Do-It-Yourself Pebblestone Driveway

Drive wooden stakes into the four corners of the site where you want to install the driveway. Also insert stakes every 5 feet along the boundary of the driveway, between the corners. Ensure the driveway measures at least 10 feet in width so it easily accommodates one car, or 14 feet wide if it curves.

Tie string to the top of each stake to form an outline. Spread tarps around the edges of the site. Use a shovel to dig out grass from within the outline and pack it on the tarp. Dig the entire area within the string boundary to a depth of 12 inches.

Grade the soil in the trench so it gradually slopes away from your house. You'll want 1/8 inch of slope per 12 inches to assist drainage. Use a level to check the slope as you dig.

Compact the base of the trench with a vibrating compactor to provide a stable subfloor. Start from one end of the trench and work your way to the other.

Spread a 4-inch-thick layer of crushed aggregate over the base of the trench, and compact it until it is firm. Spread another 4-inch-thick layer of aggregate and compact it again.

Drive wooden stakes at 8-foot intervals along the inner walls of the trench. Ensure the tops of the stakes fall 1 inch above the soil.

Lay 2-inch-by-6-inch wooden boards on their sides in the trench, flush against the stakes. Drive a nail through each board where it meets a stake to secure them together.

Prepare concrete in the mixer according to label directions so it achieves a workable consistency. Spread the concrete into the trench until it fills the framing boards.

Drag a 2-by-4 screed board along the top of the concrete, from one end to the other, to smooth its top and fill low spots with concrete. Allow the concrete to slightly firm up for three to four hours.

Sprinkle pebblestones over the concrete using a shovel, then spread them evenly over the surface using a broom. Press the pebbles into the concrete slab with a flat board. Allow the pebbles to set in the concrete.

Pour a thin layer of concrete over the pebbles to anchor them firmly in place, but without covering them, so they are clearly visible when the concrete cures.