Road material

[Jlblake]

I'm sorry for the dumb question. In the area where I live, I can find anything I want simply by googling, reviews and so forth. At my place in the country, I'm having some challenges. You guys have been priceless so I'm hoping you can help again. I want to do some work on my road/driveway. I will need some crushed concrete or crushed white rock. What is the best way to find a provider for this stuff? Do you look for the closest place? Are the quality differences? How do you know if you are getting a fair price? What else do I need to know? Do they dump it all in one spot or will/should they dump it along the drive?

Thanks folks!

 

[Citydude]

I found a trucking service that delivers gravel. They knew where to get what I wanted and spread it out by tail dumping it on my 1400 foot road. All I had to kick a couple of small piles down where he started dumping each load.

 

[oosik]

Around here transportation can be the big cost. Ask neighbors who they have used and how it worked out. Word-of-mouth is usually a very good method to get good results. If you want it "tailgate spread" ask if they can do it. Around here our crushed rock is basalt. It is harder than diamonds. It WILL NOT break down into fines when driven on. I always ask for crushed and not screened. The fines mixed in are what make it compact.

 

[Roadworthy]

What you can get depends upon what is available at your location. My neighbor got crushed asphalt spread and compacted. When I did my driveway it was no longer available. Consequently I have a crushed river rock with finings for a base and two inches of asphalt on top.

 

[Thomas]

Up here in the northeast many like what we call hard pack for driveways more so if driveway has grade/slope.
Good truck operator will adjust tailgate chains and spread as he goes and that will save you lot of work.

 

[old and tired]

Word of mouth... if you don't have anyone, I've just called a quarry, and ask how much a truck load of Crusher Run was, they usually have drivers that bring it to you. If price seemed OK, I ask if they can tailgate spread it.

It's rock... not rocket science. I quit using one quarry since they did not have as much "fines", I'm lucky we have 3 rock quarries to choose from... Now I just borrow my friends dump trailer, $50 / 7 tons. If you have the time, a dump trailer will pay for itself!!!

 

[radios1]

Around here transportation can be the big cost. Ask neighbors who they have used and how it worked out. Word-of-mouth is usually a very good method to get good results. If you want it "tailgate spread" ask if they can do it. Around here our crushed rock is basalt. It is harder than diamonds. It WILL NOT break down into fines when driven on. I always ask for crushed and not screened. The fines mixed in are what make it compact.

actually. Basalt’s hardness is pretty close to that of diamond on Mohs’ hardness scale, which is a scale that determines hardness based on how easy it is to scratch a particular mineral. Basalt on this scale is around an 8–8.5 depending on the source meaning it can be scratched by anything harder than it, a masonry drill bit, and of course by more basalt. Diamond, however, is a 10 on the scale meaning it can only be scratched by more Diamond.

 

[newbury]

Talk to your local county supervisor/transportation dep./road crew people.
I needed some gravel for fill for various projects. Our uncle talked to the local transportation dep guy for us and the next thing I knew he came by and within a week they dumped a 5 ton truckload of mixed gravel for free.
I'm still using it for small projects.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is there a landscaping business in one of the surrounding towns? Place that sells pallets of grass? what about a neighbor, or just somebody that you drive by their place and they have a nice gravel driveway?

Where I live in East Texas, rock is very rare. It all comes from Terrell, which is close to Dallas. Crushed concrete has become very popular, and in my opinion, but better then the limestone rock that comes from the quarry in Terrell.

Tyler has grown to three different places to buy rock. And then on Craigslist, there are a couple more options, but their prices seem kind of odd. They sell it by the truck load and it's a fixed price. When I buy it from one of the yards, it's by the yard for a dump truck, or if I buy it buy the Semi Truck trailer load, it's priced by the ton according to the weight ticket from the quarry. The driver drives to the quarry, gets the load, then brings it to my place and I write him a check when he gets here.

 

[TractorGuy]

If you can get clean screened to 3/4" crushed concrete I highly recommend it.

The supplier I bought a few loads from was high when I got it and last time I checked they thought it was gold. I found a demolition company that said they had plenty at $200 for 16 tons but they didn't deliver. Next time I buy I am going to look at their stuff to see if it's comparable to what I got before then search for someone to haul it that won't kill me.

 

[Jlblake]

Thanks everyone. I'm still debating whether to do the road myself or pay someone. They want $13 per foot and I have about 800 feet. That's smoothing out existing drive, adding 3-4" of crushed white rock and then compacting. $10k sure is a lot of money but what are the odds I work on it and then end up having to still pay someone to fix my work?

 

[PILOON]

I really like crushed asphalt as it re glues itself under the hot sun and is especially effective on hills as it won't wash downhill.
Even the city uses it on hilly gravel roads as it saves them tons of maintenance.
I did my drive 20 years ago with it and still performing just great, in fact I plan to add a load within the next week or so in areas that were never done that first time.
Around here it is actually cheaper than crushed stone to buy but transportation is the same for both.
A 12 wheel load runs +/- $400.

 

[Jlblake]

Thanks Piloon. How much is in a 12 wheel run? I believe I want 3-4" deep, 12 feet wide and about 800 feet long. Not sure how exactly to order that. I'm assuming the people selling it will calculate it for me.

 

[newbury]

Thanks Piloon. How much is in a 12 wheel run? I believe I want 3-4" deep, 12 feet wide and about 800 feet long. Not sure how exactly to order that. I'm assuming the people selling it will calculate it for me.

That's like assuming the guy driving around and selling firewood off the back of his truck is honest. If you go 1/3 ft deep, 12' wide, 800' long you'll need about 240 yards. The amount they can put in one truck can vary depending on the driver. I've had drivers hauling excavated material pile it up and make fewer runs, other drivers insisted on a level load, and more runs.

 

[Engineer42]

250ton or 117 cubic yards

 

[Jlblake]

If you go 1/3 ft deep, 12' wide, 800' long you'll need about 240 yards.

Shouldn't it be more like 119 yards? Thanks!

 

[Jstpssng]

Shouldn't it be more like 119 yards? Thanks!

That's what I came up with also. Yet then you have to consider that it will compact and fill in the uneven spots, so 240 yards might not be far off after all.

 

[Jlblake]

Is the process of rebuilding a road difficult? Can much go wrong? Sounds pretty funny to ask that question...lol. I can rent a box blade for $135 per week. I have a brand new 5065E just waiting to do some more work. Is this a project you guys would recommend a newbie do themselves or would you have professionals do it? They want roughly $10k to do it btw. Thanks!

 

[Jstpssng]

What have you got to lose, besides your time and $135? Even the best operator was green the first time that he tried something.

 

[Engineer42]

Depending on your cost for materials, how much work is involved reshaping the road prior to stone, and then placing and grading the stone, 10k might not be far off. The other point is, if you are building the road yourself, might be better to buy the box blade. The road will need to be maintained, so renting 4 or so days will buy a good used one. If I was doing it myself, I'd buy the box blade. You'll find other uses for it as well. Just my opinion.