Do you also pave the asphalt?

No. We handle excavation and base, then coordinate with your paving contractor so they can pave right behind us. Gravel driveways we build from start to finish.

What goes under a driveway that holds up?

Compacted subgrade, geotextile fabric to keep stone from pushing into the soil, then dense-graded aggregate, crusher run or QP, placed and compacted in lifts instead of dumped all at once. Depth depends on your soil and what parks on it.

Can you widen my driveway or add a parking pad?

Yes. The extension is cut in, the base is built to the existing depth, and the grades are tied together so the new section doesn't settle away from the old.

What does driveway excavation cost in New Jersey?

As a general market range, not a quote: removing an existing driveway and prepping the subgrade often runs $1,000 to $2,500, and a finished gravel driveway usually falls between $4 and $10 per square foot installed. Soil, depth, access, and truckloads of haul-off move the number, so we give a firm written price after a site visit.

How long does a driveway rebuild take?

A typical residential driveway is dug out, based, and compacted in one to three days, weather permitting. The 811 markout must clear first, and a paving contractor usually follows within a few days of the base being ready.

Driveway Base Work

Driveway Excavation & Gravel Driveways in Edison

Edison Excavation removes failed asphalt and gravel driveways and rebuilds the layers underneath: geotextile fabric, dense-graded aggregate compacted in lifts, and a pitch that sends water off the surface. We finish it as a gravel driveway or turn it over base-ready to your paving contractor.

Call (732) 709-1242 Request a Site Visit

A new asphalt driveway running alongside a house after the old drive was dug out and rebased.

The Standard

Laser-set grades and clean, true-to-plan results.

Rebuilding from the bottom up

Driveways fail from below, so that's where we start. The NJ One Call 811 markout is called in before any cutting.

Dug Out to Firm Ground

The failed surface and the soft subgrade beneath it are removed, not just the top few inches. Spoil goes into the 7-yard dump truck and leaves the same day.

Base Placed in Lifts

Geotextile fabric over the subgrade, then dense-graded aggregate placed and compacted lift by lift. Laser grade control keeps depth and slope consistent along the full run.

Pitched to Drain

Crown and pitch are set so rain runs off the driveway instead of toward the garage or down its center. Standing water is what destroys driveways.

What makes a driveway fail early

Cracked asphalt and rutted gravel are only symptoms. The cause is nearly always underneath: a thin base, no fabric, or subgrade that was never compacted. Resurfacing over a weak base buys a little time. Rebuilding the base solves it. That's our part of the job, and a 5 to 6 ton excavator with a dump truck is the right size for a residential drive.

Where we work
After that you choose the finish. A gravel driveway is a complete product from us: compacted quarry process over the base, graded to shed water. If you're paving, your asphalt contractor gets a compacted, laser-graded base ready for the paver. We also cut in extensions, widen narrow approaches, and rebuild aprons where the drive meets the street.

Driveway base depth, explained

The soil and the vehicles decide the depth. As a rule of thumb, a gravel driveway for cars needs about 6 to 8 inches of compacted dense-graded aggregate over geotextile fabric, and 10 to 12 inches where the subsoil is soft clay or the drive carries trucks, trailers, or an oil delivery. Under asphalt, the stone base usually runs 4 to 8 inches beneath the paving.

Much of north Middlesex sits on clay and silt that hold water, which is why fabric matters on an Edison driveway: it stops stone from sinking into wet soil and mud from pumping up into the stone. We dig until we hit firm subgrade rather than stopping at a set number, then rebuild in compacted lifts so the depth is real, not just the stone on the invoice.

Driveway excavation pricing

Typical New Jersey ranges, for budgeting only: removing an old driveway and prepping the subgrade usually costs $1,000 to $2,500. A new gravel driveway over a proper base commonly runs $4 to $10 per square foot, roughly $4,000 to $10,000 for a 100-foot by 10-foot drive.

The spread comes from things a site walk reveals: how many truckloads of old material leave, whether soft soil needs extra stone and fabric, the length and slope of the run, and how close the dump truck can get. We walk it, measure it, and give one firm written price, with no change orders for things we could have seen.

See all excavation cost ranges

What happens after you call

From the site walk to the final cleanup

1. Site Walk
We visit the property by appointment, check access and any constraints, and go over your plans or what you have in mind.
2. Marking & Layout
The layout is set on the ground with laser accuracy. Depths, lines, and elevations are marked before any digging starts.
3. The Work
The right machine for the access comes in, ground protection goes down where needed, and disturbance to lawns, trees, and hardscape is kept to a minimum.
4. Clean Handover
You're left with a site ready for the next step and a yard that's still in one piece.

Frequently Asked Questions

: No. We handle excavation and base, then coordinate with your paving contractor so they can pave right behind us. Gravel driveways we build from start to finish.
: Compacted subgrade, geotextile fabric to keep stone from pushing into the soil, then dense-graded aggregate, crusher run or QP, placed and compacted in lifts instead of dumped all at once. Depth depends on your soil and what parks on it.
: Yes. The extension is cut in, the base is built to the existing depth, and the grades are tied together so the new section doesn't settle away from the old.
: As a general market range, not a quote: removing an existing driveway and prepping the subgrade often runs $1,000 to $2,500, and a finished gravel driveway usually falls between $4 and $10 per square foot installed. Soil, depth, access, and truckloads of haul-off move the number, so we give a firm written price after a site visit.
: A typical residential driveway is dug out, based, and compacted in one to three days, weather permitting. The 811 markout must clear first, and a paving contractor usually follows within a few days of the base being ready.

Service Areas

Edison, Metuchen, Piscataway, Woodbridge, and nearby Middlesex and Union County towns north of the Raritan.

Driveway beyond patching? Let's see what's underneath.

Site visits are by appointment. Share a few details about the project and a time gets set to walk the property together.

Request a Site Visit