Gravel, Fill and Mulch Delivery in Norfolk, VA

Low ground and a high water table

The USDA soil survey maps the ZIP's center point as Urban land, with 85 percent of that map unit paved or built over. The Nimmo series makes up 1 percent of the same map unit. Put simply, almost all of the ground at that spot is covered by streets, slabs and fill.^[1]

The soil there is rated poorly drained, and it falls in hydrologic soil group B/D. That split rating means the soil acts like group D, with very slow infiltration, while the water table is high, and like group B, with moderate infiltration, where it has been drained. On wet ground the water has nowhere to go, so the surface fills up fast in a storm.^[1]

The top mineral layer is a fine sandy loam, with a low shrink-swell rating of 1.5 percent in the top 100 cm. Soil like that does not heave much from wetting and drying, but it softens when saturated. A base laid on soggy fine sandy loam can sink unless fabric separates the two.^[1]

The ground at the center point stands 10 feet above sea level. Low ground near tidal water can drain slowly after a storm, and small differences in grade decide where puddles form.^[2]

Below that, the USGS geologic map places the center point on the Lynnhaven Member of the Tabb Formation, a Quaternary unit of sand and silt. Loose coastal sand and silt like this carry groundwater close to the surface for much of the year.^[3]

Coastal rain and storm runoff

The NOAA normals station at Norfolk S, VA, about 1 mile away, averages 53.3 inches of precipitation a year. Rain on low ground with a high water table has a hard time soaking in, so a yard can stay wet for days after a big storm. Plan every surface around where the runoff will go.^[4]

The Norfolk S station logs 50 days a year when the low falls to 32 F or below. Those cold nights are mostly light frosts, but water trapped in a soggy base can still freeze and lift loose stone at the surface.^[4]

The median last spring freeze there falls on March 23. The median first fall freeze comes on November 16. Spring is a good time to check how well a drive or a drain is working, since the ground can be at its wettest then.^[4]

Hard coastal storms can drop heavy rain in a short time. When the soil is already full, that water runs across the surface and collects in the lowest spot it can find, such as a driveway apron, a patio or the side of a house. Good grading and drainage stone make the difference between a dry yard and a pond.^[1],[4]

Raising and draining a wet yard

The first fix for a wet yard is to raise the low areas. Fill Dirt compacts into a firm mound for building up a pad or a section of lawn. Fill Sand drains better and suits areas under pavers or around pipes. Spread either one in thin layers and compact each before adding the next.^[1],[2]

Where raising the ground is not enough, a French drain moves water to a lower outlet. Dig a sloped trench, line it with fabric, add Drain Rock, lay perforated pipe, and cover it with more Drain Rock. The outlet must sit lower than the trench, which can be the hardest part on flat coastal land.^[1]

A dry well filled with #57 Crushed Stone can take roof water from a downspout, but only where the water table sits below the bottom of the pit. In a spot where water rises close to the surface, a pit fills with groundwater and does nothing. Dig a test hole after a rain to see how high the water stands before you commit.^[1]

After the drainage is set, cap lawn areas with a few inches of Topsoil and seed or sod them. Grass roots help hold the surface and take up some of the water.^[1]

A driveway on a soft subgrade

A gravel drive on wet fine sandy loam needs fabric under it. Without that separation layer, the subgrade pumps up into the stone every time a car rolls over a wet spot, and the drive slowly sinks. Lay a woven geotextile across the full width after you strip off the topsoil.^[1]

Virginia's highway builders call their main base stone Aggregate Base Material, Type I, Size No. 21A, under Section 208 of the Road and Bridge Specifications (2020).^[5]

For a home drive, place a thick layer of #4 Crushed Stone or 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel on the fabric, then Road Base to lock the surface, compacting each lift. Finish with 3/4" Crushed Stone or Driveway Gravel and crown it so rain runs to the sides. A shallow swale or Drain Rock strip along the edge carries that water away.^[1]

A patio on this ground deserves a finished grade slightly higher than the lawn around it, so rain sheds off instead of creeping onto the pavers. Compact Road Base in lifts over fabric, screed Concrete Sand, set the pavers, and fill the joints with Stone Dust Screenings. A border of River Rock around the patio catches the runoff it sheds.^[1]

Planting where water sits

Most plants dislike wet feet, so beds on poorly drained ground do best when raised. Build beds a little above the surrounding grade and fill them with Garden Soil. The raised soil drains and warms faster, and roots stay above the wettest layer.^[1]

Mix Compost into in-ground beds to loosen the soil and help it hold air. Spread Brown Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch after planting to keep heavy rain from splashing soil onto walks and to slow weeds through the warm months that follow the median last freeze in late March.^[4]

A dry creek bed of River Rock through a low part of the yard gives runoff a path and looks good when dry. Planting along its edges with moisture-loving shrubs makes use of the wet ground instead of fighting it.^[4]

Playground Sand makes a clean, soft surface for a sandbox or a play corner, and it drains faster than the native fine sandy loam. Set the play area on the highest part of the yard and edge it with timber so the sand stays put.^[1]

Late fall, after the median first freeze in mid November, is a good time to top up mulch and check that drains and swales are clear of leaves before the winter rains.^[4]

Homes in 23502 and across Norfolk

The Census counts 8,807 housing units in ZIP 23502. Detached single-family houses make up 54 percent of them.^[6]

Norfolk as a whole holds 103,524 housing units, with detached houses at 49 percent.^[6]

The median home in ZIP 23502 was built in 1967. The citywide median build year is 1964.^[6]

Owners live in 45 percent of the occupied homes in the ZIP.^[6]