Gravel Driveway Installation & Repair in Dixon, Illinois
Long gravel drives back to cabins, homes and shops are common in Lee County. They only last if the base and drainage are right from day one.
- Free estimates
- Owner-run by James
- Illinois Valley to the Quad Cities
Driveway Installation around Dixon
We build new gravel driveways, cut in lanes on acreage and timber ground, set culverts, and repair drives that have rutted or washed out.
James runs every job himself. The person who looks at your drive is the person who grades it.
Dixon is the Lee County seat. I-88 serves the city, and US 52 and IL 26 run together on Galena Avenue as the main north and south street.
Our driveway and dirt work page explains how we build a drive. Call (815) 240-9065 to set up a look.
What the job covers
- New gravel driveways from road to house or shop
- Lanes to cabins, hunting ground and outbuildings
- Topsoil stripped and a compacted base built
- Culverts set at ditch and draw crossings
- Regrading and re-stoning worn drives
- Crown and ditch work to stop washouts
Driveway Installation in Dixon: what to know
Drives through timber and up slopes
A drive through wooded ground starts with clearing the route. Then the soft material comes out and the base goes in. On a slope, water wants to run straight down the drive, so the crown and ditches matter even more.
We shape the drive to shed water to the sides and give it a way off. For clearing the route first, see land clearing in Dixon.
Entrances and permits
IL 2 crosses the Rock River into downtown, and several state routes meet here. A new drive onto a state highway needs an Illinois Department of Transportation access permit.
For county and township roads, call the Lee County highway department or the township road commissioner about the entrance and culvert. Inside city limits, check with the City of Dixon. Confirm before work starts.
Fixing a drive that washes out
A drive that loses stone after every storm usually has no crown, or water has nowhere to go. More rock does not fix that.
We restore the crown, clean or cut the ditches, and add a culvert if water is crossing. Then we add stone. Our gravel driveway repair guide goes deeper.
Keeping stone where it belongs
On a drive near a lawn, stone tends to drift into the grass after plowing and mowing. A poured concrete edge along the drive keeps it in place.
We do concrete curbing as well, so the edge can go in once the drive is finished. That closes out the job in one trip.
In winter, the same equipment plows long rural drives and lanes. A drive with a good crown and clear ditches plows cleaner too, because there is somewhere for the snow and the melt to go.
Driveway Installation on real jobs
Every photo here is from a real OPS job. See more recent work. Or read about our full driveway & dirt work service.
Dixon driveway installation questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (815) 240-9065 and ask James, or read the common questions.
- Cost GuideGravel Driveway Cost in Illinois: What Moves the Price
- GuideHow to Fix a Gravel Driveway: Potholes, Washboard and Drainage
- GuideHow to Build a Gravel Driveway, Step by Step
- Cost GuideForestry Mulching Cost Per Acre in Illinois: What Moves the Price
- Cost GuideHow Much Does Land Clearing Cost in Illinois?
- Cost GuideHow Much Does It Cost to Build a Pond in Illinois?
Can you build a drive back to a cabin in Lee County?
Yes. We clear the route if needed, build a solid base, set culverts at any crossings and surface it with stone.
Who approves a new driveway entrance around Dixon?
IDOT for state highways, the Lee County highway department or township road commissioner for other rural roads, and the City of Dixon inside city limits.
Why does my Dixon gravel drive wash out every spring?
Most of the time it is missing its crown or the ditches cannot carry water away. Fixing the shape comes before adding rock.
Do you put in culverts under farm lanes in Lee County?
Yes. Where a lane crosses a ditch or a draw, we set a culvert so water passes under the lane instead of over it. Check with the road authority if the culvert sits in a road ditch.
How do I get a quote for a driveway near Dixon?
Call (815) 240-9065 or send photos and the address through the form. Length, base work and culverts set the price.
Dixon & Lee County
We cover Dixon and the communities around it, including:
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (815) 240-9065.
Pond Building in Dixon
New ponds dug and shaped, silted-in old ones cleaned back out.
See the Dixon pageTown pageAll services in Dixon
Land clearing, mulching and dirt work around Dixon and Lee County.
Dixon overviewServiceDriveway & Dirt Work
New rock drives cut in, washed-out ones regraded and re-stoned.
The full serviceDriveway Installation in other towns
Towns near Dixon
What people say after
Word for word from the OPS Google Business Profile. Recent jobs are on Facebook.
“James has done a wonderful job for us. He is timely, efficient and willing to travel where needed. You will not be disappointed.”
“OPS does what they say they’ll do, and do it efficiently and at a fair price. You’ll be glad you hired them.”
“James is a good communicator… he has some super equipment and for sure endeavors to do a great job. He recently rototilled some property for me… then planted it with oats and grass seed. Now it can rain all it wants!!”
“OPS did an amazing job on our property. We hired them to install a drainage system for our pool area, level the ground…”
From First Call to Usable Ground
Call or Text
Call or text (815) 240-9065 or send the form. Roughly how many acres, what is growing and whether a truck and trailer can get in.
We Look at the Ground
James looks at the ground before he gives you a number, so the estimate fits the job in front of him.
The Work Gets Done
We agree on what comes out and what stays. Then the machines go to work, with James running them.
Ground You Can Use
You are left with ground you can walk, mow, build on or farm, and the topsoil stays where it belongs.
Need driveway installation in Dixon?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.
Straight to James. No call center.
Got a piece of ground?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.