Driveway Installation & Dirt Work
A gravel drive is mostly base and drainage. Get those right and it holds for years; get them wrong and you’re adding rock every spring.
- Free estimates
- Owner-run by James
- Illinois Valley to the Quad Cities
Driveway & Dirt Work, step by step
New drives
Route cut, topsoil stripped out, base built and compacted, culvert set where the ditch crosses, then surfaced. The stripping matters — rock laid over topsoil disappears into it.
Gravel driveway repair and maintenance
Ruts, potholes, soft spots and washboarding are the usual call. A drive that is still structurally sound gets regraded and re-stoned in a day. One that has lost its base needs the base rebuilt first — otherwise the same holes come back by spring.
Drives that wash out
Usually a crown-and-ditch problem rather than a rock problem. Re-establishing the crown so water sheds to the sides, and giving the ditch somewhere to go, fixes more drives than another load of stone.
Dirt work in general
Hauling, spreading, backfilling, cutting in a turnaround, building up a low approach — the earthmoving that surrounds most projects.
Driveway & Dirt Work near you
Regular work through the Illinois Valley, north to Sterling and Dixon and west into the Quad Cities. See the full service area.
Driveway Installation by town
Illinois Valley
Northwest IL & Quad Cities
Driveway & Dirt Work on real jobs
Every photo here is from a real OPS job. See more recent work.
Driveway & Dirt Work 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?
What does a job cost?
It depends on acreage, how thick the growth is, how big the material is, the terrain, and how hard the site is to get equipment into. Two properties of the same acreage can be a full day apart in work. That’s why estimates are free and why it’s worth looking at the ground rather than quoting off a map.
How long does a job take?
Small jobs — a fence row, an overgrown lot, a driveway regrade — are often a day or less. An acre of heavy, mature growth takes considerably longer than an acre of light brush. You’ll get a realistic time estimate along with the price, not an optimistic one.
Do you work year-round?
Yes. Mulching and clearing carry on through the colder months, and winter is often the better time for it — the ground is firm, there are no leaves in the way, and you can see what you’re working with. Snow plowing runs through the same season.
How do I get an estimate?
Call or text, or send the form on the contact page. The details that help most up front: roughly how many acres, how thick it is, what’s growing on it, whether a truck and trailer can get in, and when you’d like it done.
What usually goes with it
Most jobs start with the mulcher and end somewhere else. All services.
Grading & Land Leveling
Low spots filled, high spots cut, water sent where you actually want it.
Learn moreServiceSite Preparation
Ground stripped, cut and packed into a pad that will hold a building.
Learn moreServiceCurbing & Landscape
Poured concrete edging and finish work to close a project out.
Learn moreWhat 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 and dirt work?
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.