Gravel, Sand, Fill Dirt and Mulch Delivery in Wilmington, NC

Wet Ground Near Sea Level

At the ZIP's center point the USDA soil survey maps Dorovan soils, and the Dorovan series makes up 80 percent of the map unit. The survey rates that soil very poorly drained, which is the wettest drainage class it uses. The texture of its top mineral layer is loamy sand.^[1]

The hydrologic group is B/D, meaning the soil acts like group D while the water table is high and like group B where it has been drained. As a result, water stands in it for long stretches. Sandy soil like this lets water through quickly once there is somewhere for it to go, but when the water table sits close to the surface, there is nowhere to go.^[1]

The USGS elevation service puts the ground at the center point at 0 feet above sea level. Underneath, the state geologic compilation shows the Peedee Formation, a Cretaceous unit of sand, clay and limestone. For yard work, the important layer is the wet sandy soil on top, not the formation below it.^[2],[3]

Rain by the Foot

Wilmington Intl AP, NC, about 4 miles away, is the closest NOAA normals station. That airport averages 60.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.9 inches of snow, with 37 days when the low reaches 32 F or colder.^[4]

The airport's median last spring freeze arrives March 19. Its median first fall freeze comes November 20. Mild winters mean frost does little harm to gravel, and planting can start early in spring and run late into fall.^[4]

Heavy rain is the real test. That much water will find every low spot and soft edge on a property. Gravel surfaces should be raised slightly, shaped to shed water, and built from stone that drains. Fine material that holds water, such as Stone Dust Screenings, is best kept to thin setting beds rather than whole driveways in wet ground.^[4]

Raising a Drive or Pad

On very poorly drained ground, build up, not down. Bring in Fill Dirt or Fill Sand to raise the area a little above the surrounding yard, compact it, and lay a woven fabric on top. That fabric keeps the wet sand underneath from working up into the stone and gives the base a firm floor.^[1]

Over the fabric, spread #57 Crushed Stone or 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel in compacted lifts. Clean, open stone lets water drain through and away rather than holding it. Top it with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone for a firm driving surface. Shape the finished drive with a crown so rain runs to the edges.^[1]

North Carolina's Department of Transportation names its standard base Aggregate Base Course, in Section 520 of the Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures (January 2024). Highway crews depend on a graded, compacted base below their pavement, and home drives on soft ground benefit from the same principle.^[5]

Homes in ZIP 28401

The Census Bureau counts 13,424 housing units in ZIP 28401, and 53 percent are detached single-family houses. The median home in the ZIP was built in 1958, and owners occupy 41 percent of the lived-in homes.^[6]

Wilmington as a whole has 62,836 housing units, half of them, 50 percent, detached, with a median year built of 1989. Older homes in the downtown ZIP often have narrow drives, brick walks and long-established beds. Many orders here are for repairs and refreshes: a load of gravel for a rutted parking strip, fill for a low corner, or mulch for the spring cleanup.^[6]

Drainage, Storms and Garden Beds

Standing water near a house is the most common complaint on wet coastal ground. A trench of Drain Rock wrapped in fabric, sloped toward a lower area or the street, pulls water away from the foundation. Downspout outlets need a splash bed of River Rock so they do not scour the sand.^[1]

Plants struggle with roots sitting in wet sand. Raised beds filled with Garden Soil keep the root zone above the water table and drain after storms. Mix Compost into in-ground beds to add body to the loamy sand, which otherwise loses nutrients quickly.^[1]

Mulch keeps sandy soil from drying out between storms and stops heavy rain from splashing it onto walks and siding. Pine-colored Brown Shredded Mulch, Red Mulch and Black Shredded Mulch all suit coastal gardens. Where a bank faces running water, Riprap holds the edge, with a layer of crushed stone behind it so the sand does not wash through.^[4]

Coastal storms can drop a lot of rain in a short time, and loose material on a slope or along a ditch is the first thing to move. Riprap, the largest stone, armors a ditch bank or a drain outlet against fast water. Behind it, a layer of 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel acts as a filter so the sand underneath does not wash out through the gaps.^[3],[4]

After a big storm, walk the drive and the yard. Look for washed edges, low spots that held water for days, and places where gravel spread onto the lawn. A load of stone to rebuild the crown and a few tons of Fill Dirt for the low corners usually puts things right. Fixing small washouts early stops them from turning into deep ruts.^[1]

Mulched beds hold up better in heavy rain when they sit a little above the lawn and have an edge. Wood Chips are chunkier than shredded mulch and float away less in a downpour. For beds on a slope, Brown Shredded Mulch knits together as it settles and stays put better than loose chips.^[4]

Open Stone or Fine Stone

The choice between open, clean stone and stone with fines matters more on wet ground than almost anywhere else. #57 Crushed Stone and #67 Stone are clean grades with no dust, so water drains straight through them. Road Base and Stone Dust Screenings carry fines that pack into a tight, firm layer but hold more water. In a soil rated very poorly drained, the open grades belong in any layer that needs to stay dry.^[1]

That does not mean fines have no use here. A thin layer of Road Base on top of an open stone base locks the surface and gives a smoother drive. Stone Dust Screenings make a firm setting bed under pavers and flagstone. Keep fine material thin and high, above the open stone that does the draining.^[1]

For walks and garden paths, Pea Gravel and #89 Crushed Stone both drain well and feel comfortable underfoot. Pea Gravel rolls a little more. #89 Crushed Stone, a small angular chip, holds its place better on a path that sees bikes or wheelbarrows. Either one sits best over fabric on loamy sand.^[1]