What we do
- New driveway and approach culverts
- Replacing crushed, rusted or plugged culverts
- Field and ditch crossings
- Gravel approach built over the pipe
- Rock rip-rap at the ends to stop washouts
- Ditch cleaning and regrading
Why culverts fail
A culvert only has one job: move water under your driveway. When it fails, water floods the road, washes out gravel or backs up onto your land. The usual causes are:
- Too small. The pipe cannot carry spring melt or a summer storm.
- Set at the wrong grade. Water sits in the pipe, fills it with silt, then freezes solid.
- Not enough cover. Heavy trucks crush a pipe that sits too close to the surface.
- No end protection. Water cuts around the ends and washes the approach away.
How we install a culvert
- Check the rules and the water. We look at your ditch, how much water it carries and what your county requires.
- Set the grade. We dig the trench so the pipe follows the natural flow of the ditch.
- Bed, place and backfill. The pipe sits on a firm gravel bed. We backfill and compact in layers so it will not sag or float.
- Cap and protect. We build the approach with road gravel and add rock at the ends where needed.
Freeze–thaw and culverts
Around Calgary, a chinook can melt snow in a day, then freeze again that night. Water that sits in a culvert turns to ice and blocks the pipe. Setting the right slope is the best way to keep water moving and stop ice from building up.
You may need a permit
Most counties and towns need a road approach permit before a culvert goes in at a public road, and some set the size and length. Rocky View County, Foothills County and the City of Calgary each have their own rules. We will help you check before we dig.
How much does a driveway culvert cost?
A standard 40 ft, 18-inch driveway culvert, installed, runs about $4,500–$5,750 + GST.
Every site is different. Soil, access and how far material has to travel all change the price. Try the cost estimator for your project, then we will confirm it with a free written quote.
Often booked together
Customers often add Gravel Driveways, Excavation & Grading or Dugouts & Ponds to this job. We can quote and schedule them together.
