The “Good Enough” DIY Gravel Path How to Guide

In almost every English garden I’m drawn to, there’s always a winding walkway lined with beautiful trees and flowers. There’s something magical about a cobblestone street or a simple gravel path—it instantly makes a garden more exciting to walk through. For the longest time, I thought having one in my own backyard was just a pie in the sky, until I actually made it happen in just a few days, on a very modest budget.

If you’ve read my other blog posts, you probably know I’m a sucker for easygoing, cost-effective solutions. Between working full-time and raising a family, I don’t have endless time, energy, or money to spare. So naturally I like to choose the easiest route to get the look I want, without sacrificing too much functionality.

If you’re in the same boat, this “good enough” DIY gravel path might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s beginner-friendly, doesn’t require heavy equipment or strength, can be done for a few hundred dollars, and still looks every bit as charming as a professionally built path (minus the excavator and plate compactor).

Now let’s get started.

The Not-So-Dreadful Excavation

First step, we’ve gotta clear the site.

A long time ago, I decided to avoid mowing this patch of grass at all cost. It was too much hassle to maneuver the lawn mower in this narrow alley with all the trash cans scattered around. I was excited it was finally time to dig up everything and say goodbye to the moss and overgrown grass.

That excitement helped power me through the early stages of digging. Then a few rain softened the soil even more, making this most dreadful part of the project surprisingly easy.

In terms of depth, the standard is 4-6 inches—2 inches of sub-base material (e.g. crushed limestone), plus 2-4 inches of decorative aggregates. Depending on how solid your soil is and what you use this gravel path for (gravel driveway has more stringent requirements than gravel pathway), you may be able to get away with skipping the base layer.

I tried to do this whole project in the simplest way possible, so I only dug as deep as what’s necessary. 3-inch throughout, that is.

It was hard work to dig. But with the help of rain, it was not as dreadful as I thought.

Mapping Out the Curved Path

After the area was cleaned and excavated, I spread the loose soil evenly with a metal rake and compacted it down with a tamper. This created a level and solid foundation for the gravels.

Next up, mapping out how the path would curve and extend all the way to the deck.

Our side yard is about 30 feet long. In order to figure out a curved path with consistent width, I designed a jig. Cut a piece of scrap wood (e.g. 2×4) to 36” wide and screwed construction screws to the ends. Then I dragged this scrap wood on the ground, turning and twisting ever so slightly (so there were no sharp turns), to mark the path.

Once I was happy with the shape, I traced the outline with electrical wire (garden hose and string line tied around stakes work great as well) and calculated how long the entire path was.

General rule: 1 cubic yard of gravel covers a gravel path of 3 inches deep that is about 3 feet wide and 108 feet long. 3 feet width x 3 feet depth x 3 feet length = 1 cubic yard.

Before moving forward, I also moved yard drainage underground. This included the sump pump discharge line and downspout extension. This way, no pipe would go across the new path, creating any puddles or tripping hazards.

Install Edging and Landscape Fabric

Edging helps contain gravel, making the small rocks less likely to roll over to the garden beds. It also adds curb appeal, making the path a lot more polished. It’s a good idea to choose carefully.

Granite cobblestones and bricks are beautiful but heavy. Plastic edging doesn’t hold up over time. Metal and paver edgings are hard to install… After comparing different options in the market, I picked a new product that is DIY friendly: Beuta Faux Stone Edging Bricks

To install the faux bricks, you simply lay them on the ground following the layout, connect the ends, then bend the bricks slightly to create curves, insert the metal spikes into the soil to keep the bricks in place.

The metal spikes only go down as far as the top of the bricks. Use a screwdriver to point to the round hole at the center of the stake, hammer the back of the screwdriver to drive the spike all the way down.

The whole process was pretty easy.

I should also mention that professionals usually lay down heavy duty weed membrane (weed barrier fabric) to separate the soil from the gravel and prevent weeds from coming through.

I am not a big fan of landscape fabric. Instead, I opted to use Ram Board as @Gardenary suggested. It’s floor protection paper that decomposes overtime. I just needed something to establish the ground for the first few years, so I was happy to find an alternative to plastic landscape fabric.

Prettying up With Gravel

For the gravel, I went with ¾ inch buff limestone. This type of rock has angular shapes that interlock to create a stable surface over time. The ¾” size also makes the walkway easier under the foot and is not too small to get lost or trapped in gaps like small pea gravel does.

Buff limestone looks yellow when wet, and is beige and cream color when dry.

In hindsight, it would have been wiser to use the same material as the gray river rock in the rest of my yard. To keep things consistent. At the time, I was fixated on getting the same look as this inspiration picture:

So here is my advice: make sure to look at stone/gravel samples and pick something you truly like and would work great with the rest of your yard. It’s not an easy task to dig up gravel and replace it with something else once it’s in the ground. So choose wisely.

We paid for delivery, since we don’t own a pickup truck. For the next few days, in between work meetings, I got outside, shoveled a few wheel barrels of gravel at a time, and brought it to the side yard.

Used the same garden rake to spread the gravel evenly across the pathway. This creates an even surface to walk on.

Tip: When shoveling gravel, keep your back straight the whole time to prevent injury. I like to squat down to get a shovel full of gravel, go straight up, turn and tilt the shovel to fill the wheel barrel. This way I am not putting any strain on my back.

It only took me a couple of days to move 1 cubic yard of gravel to the side yard. Slow down. Don’t break your back.

Keeping the Gravel Path Looking Fresh

To spruce up this outdoor space, I planted flower beds with perennials (boxwood, hydrangea) and flowers that like shade. It will take the plants a few years to fill in. But with the greenery, this entire area was looking a lot more inviting.

From past experience, I knew weeds could be a big headache further down the road. To prevent weed growth, ruining my beautiful garden path, I spread Preen pre-emergent on top of the path.

You don’t need to go overboard like I did. Just the right amount as shown on the container.

Lastly, to prevent the ¾” gravel from spilling over, mulch glue is a new invention that can glue the rocks down.

Final Reveal and Cost Breakdown

When it was all said and done, the gravel path turned out pretty amazing. The haphazard lawn gave way to a neatly fenced-in garbage can enclosure and a charming walkway that is pleasant to look at.

It was pure joy walking on the gravel path.

The total material costs came to around $700, excluding tools.

Item	Description	Estimated Cost
Gravel	¾ inch buff limestone for top layer (1 cubic yard)	$68
Landscape Fabric	Ram Board 50 feet	$36
Landscape Edging	Faux Bricks (2.5 inch tall)	$370
Weed Prevention	Preen Garden Weed Preventer	$37.5
Delivery Fee	Gravel delivery (if applicable)	$175
Total Estimated Cost		$ 686.50

With proper preparation and careful planning, you can have a low maintenance gravel path that will serve you for many years to come. If you like landscape projects, make sure to bookmark this blog. I will share more projects like this in the future!

Posted By: Sherry · In: Home Renovation