How long of a driveway is too long?

[Rustyiron]

With elec. service not being a consideration, go for it!
I'm in at 1900' and $20k for elec., then it continues for another mile past the house until it turn's into smaller logging roads. Fortunatly I did not have to build them. I would not have any other way, and am now spoiled! A well drained & built road for private use really is not a lot of work once it's in, and IMO is worth it.

 

[jcummins]

My driveway is just short of 1/2 mile long. Not a problem. I didn't build the drive, but do maintain it. Neighbors landplane and my landscape rack keeps it decent.

 

[GregbkH]

Just buy a condo. Then you won't have to deal with any of that stuff!! J/K

I didn't realize you were a member here!

As you know, I maintain 1/2 mile of easement along with 550' of driveway. I have the tools that make it relatively easy. Any questions about time involved, tools used etc, you can PM me.

 

[MGH PA]

Just buy a condo. Then you won't have to deal with any of that stuff!! J/K

I didn't realize you were a member here!

As you know, I maintain 1/2 mile of easement along with 550' of driveway. I have the tools that make it relatively easy. Any questions about time involved, tools used etc, you can PM me.

Thanks, Greg! Good to see you here, too. I'm mostly a lurker over here

 

[RobS]

Sounds like you have an idea on the maintenance aspect and only you can decide that for yourself. Another consideration is the installation cost. Maintenance will be much easier if it's built right from the beginning, and that will cost more. Skimp on the up-front money and you'll pay in maintenance...

 

[MMagis]

I stayed at a hunting lodge in WY once that had a 12 MILE driveway.

 

[Deere Dude]

I stayed at a hunting lodge in WY once that had a 12 MILE driveway.

I have a 1/4 mile blacktopped but even maintenance on that is expensive. If gravel is plentiful, no problem but some places if road gravel needs to be shipped in for 20-30 miles, shipping costs can be nuts. Count your costs. It does sound nice though. I needed 2 medium trucks of road gravel hauled in by me and it was 3-4 hundred a truck and it doesn't go far.

I was going from Montana to Wyoming 20+ years ago with our pop-up camper and wanted to stay at a campground/lodge type place. Turned down the driveway and it was stony to the point where is wasn't fun to drive. The driveway, as I remember, was 20 miles. A short hike from the campsite there was a nice waterfall so it was worth it. Maybe it was the same place you mentioned.

 

[MMagis]

The ranch was called Rockin 7 ranch, it was a large cattle operation (110,000 acres) as well as a hunting outfit. I remember it being southeast of Casper, and there was a large lake and public ground nearby. That’s about all I can remember offhand. Beautiful country, I could have spent a week out there just walking the canyons.

 

[jcummins]

The ranch was called Rockin 7 ranch, it was a large cattle operation (110,000 acres) as well as a hunting outfit. I remember it being southeast of Casper, and there was a large lake and public ground nearby. That’s about all I can remember offhand. Beautiful country, I could have spent a week out there just walking the canyons.

For that kind of country, you mean a lifetime. Hips keeps me from enjoying stomping around outdoors that way now.

 

[JRobyn]

Our drive is just under 1/2 mile. I had the advantage that it has been a rough logging road for a long time, so most of the potholes that form where tree root balls were still rotting in the path had stabilized, and it was pretty well packed dirt. I once thought about building farther out (another 1/2mile) on our property, but in hindsight I think that would have been too much. Plus as others have noted, it would have required a lot more to run electric and water.

We have put down probably 30 loads of gravel now, first, river rock, and then crusher run, giving just an inch or two of coverage over all. And that seems to be giving a good stable, smooth, low-maintenance road, except where we have one steep place. A little tune up with a box blade once or twice a year takes care of that. I'm thinking of buying a land plane to do an even nicer job.

All-in-all, I think that 1/2 mile is just about perfect!

- Jay

 

[Hilbilly]

Our driveway is one mile long and we have been here for 7 years. There is a bit of maintenance involved to keep the gravel in decent shape and the drainage functioning. But that is infrequent and not really an issue for me. The grade varies from 12% to flat and most of it is cut into the hillside. The most time consuming part for me is winters. If you get a lot of snow I think you need to be retired in order to look after the snow removal in a timely fashion, or hire someone to do it. If you let snow build up too much it will be very hard to remove or take a lot longer using a snow blower. I don't mind it and I'm really glad that we live that far away from all the people at the bottom of the mountain. I absolutely love the privacy it affords me.

When we first bought I thought about building closer to the bottom of the hill, to reduce power and water supply costs plus reduce the length of driveway maintenance. However I have often thought about that and have never regretted having the longer driveway and I know I would have regretted having less privacy if I built closer to the bottom.

From what you described it sounds like you love everything else about the property, so if it were me I would not hesitate to buy it.

 

[jmc]

Here's part of my 3000 foot drive. I could write a book about it!

 

[Garycw]

Utilities won't need to come in from this side. There's a farmhouse about 150-200yds from where I would want to build (down over a hill) that has power to it. I would only need to run power from that point on (the house is part of the property).

Maybe you can get or buy an easement into your property?

 

[JerryK]

Here's part of my 3000 foot drive. I could write a book about it!

I see it was such a nice day that you decided to take the time to clean out the ditches, too......... [[[ ]]]

 

[oldpilgrim]

How long of a driveway is too long?

There is no such thing.

Be grateful you can be in a position to ask such a question.

 

[MGH PA]

There is no such thing.

Be grateful you can be in a position to ask such a question.

I certainly am

 

[buckeyefarmer]

sounds like an ideal situation to me. To have a half mile drive, means you have a very large tract of land, or at least a very long access on a flaglot, which means you are way back from people.

Wish I had put my house further back on my property. I'm up near the road, because the well was there and the septic is behind. wished I had gone for the longer drive and longer water line from the well.

 

[MGH PA]

Maybe you can get or buy an easement into your property?

The house will come with the property and it has a driveway to it, so an easement wouldn't be necessary. However, that road in itself is about 1/4 mile long and steep, and then once at the farmhouse, it would be a series of steep switchbacks to the top where the homesite would be. The approach I want to make with the new driveway will be just as long but so much more level, less tress cover, and no switchbacks.

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Winter and steep, with switchbacks, sounds potentially difficult if you get PA winter weather like we do sometimes in NE OH and far WNY (30 miles east of Erie, PA). There are alot of posts on TBN about the merits of blowing vs plowing snow to consider; last year on our 800 ft drive with 8% grade the passage was so narrow because of snow volume and very cold temps over weeks, that the plow could not push any wider, and the guy that plows could no longer plow for fear of getting stuck, so we could not access our to-be retirement home for 2 months. A blower would have avoided that. As others have mentioned annual gravel refresh on sloped areas, and drainage work/expense would be prudent to plan for, so sizing/configuring equipment and costing ongoing expenses is a good isea. All that being said, the benefits of a long drive are worth it, we are interested in property further up the ridge behind us, and would jump at the opportunity, even though the driveway would be a huge PIA, I'd welcome the challenge in return for more privacy and better view.

 

[jack707]

My drive is 1/4 mile I know that because it cost me over 5k to put a layer of road gravel on it to cover all the ruts and pot holes. Now its nice to drive on don't have to dodge all the holes.