DIY guideDriveway and walks
Grade the gravel driveway and fill the potholes
Rake loose gravel back, fill each pothole in layers, and shape a crown down the middle so the driveway sheds water.
- 1 hr to 4 hr
- 8 steps
- Every step animated
8 steps
Tap a step to watch it again.
Work a day after rain, when the gravel is damp and packs well, not muddy.
Rake the gravel thrown to the edges and the middle back over the wheel tracks.
Scoop the water and mud out of each pothole, and cut its edges square with a shovel.
Fill each hole with gravel a few inches at a time, tamping each layer firm.
Rake the surface so the middle sits a little higher than the sides, and water runs off to the edges.
Drive slowly over the fill, or tamp it, then top up any low spots.
Keep the edges and the ditches clear, so the water has somewhere to go.
Deep washouts, soft spots that won't firm up, or water running down the driveway: ask Handyman for a grading pro.
What you need
- A landscape rake
- A shovel
- A hand tamper
- Crushed gravel to match
- A wheelbarrow
Call a pro if
- Deep washouts or ruts after every rain
- Soft spots that won't firm up
- Water running down the driveway toward the house
Handyman says: Keep off it. I'll find a grading pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
More outside and the yard guides
See all 72
Rather have
a pro do it?