GravelBoss vs Angi, HomeAdvisor & Thumbtack — Why a Specialist Matters for Gravel Driveways
Marketplace sites connect you with whichever contractor answers. GravelBoss fixes gravel driveways and the reason they keep breaking: we measure the drive, fix where the water goes, rework the stone that is already there, and put the price and the guarantee in writing. Drive Rake is from $1,050 (including the $300 equipment setup fee); Drive Restore is from $1,500 (including the $300 equipment setup fee); longer driveways cost more.
Get Grade Scan — $149Specialist vs Marketplace — Side by Side
What GravelBoss puts in writing, and what to ask any contractor you find through a marketplace.
| Feature | GravelBoss | Marketplace Contractors |
|---|---|---|
| Measured survey before the quote | Yes — Grade Scan | Ask them |
| Crown reshaped so water runs off | Drive Restore & Rebuild | Ask them |
| Edge drainage cut | Drive Rebuild | Ask them |
| Existing stone reworked, not buried | Every tier | Varies |
| Compaction as its own step | Every tier | Varies |
| Written guarantee | 90-day workmanship warranty, every tier | Ask for it in writing |
| Priced by the job | Written proposal | Varies |
| Measured again after | Yes | Ask them |
The Problem with Hiring a General Contractor for Gravel Work
A box blade makes it smooth for a while
Dragging the surface flat fills the holes with loose stone. Without the shape and the drainage fixed underneath, the water goes back where it sat and the holes come back with it. We use five implements, one for each step.
No crown, no drainage
A gravel drive needs a crown so rain runs off the edges instead of down the tire tracks. The federal gravel roads guide recommends about half an inch per foot. Ask any contractor how they set it and how they will show you.
No compaction
Loose stone ruts. Compacting the reworked surface as a separate pass is the step most jobs skip. Ask whether it is in the price.
Hourly billing
An hourly rate puts the risk of a slow job on you. A GravelBoss proposal prices the job, with the scope and the guarantee written down before anything starts.
“We fix your driveway, and the reason it keeps breaking.”
What GravelBoss Delivers That Marketplaces Can't
Measured Before and After
- A measured survey of the grade and drainage before we quote
- The proposal is priced on the driveway you actually have
- The drive is measured again when the work is done
The Water Fixed First
- Crown reshaped so rain runs off both edges
- On a Drive Rebuild, edge drainage cut so the water has somewhere to go
- Then the surface: the stone that is already there, reworked and compacted
A Written Guarantee
- A 90-day workmanship warranty on every tier
- Exclusions spelled out in our proposal terms: normal wear, snow plow damage and heavy vehicles are not covered
- Quoted on the proposal you sign
The Price in Writing
- Drive Rake from $1,050 (including the $300 equipment setup fee)
- Drive Restore from $1,500 (including the $300 equipment setup fee); longer driveways cost more
- Drive Rebuild from $2,800 (including the $300 equipment setup fee)
- Priced by the job, not by the hour
The Real Cost of “Saving Money”
A cheaper job that fills the holes without fixing the water usually means paying again when the holes come back. Compare what each price includes, not just the number.
- Will you fix the drainage, or only the surface?
- Is compaction in the price?
- Is the guarantee in writing, and what does it exclude?
- Is the price for the job, or by the hour?
- Includes the $300 equipment setup fee; longer driveways cost more
- 90-day workmanship warranty, in writing
- Crown reshaped so water runs off, existing stone reworked
- Measured before and after
Skip the Middleman.
Go Direct with the Specialist.
Start with a measured survey of your driveway, then a written proposal with the price and the guarantee before any work begins.