MILLINGS WIN
Long drives and lots where dust bothers the house or the neighbors, steep spots where loose rock washes out, and anyone who wants the closest thing to pavement without paving money.
ASPHALT MILLINGS VS GRAVEL FOR A DRIVEWAY OR LOT.
Pick millings if you want a hard, dark surface that stays put and keeps the dust down. Pick 1 1/2" crusher run if you want a stone look, better drainage and the lower price. In Tulsa County a load of screened millings runs $490 delivered and a load of crusher run runs $425, sales tax extra.
01
HEAD TO HEAD
Same job, two different materials. Here is how they compare where it counts.
| Screened millings | 1 1/2" crusher run | |
|---|---|---|
| How it packs | Tightens toward a paved feel as the binder warms | Locks into a firm surface, stays a stone surface |
| Dust and mud | Very little dust, sheds water | Some dust in dry spells, firm in wet weather |
| Look | Dark grey to black | Grey crushed stone |
| Upkeep | Fewer top-ups once it sets | A fresh layer every few years on a busy drive |
| Drainage | Water runs off the top | Water works down through slowly |
| One load, delivered | $490 | $425 |
Tulsa County prices, delivery included, sales tax extra. Final tonnage is by scale ticket.
02
HOW EACH ONE HOLDS UP
Millings are ground-up road asphalt with the old binder still in them. Once they are laid and packed, warm weather softens that binder and traffic presses the pieces together. The surface keeps tightening over the first couple of summers. Loose stones do not kick into the yard, puddles are rare, and dust stays low.
Crusher run is crushed stone with the fines left in. Packed down, the fines fill the gaps and the rock locks into a hard surface that handles cars and trucks well. It never fuses the way millings do, so tires slowly push stone to the edges and low spots show up where water sits.
Neither one is maintenance-free. A millings drive asks for patching where it gets soft or thin. A gravel drive asks for a fresh top layer every so often and a rake now and then.
03
WHEN EACH ONE WINS
CRUSHER RUN WINS
Tight budgets, wet ground that needs water to move down instead of off, drives you want to look like stone, and the base layer under almost anything else.
EITHER WORKS
A typical home driveway over firm ground. One load of either covers about 800 to 950 square feet at four inches, so it often comes down to looks and budget.
04
WHAT GOES UNDER EACH
Both materials do their best work over a firm base. If your drive already has old gravel on it and the ground under it is solid, either one can go straight on top.
Over bare dirt or soft ground, lay a base of 3" crusher run first, then put your millings or 1 1/2" crusher run on top. On very soft ground, some people put a first lift of shale under the base. The road base guide walks through those layers.
Depth matters more than people expect. Plan on 3 to 4 inches of millings over a firm base and 4 to 6 inches over soft ground. Crusher run as a top course goes 3 to 4 inches deep. To turn your measurements into tons, see what a yard weighs or use the calculator on the millings page or the gravel page.
05
MILLINGS VS GRAVEL QUESTIONS
Which is cheaper for a driveway, millings or gravel?
Gravel, by a little. In Tulsa County a load of 1 1/2 inch crusher run runs $425 delivered and a load of screened millings runs $490, sales tax extra. Each load is 14 to 16 tons, so both cover about the same area.
Can I put asphalt millings over an existing gravel driveway?
Yes, and it is one of the best places to put them. Old gravel that is still firm makes a good base. Fill the worst holes first so the millings go down at an even depth.
Are millings less dusty than gravel?
Usually, yes. Once millings pack and the binder sets, they give off very little dust. Crusher run is firm but can raise some dust in a long dry spell.
Which drains better, millings or gravel?
Gravel. Packed crusher run lets some water work down through it. Packed millings shed water off the top, so shape the surface so the water has somewhere to go.
Do I need a base under millings?
On firm ground or old gravel, no. Over bare dirt or soft spots, a base layer of 3 inch crusher run underneath makes a much stronger drive. The road base guide explains the layers.
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More guides: what a yard weighs · road base types · crusher run vs ASTM #57 stone. Every cut and price: asphalt millings · gravel & crushed rock · all materials & prices.