Driveway design is often an afterthought for homeowners in Maryland when building a new home or designing a landscape. However, the driveway occupies an important place in overall home and property design in Maryland. When planning your driveway, there are several things to consider.

Budget: In driveway design, it’s important to keep in mind initial costs and ongoing maintenance costs. For instance, gravel is the least expensive to begin with, but costs a lot to continually upkeep. While pavers are more expensive in the beginning, they end up costing very little to maintain for Maryland homes.

Curb Appeal: Driveway design can make a big impression on the look of your Maryland house. Certain materials complement certain architectural styles more than others.  A home that may look great with a driveway designed with pavers, but may look out of place with a gravel driveway.

Climate: Driveway design must take the Maryland climate into consideration. Some driveway materials may not be appropriate for the Maryland climate. Snow, humidity, rainfall and temperature changes are all factors that ought to influence your final decision.

Maintenance: Driveway design must take maintenance requirements into account. How often will the driveway need minor and major work, and is this something the Maryland homeowner can handle or are experts needed to maintain the driveway?

Durability: How long do you expect the driveway to last at your Maryland home? What kind of traffic will your driveway be getting?  Driveway durability not only depends on materials, you also need to take into consideration what kind of vehicles will use the driveway. You also need to understand what kind of maintenance is required to maximize lifespan of your driveway at your Maryland home.

Got questions about driveway design for your Maryland home? Please contact East Coast Landscape Design. We’ve been the driveway design experts in Maryland for 30 years, and we are happy discuss your driveway design options with you.