,650 |
| two car (1,000 sq ft) | $2,750 – $6,100 | $5,250 – $8,600 | $7,800 – $11,100 |
| 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) | $2,750 – $6,100 | $5,250 – $8,600 | $7,800 – $11,100 |
| long rural (2,000 sq ft) | $5,500 – $12,100 | $10,500 – $17,100 | $15,500 – $22,100 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Eau Claire bid
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.
Eau Claire against nearby metros and the rest of Wisconsin
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Minneapolis is the priciest of the group at $7,550. Oshkosh is the cheapest at $6,750.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire, WIthis page | $2,750 – $11,100 | $6,950 | |
| Wausau, WI75 miles | $2,850 – $11,500 | $7,150 | +3% |
| Rochester, MN85 miles | $2,850 – $11,400 | $7,150 | +3% |
| La Crosse, WI85 miles | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −1% |
| Minneapolis, MN100 miles | $3,000 – $12,100 | $7,550 | +9% |
| Oshkosh, WI140 miles | $2,650 – $10,800 | $6,750 | −3% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −1% |
| United States | $2,500 – $10,200 | $6,350 | −9% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Eau Claire ranks #68 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Eau Claire is 1% above the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $2,800 – $11,200 | $7,000 | +1% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $2,800 – $11,400 | $7,100 | +2% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −1% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $2,850 – $11,500 | $7,150 | +3% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $2,650 – $10,800 | $6,750 | −3% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Eau Claire against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne, AL | 87,120 jobs | $2,200 – $9,050 | $5,600 | −19% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $2,300 – $9,300 | $5,800 | −16% |
| Joplin, MO | 87,190 jobs | $2,400 – $9,750 | $6,050 | −13% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $2,700 – $11,000 | $6,850 | −1% |
Planning more than one job in Eau Claire?
Jobs that often go together with gravel driveway are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Eau Claire wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+15%) and sod installation lowest (−2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,200 – $8,000 | +7% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,850 – $9,900 | +7% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $690 – $2,400 | +15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,250 | −2% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,250 | +2% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,300 – $6,000 | +10% |
The best months for gravel driveway in Eau Claire
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Eau Claire Rgnl Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in Eau Claire are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 163 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Eau Claire gets about 33 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 55 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.8 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 3.1 and 2.5 inches. The station averages about 10 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 | 23 | 6 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 28 | 9 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 70 | 45 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 42 | 25 | 1.8 | Cold |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.4 | Cold |
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 $5,250 to $8,600 for Eau Claire, WI is attached.
Detailed gravel driveway report for Eau Claire, WI, $9
The report lays out the gravel driveway numbers for Eau Claire, WI 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 Eau Claire: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a gravel driveway in Eau Claire?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $2,750 to $11,100 in the Eau Claire area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,250 to $8,600. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for gravel driveway in Eau Claire?
About $2.75 to $11 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 Eau Claire or Wausau?
Wausau is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $7,150, which is 3% more than Eau Claire ($6,950). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Eau Claire?
About 57% at the midpoint, or $3,950 out of $6,950. Materials are 42% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would 100 ft x 10 ft (1,000 sq ft) cost in Eau Claire?
$2,750 to $11,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gravel driveway need a permit in Eau Claire?
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 Eau Claire area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Eau Claire expensive for gravel driveway compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Eau Claire is 1% above the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($6,850 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Eau Claire?
The BLS median is $28.00 an hour in the Eau Claire area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.33 to $36.35.
+What do basic and premium gravel driveway work cost in Eau Claire?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $2,750 to $6,100 and premium work $7,800 to $11,100. 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 Eau Claire?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April and October 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 Eau Claire?
$550 to $1,950 for 1,000 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Gravel driveway near Eau Claire
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.