Tired of ruts, potholes and mud after every rain? MB General Contracting builds new gravel driveways and rebuilds tired ones the right way — solid base, the correct surface rock, a proper crown to shed water, and culverts where they belong — so your drive stays smooth and holds up for years across Phelps County and the surrounding Ozarks.
Out here, most driveways are gravel — and a gravel driveway is only as good as the base under it and the drainage around it. Plenty of drives get "fixed" by dumping a load of rock on top of soft, rutted ground. That looks better for a month, then the rock disappears into the mud and the potholes come right back. We do it differently. Whether you need a brand-new driveway cut in from the county road or a worn-out lane brought back to life, we grade the ground, build a stable base, shape a crown that sheds water, and top it with the right rock so it actually lasts.
Matthew Buhlinger has been grading and building driveways around St. James and Rolla for 15+ years, and MB General Contracting owns the dozers, excavators and skid steers to do the job start to finish. That means one crew handling the whole thing — the earthwork, the drainage, the rock and the finish grade — not a patchwork of subs. From short residential drives in town to long farm lanes running back a quarter mile to a shop or field, we build driveways sized and shaped for how you actually use them.
A driveway that holds water is a driveway that fails. The crown, the ditching and the culverts are what separate a drive that lasts years from one that washes out every spring. We build in real drainage from the start — and if your property has bigger water problems, we can address those with the same equipment while we're on site.
Because we do our own excavating and pour concrete in-house, we can clear the path, cut the grade, set the drainage and finish the surface without juggling outside contractors. If trees or brush are in the way, our land clearing gets it opened up first.
Driveways in this part of the Ozarks face a specific set of challenges, and building for them is the whole job. The ground around Rolla and St. James is hilly Ozark-plateau terrain with plenty of chert and rock, sloping lots, and creek bottoms that hold moisture. When a heavy Missouri rain comes through, water finds the low path fast — and if that path is your driveway, it will cut ruts and carry your rock down the hill.
That's why crown and drainage matter so much here. On a sloped lot, we shape the drive so water sheds off the sides into ditches instead of running the length of it. Where a driveway crosses a ditch line at the road, a properly sized culvert keeps that flow moving underneath instead of over the top. On long rural drives out toward Doolittle, Newburg and the country around St. James, we build for the reality that these lanes carry everything from the family truck to the UPS driver to a loaded propane or gravel truck — and they need to stay passable in mud season, not just in July. We match the base and rock to your actual soil, because clay bottoms, rocky sidehills and soft creek-bottom ground each need a different approach.
If your drive is washboarded, holds puddles after rain, has ruts you feel in the steering wheel, or has lost so much rock that dirt shows through, a proper regrade and re-crown usually brings it back — often without a full rebuild.
If rock keeps vanishing no matter how much you add, the driveway turns to mud every spring, or it washes out in the same spot every year, the base and drainage are the real problem — and fixing those is what makes the repair stick.
Call or text (573) 728-2550 and tell us what you're dealing with — new drive, repair, widening or a washout.
Matthew comes out in person, walks the drive, checks the drainage and ground, and gives you a straight, no-pressure estimate.
We cut the grade, set the crown and any culverts, build the base and top it with the right rock — with our own equipment.
We shape the final surface, dress the edges and ditches, and leave you with a smooth, drainable driveway.
Every driveway is different, so we give real numbers only after seeing the site. These are the main things that move the price up or down:
When it comes to driveways, the difference between a good one and a bad one is almost always in the parts you can't see once the rock is down — the base and the drainage. That's exactly where an experienced, owner-operated crew earns its keep.
It depends on your soil and how much traffic the drive carries, but a durable gravel driveway generally needs a compacted base of larger crushed rock with several inches of surface rock on top — more depth for long drives, soft ground or heavy vehicles. We measure and spec the right depth for your ground during the free on-site estimate.
Yes, and it's one of the most common jobs we do. A drive that washes out almost always has a crown and drainage problem: water is running down the surface instead of off the sides. We re-shape the driveway, build the correct crown, cut ditching and set or resize culverts so water leaves the drive instead of cutting it apart.
We do. We size the culvert pipe for the amount of water it has to carry, set it at the correct depth and grade at your road entrance or across low spots, and cut the ditching around it so both road and driveway water flow the way they should.
Sometimes fresh surface rock and a good blading is all a drive needs. But if rock keeps disappearing into the mud, the base or drainage has failed, and more rock alone won't hold. We'll tell you honestly at the estimate whether a regrade will do it or whether you'll get more value from a proper rebuild.
Both have their place. Gravel costs less up front, is easy to repair, and suits long rural lanes and farm access. Concrete costs more but gives you a clean, low-maintenance, mud-free surface that's great for shorter drives, parking areas and anywhere you want a finished look. Because we build gravel drives and pour concrete in-house, we can walk you through the trade-offs without steering you either way.
Yes. A hard surface is only as good as the base under it. We grade and compact a proper stone base with the right drainage so your concrete or asphalt has solid, stable support and doesn't crack or settle from a weak foundation.
Regularly. We cut and build access lanes running back to homes, shops, barns, cabins and fields around St. James, Newburg and the country toward Doolittle and beyond — sized to carry farm equipment, delivery and propane trucks, and to stay passable through mud season.
A straightforward regrade can often be done in a day, while a new drive, a long lane, or a job with significant drainage and culvert work takes longer. We'll give you a realistic timeframe with your estimate once we've seen the site.
From tearing out the old surface to a graded, finished drive that sheds water.
Free, in-person estimates on new gravel driveways, regrading and drainage across St. James, Rolla and Phelps County.
