There are many driveway ideas to choose from, and a driveway can be costly. In this article we will cover driveway designs, materials, and costs. We will also touch on some of the most popular driveway design styles and materials including gravel driveways, asphalt driveways, concrete driveways, and stone driveways. Continue reading to see which might be right for your project.

Driveway Designs

Driveway designs are largely dependent on the space available and the topography of the lot. If you have the space available, a very elegant design is a circular driveway. This allows easy access and gives a beautiful aesthetic.

If your driveway is long, then you can either have a straight driveway with right angles with the landscaping. This almost gives it an English garden type of feel. The other option is to purposely include gentle curves. Curves are easy on the eye, and they also provide a sense of nature, which is beautiful.

Talk with your builder and architect and see what might fit the style of your home the best.

Driveway Materials

In the following paragraphs, include a list of driveway materials with how much they cost. Here are some driveway materials: limestone [$80-$140], red brick ($130 per cubic yard), paving stone (any color) $20 a square foot, and concrete driveway ideas range from $25 to over $150 depending on

There are a wide range of materials for driveway ideas that will fit any budget and can add to the driveway designs you choose. Of course, the style of home will go a long way of determining which driveway material might fit your project the best. Take a look at the various types of driveway materials that are available.

Gravel Driveway

Gravel is a common and readily available material for driveways. One of the biggest advantages is that gravel is one of the cheapest options for a driveway material. One drawback is that gravel driveways can create a lot of dust, and the gravel tends to travel into other areas of your yard.

Asphalt Driveway

Asphalt is another good driveway material. Unlike gravel, asphalt doesn't produce dust, and it stays in place better than gravel does. It's smooth to drive on, and it has a nice black finish. Yet, that finish will need to be sealed every few years, which is a drawback. Additionally, it's much more expensive that gravel.

Concrete Driveway

Concrete is a great material for a driveway. It's very versatile and can be colored or stamped to match your driveway design. It has a nice, smooth finish and it's very durable. The main drawback is that it is more expensive than both gravel or asphalt.

Stamped Concrete Driveway Ideas  

Keying off of the versatility of concrete driveways, are stamped concrete driveways. The material is the same, but the finish can bring a wide variety of styles to life. Do you want your driveway to look like English cobblestone? You can do that with stamped concrete. Do you want it to look like wood boards, unbelievably with a little coloring, you can do that as well. The possibilities are endless!

Photo courtesy of concretecraft.com

Paver Driveway

Installing a permeable paver driveway has many benefits.

  • Water will never pool on the surface of a permeable paver driveway.
  • A heating system can also be installed beneath the pavers to keep snow from accumulating.
  • Some municipalities offer grants or tax incentives for installing permeable driveway pavers because the system reduces the burden on local stormwater collection systems and it helps to remove pollutants.
  • Pavers can be laid in different patterns to give different looks and styles.
Photo courtesy of allmasonrylandscape.com

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of different driveway ideas when it comes to design, and types of materials. Do your research and pick the driveway that is right for you, after all it's going to be in front of your home!

Contact Bianchi-Tillett Developers today to walk through the different driveway designs and materials.

Additional Reading: