How to fill potholes properly in a gravel driveway

Gravel driveways require some maintenance to keep them looking good. Drainage issues, lack of boundaries and traffic all can lead to the development of potholes on a gravel driveway. Filling in these potholes is a straightforward process, but does require a little preparation and labour. Taking the time to determine the cause of the potholes and making an effort to improve any drainage or boundary problems will save time and money because you will not need to repeat the job as often.

Determine how the potholes are filling with water. If they are simply accumulating rain or snow because of precipitation, filling in the pothole is straightforward. If water is gathering because of drainage issues, such as water running across the road and gathering in low spots, then you should address these issues as well. Digging a ditch parallel to the driveway on the side where water runs across is the easiest way to deal with the problem.

Start with a dry pothole. You will most likely notice a pothole after a rain when every low spot captures water. Make note of all of the low areas because once they dry out you may have trouble remembering where some of the smaller potholes are located.

Fill the pothole with crush and run or gravel. Use more of the fill material than necessary to fill the hole, so that it will not settle below the level of the driveway. Use a shovel to fill in the holes. Tamp the materials lightly before moving to the next pothole.

Compact the fill material. Rental supply companies have compactors available that you can use to compact the stone that is in the potholes. A less expensive way is to use your vehicle to compact the stone. Drive back and forth over the repaired areas of the driveway until the fill material is firm and does not shift when you drive across it.

Add more fill material if necessary. Once you have compacted the stone, you may find that you need to go back and add some additional fill material. If you add additional fill material, spend additional time compacting the stone again.