How to Dig a Trench Into a Gravel Driveway

Step 1

Examine the gravel driveway after a rainfall, and mark off the area where water stands for more than an hour with a garden stakes. Draw an L-shaped course for the drainage system by laying a long rope on the ground from the problem area to the low-lying side of the driveway and down to the street.

Step 2

Dig out a trench 10 inches wide through the driveway with a shovel. Dump the removed gravel on a nearby tarp to fill in the trench with once you’re done. Dig out 18 inches of gravel from the trench. Slope the bottom toward the low-lying side by digging a smooth slope on a 1/8-inch decline per every horizontal foot.

Step 3

Dig out another 10-inch wide trench along the side of the driveway to connect with the first trench. Scoop out the grass and dirt with a shovel and keep it on another tarp. This trench should be 18 inches deep and sloped toward the street.

Step 4

Tamp the bottom of both trenches with the flat end of a 4-by-4-inch board. Lay synthetic filtration fabric over the bottom of each trench to keep silt from floating up into the drain pipes.

Step 5

Shovel 6 inches of gravel into both trenches and tamp it down. You’ll need to purchase new gravel to fill the trench along the side of the driveway.

Step 6

Arrange 4-inch PVC perforated pipes down the center of the trench. Connect lengths of pipe with tee, wye or elbow fittings depending on the angle of the joint.

Step 7

Cover the pipes with another 6-inch-thick layer of gravel, and layer filtration fabric over the top to block silt and debris from seeping down.

Step 8

Fill in the remaining trench running across the driveway with gravel, and tamp it down so it's level with the rest of the driveway.

Step 9

Pour soil into the remaining hole along the side of the driveway, and plant the grass back over the soil so it doesn’t erode.