Best Driveway Material: Types, Pros, Cons and More

is gravel the best driveway material?
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Finding the best driveway material for your home means thinking about a range of characteristics. Not only does the visual appeal matter, how it complements and even enhances the design of your self build or renovation, but also its maintenance requirements, how durable it is and its drainage properties. 

Don't forget, most new build homes will require some provision for off-road parking, so a driveway is an important part of your build that needs to be considered from the outset. 

Mark Brinkley

Mark is the author of the ever-popular Housebuilder’s Bible and an experienced builder. The Housebuilder’s Bible is the go-to hardback for self builders; originally published in 1994, it is updated every two years with up-to-date build costs and information on planning and building regulations, and is currently in its 14th reiteration.


He has written for publications such as Homebuilding & Renovating for over three decades. An experienced self builder, his latest self build, a contemporary eco home built to Passivhaus principles, was created on a tight urban brownfield plot.