Gravel, Stone and Soil Delivery in Provo, UT

A dry valley with snowy winters

The nearest NOAA normals station is Provo Byu, UT, about 5 miles away. It averages 17.2 inches of precipitation a year, a dry total, and 44.9 inches of snow. Much of the year's moisture falls as snow, and much of it melts off in a few weeks of spring. Summers can be long and dry, so beds need water held in, and gravel surfaces face sun and dust more than rain.^[1]

The station counts 111 days a year when the low reaches 32 F or colder. Daytime sun on snow and a hard freeze at night move water in and out of the top of a drive again and again. That is how potholes start. The station's median last spring freeze is April 18, and its median first fall freeze is October 21.^[1]

The ZIP's center point is mapped at 4,490 feet above sea level. Gravel and soil jobs here fit best in the warm months between the spring and fall freeze dates, when the ground is thawed and dry enough to grade and compact.^[1],[2]

A gravel drive for snow and melt

A drive that sees deep snow and many hard freezes must keep water out of its base. Strip the topsoil, shape the subgrade so it sheds water to one side, and compact it. Lay woven fabric if the ground is soft or fine. Then build up Road Base in thin, wetted lifts, compacting each one until it feels like pavement underfoot.^[1]

For the surface, 3/4" Crushed Stone or Driveway Gravel holds a plow blade better than rounded stone. Asphalt Millings pack into a tight, dark top that sheds melt and warms in winter sun. Crushed Concrete makes a firm, light gray surface for a side pad or an RV spot.^[1]

Snow piles need a home. Push them to the low side of the lot or onto a lawn, never onto the drive edge, where melt will soak the base each spring. A shallow trench of #57 Crushed Stone or Drain Rock along the drive gives melt a place to sink in before it freezes again at night.^[1]

Water-wise yards with stone

With 17.2 inches of yearly precipitation at the station, many owners swap thirsty lawn for stone and planted beds. Decomposed Granite makes firm paths and patios with a natural tan color. 3/8" Crushed Stone and Pea Gravel cover areas around shrubs and let drip water through. River Rock lines a dry creek that carries spring melt and storm water across the yard.^[1]

Lay landscape fabric under decorative stone in planted areas to keep weeds down, but cut generous openings around each plant. Larger rock such as 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel or Riprap sets the edges of a wash or a slope. Walkway Gravel and Stone Dust Screenings make a path that packs smooth and stays put through the winter.^[1]

Paths, pads and parking for shared lots

Apartment buildings, duplexes and rental houses often share a gravel lot behind the building. Shared parking takes many turns a day, so it needs a deep, compacted base of Road Base or Crushed Concrete and a top of 3/4" Crushed Stone or Asphalt Millings. A slight fall toward one edge, with a stone trench there, carries spring melt off the lot.^[1],[3]

Footpaths between buildings collect snow and ice in winter. A path of Walkway Gravel or 3/8" Crushed Stone over a firm base gives better grip than smooth pavers when a thin layer of ice forms. Keep the path edge raised a little so melt runs off to the side instead of along the walking line.^[1]

Trash and recycling pads take heavy rolling bins every week. A rectangle of compacted Road Base topped with #57 Crushed Stone, edged with timber or concrete, holds up far longer than lawn. Railroad Ballast suits the base of a pad that carries a large dumpster, since its big angular pieces resist the weight.^[3]

Bike parking, play areas and small gardens round out a shared yard. Playground Sand or Wood Chips cushion a play area, and a raised bed of Garden Soil gives tenants a place to grow herbs. Each of these spots should drain well, since spring melt from 44.9 inches of yearly snowfall at the station has to go somewhere.^[1]

Choosing between Decomposed Granite and Walkway Gravel

Decomposed Granite is fine, sandy granite with a lot of binding grit. Wetted and rolled over a compacted base, it sets into a surface close to soft pavement. It suits a patio, a seating area or a main path to a door. In freeze-thaw country, it can loosen a bit each spring and may need raking and rolling again.^[1]

Walkway Gravel is a looser mix that still packs well and drains quickly. It loosens less in spring because water passes through rather than sitting in the fines. Pick Decomposed Granite for a smooth, formal look and Walkway Gravel for a path that sheds snowmelt with little upkeep. Either one needs a firm edge to hold it in place when it is shoveled.^[1]

Beds that hold water through summer

Dry summers make soil the most important part of a bed. Garden Soil gives new beds a rich, loose start, and Compost worked into older beds helps them hold water between irrigation runs. Topsoil levels lawn areas and fills low spots before seeding. Plant tender annuals after the April 18 median last spring freeze at the station.^[1]

Mulch saves water. Wood Chips and Brown Shredded Mulch shade the soil and slow evaporation, and they break down into the bed over time. Black Shredded Mulch and Red Mulch hold the same moisture with a bolder color near the house. Refresh mulch before the October 21 median first fall freeze to shield roots through winter.^[1]

Fill Dirt raises a low corner or backfills a wall, and Fill Sand beds a pipe or a paver base. Playground Sand fills a sandbox, and Concrete Sand and Mason Sand go into mortar, paver joints and setting beds.^[1]

Homes in ZIP 84601 and Provo

The Census counts 11,456 housing units in ZIP 84601. Detached single-family houses make up 43 percent, so many homes are apartments, duplexes or townhomes. Owners live in 48 percent of the occupied homes. The median home in the ZIP was built in 1988.^[3]

Provo as a whole holds 35,944 housing units, and 38 percent of them are detached houses. The city's median build year is 1983. Gravel Valet delivers to single homes, rental lots and small complexes alike, from a side yard of Pea Gravel to a full drive rebuild.^[3]