On rural property, the driveway is the first thing you build and the thing you drive every day. A gravel driveway or private access road that’s built right drains well, doesn’t rut out every winter, and holds up to delivery trucks and equipment. Reach Dirt Works builds and rebuilds gravel driveways and access roads for homeowners, acreage owners, builders and small commercial properties across Snohomish County.
What’s Included
- Route clearing. We remove brush, trees and stumps along the driveway or road alignment.
- Excavation and subgrade. We strip organic soil and shape a firm, crowned or sloped subgrade.
- Base and surfacing. We place and compact a rock base and top surfacing.
- Drainage. Ditches and culverts where water needs to cross or run alongside the driveway.
- Driveway reconditioning. We regrade, re-crown and resurface worn, potholed or rutted driveways.
- Turnarounds and parking pads. Room for trucks, trailers, RVs and equipment.
Common Projects
- A new driveway into a raw rural lot ahead of building
- Construction access for a new home or shop
- Rebuilding a rutted or potholed gravel driveway
- Long private access roads on acreage
- Gravel parking and yard areas for shops and light commercial sites
Local Considerations
County access permits. Connecting a new driveway, or a new private road, to a county-maintained road requires an access permit from Snohomish County. Single-family residential access is a Type D1 access permit, applied for online with a site plan. If you’ll take access straight off an existing private road for a single-family home, the county says an access permit isn’t required. Access permits cover only the work in the public right-of-way and have to meet the county’s Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDDS). Inside city limits, the city handles driveway connections.
Access standards. Snohomish County code sets requirements for access to lots not created through a subdivision, especially when new access is proposed or use increases. Long private roads may need to meet EDDS standards. Your permit applicant or engineer will confirm what applies to your parcel.
Drainage makes or breaks gravel. Driveways in our wet climate fail from water, not traffic. A proper crown, ditches and culverts keep water off and away from the base. That matters even more on glacial till soils, where water can’t soak in.
Grading thresholds. Fills that support private roads don’t qualify for the county’s small-grading exemption, so a longer access road may fall under a Land Disturbing Activity permit.
Driveway FAQ
Do I need a permit for a new driveway? If it connects to a county-maintained road, yes: a county access permit. If it comes off an existing private road for a single-family home, the county doesn’t require an access permit, though grading rules may still apply. Inside a city, ask the city.
Can you fix my existing gravel driveway? Yes. Regrading, re-crowning, adding base rock and fixing drainage are some of our most common jobs.
How long should a driveway take? It depends on length, clearing and drainage. After a site visit we’ll give you a realistic timeline and a quote.
Can you build construction access before I build? Yes. A solid access road is usually the first part of site prep, and it can become your finished driveway later.
Areas We Serve
We work within about an hour of Snohomish, including Snohomish, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Everett, Arlington, Granite Falls, Mill Creek, and unincorporated communities such as Machias, Cathcart, Clearview and Maltby. See all areas we serve.
Get a Free Quote
Reach Dirt Works is family owned and operated in Snohomish, WA. We’re licensed, bonded & insured (WA contractor license #REACHDW771Q7) and rated 5.0 stars on Google.
Call 360-512-2225 or request a free quote. Tell us where the property is and what you’re planning, and we’ll set up a site visit.
