How to Level Rock in a Driveway

The key to maintaining an attractive and sturdy rock driveway is keeping the surface level. Leveling rocks is not complicated; using the right equipment will reduce the labor involved significantly. Keeping the surface even makes it easier to drive over and prevents puddles from forming in low spots. If the site is not naturally sloped toward the street, plan to shape the surface into a slight crown to direct rain water to the sides.

Rake
Rental tractor
Box scraper attachment
Moldboard attachment
Rental compactor
Rocks

Instructions

- 1
  Rake scattered rocks in the lawn to the sides of the driveway. Go over any deep dips or berms on the surface and rake the rocks as evenly as possible.
- 2
  Rent a tractor and park it so that it faces the street at the top of the driveway close to the house. Connect a box scraper to the back of the tractor and lower the blade to dig 1 inch into the gravel surface.
- 3
  Drive slowly to the street so the blade can dig into the rocks, loosening the surface. Repeat the step if necessary to loosen the entire top layer of rocks.
- 4
  Detach the box scraper and connect a moldboard to the tractor. Set the angle of the blade at zero and lower the blade to touch the surface of the rocks. Drive the tractor up the driveway slowly so that the flat blade can scrape any small piles and push them into low areas.
- 5
  Go over the entire driveway several times with a vibrating compactor to stabilize the loose rocks and keep them from shifting out of place.
- 6
  Pour additional rocks down the center of the driveway and rake them across the driveway so that the sides are about 1 inch lower for drainage. Go over the entire site again with the compactor.

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