How to Lay Driveway Stone

Mark the driveway site by placing wood stakes every few feet down each side and tie a long string around each stake to connect them. Use measuring tape to space the width 16 to 22 feet apart for two cars, 10 feet for one car and 14 feet where the driveway curves.

Dig out growth and topsoil with a shovel or rented excavator machine. Dump the soil on a tarp a few feet from the site and plan to use the soil in low-lying areas of the yard or raised gardens. Continue digging until the site is 12 inches deep, then slope the bottom toward the street. Create a smooth slope by starting at the side of the driveway by the house and dig 1/8 inch deeper with each foot of length.

Go over the subsoil three times with a compactor machine or tamp it manually with a hand tamper.

Roll geotextile fabric over the compacted subsoil and overlap edges by 3 inches. The synthetic fabric will allow drain water to escape while blocking weeds and preventing stones from sinking.

Spread 1 1/4-inch stones over the fabric with a rake until you have a 4-inch thick layer and then compact them.

Pour two 4-inch layers of 3/4-inch gravel over the site. Spread the stones with the rake and compact them until the surface feels sturdy.

Form a crown over the surface with a final layer of 3/8-inch gravel mixed with equals parts stone dust. Spread a 2-inch thick layer over one-third of the driveway down the center. Rake the small gravel to slope toward the sides so the peak is about half an inch higher than the edges. Compact this top layer by driving over the surface several times.