Gravel and Aggregate Delivery in Calais, ME

Maine Rock Supply brings gravel and aggregate delivery in Calais, ME to the job you are planning, whether that is a driveway rebuild, a patio base, or a drainage run. Type A gravel is the Maine base course.

DownEast ground is coarse sandy and bouldery till over granite and volcanic bedrock, with ledge close to the surface. That shapes what you put down and how you prep it.

Materials for Calais Projects

Grading and bed prep start with soil and fill. Screened loam is the Maine trade name for topsoil, and it goes down for lawn repair, seeding and finish grading.

Unscreened loam is the rougher grade.

Top Soil takes a seedbed. Garden Soil is a blended planting mix for raised beds and vegetable gardens, where plain loam alone is too lean.

Fill Dirt is bulk fill, also called common borrow, for raising grade and backfill under a gravel course. It builds the shape; it is not a finished surface.

On top of that prepared grade, Type A gravel is the compacted base for drives, parking pads, camp roads and shed bases. Type A Gravel is crushed gravel, and Maine base is crushed gravel rather than crushed stone.

Bank run gravel comes out of the pit as it lies, unprocessed. Bank Run Gravel works as rough subbase and bulk fill, a filler course rather than a finished driving surface.

For the running surface on a gravel drive, 3/4 inch crushed gravel is the size Maine yards sell. Driveway Gravel is that top course.

Ground and Conditions in Calais

Start with where the water goes. Shallow soil over ledge and wide areas of bog and peat leave water sitting on the surface, while the outwash barrens drain almost too fast and wash out unbound surfaces.

Those two conditions want different stone. A wet, soft subgrade needs a clean, open drainage layer so water can move rather than sit.

Fast-draining sand and gravel ground needs a base that knits together under load.

For drainage trenches, drywells and pipe bedding, 3/4 inch washed stone is the clean stone that sheds water instead of holding it. 3/4" Crushed Stone is that size.

Where 3/4 inch is too coarse for a narrow trench, 3/8 inch crushed stone handles tight drainage work and fine top dressing. 3/8" Crushed Stone covers it.

On soft ground, 1 1/2 inch crushed stone stabilizes wet subgrade before a gravel course goes on. Maine yards list this size in inches rather than by number.

#4 Crushed Stone is that stone.

Erosion is its own problem here. The Downeast coast sees some of the largest tides on the coast, with surge and wave action on exposed granite shoreline, plus runoff scour on the sandy barrens and at culvert outlets.

Rip rap is the answer on shore and stream bank armouring, culvert outlets and ditch checks. Maine yards sell it in ranges such as 6 inch and 12 to 24 inch.

Riprap is sized for that work.

The working season is short. A late spring thaw near the water and fog and damp slow curing and compaction, so plan base and paver work for the middle of the season.

Long cold winters bring heavy frost, held slightly in check near the water by fog and sea air, with hard frost heaving on gravel roads and camp drives every spring. Frost depth runs about 4 to 5 feet across the Downeast coast and blueberry barrens, deeper on the inland barrens than at the shore.

That figure is a footing depth, and the local building official sets footing depth for your project. Do not dig or build a gravel base below the frost line.

Delivery to Calais and the Surrounding Area

Bulk material arrives by dump truck and tips in one pile at the spot you choose on site. Have that spot clear and reachable before the truck rolls in.

You order online. Quantities are ordered by the ton or by the yard, and each product page has a calculator to size the load.

Pick your delivery date at checkout.

Calais sits in Washington County, and delivery covers the surrounding area, including Machias, Milbridge, East Machias, Baileyville and Eastport.

Order Gravel, Soil and Fill for Your Calais Project

Maine Rock Supply delivers Type A gravel, bank run, driveway gravel, crushed stone, sand, screened loam, garden soil and fill to Calais and Washington County. Prep the grade, pick your material, and order online when you are ready.