Learning how to do
landscape curbing correctly requires more than just mixing concrete and pouring it along your garden beds. Professional decorative concrete curbing installation is a multi-step process that requires specialized equipment, proper techniques, and experience assessing site conditions. Here's what the process actually entails:
Step 1: Site Assessment and Planning
Before any concrete is mixed, professionals evaluate your property's unique characteristics. We examine soil composition, drainage patterns, existing root systems, and grade changes. This assessment determines the curbing path, identifies potential obstacles, and ensures the finished product will perform well over the long term. In Southwest Wisconsin, we also consider freeze-thaw cycles and how seasonal ground movement will affect the installation.
Step 2: Layout and Marking
Precise layout is critical for landscape edging that looks intentional rather than accidental. We mark the curbing path using stakes and string lines, checking curves for smooth flow and verifying measurements. This step also includes identifying utility lines, irrigation systems, and underground obstacles that could complicate installation.
Step 3: Ground Preparation
Proper base preparation separates curbing that lasts from curbing that fails within a season. We excavate to the appropriate depth, remove roots and debris, compact the base, and ensure proper drainage. Shortcuts here—common in DIY attempts—lead to settling, cracking, and premature failure.
Step 4: Concrete Mixing and Application
Professional concrete landscape curbing uses specific mixes formulated for curbing applications. The concrete must be the right consistency. Too wet and it slumps; too dry and it won't extrude properly. We use commercial-grade curbing machines that extrude a continuous ribbon of concrete in the desired profile. These machines, which cost thousands of dollars, create a uniform height, width, and shape that's nearly impossible to achieve by hand.
Step 5: Forming and Shaping
As the concrete is extruded, professionals shape curves, create clean transitions, and ensure a consistent profile. Decorative concrete edging with stamped patterns or textures is applied at this stage, requiring timing and technique to achieve crisp, professional results. This is where experience matters most. Concrete has a limited work window. Any errors will not be easy to correct.
Step 6: Finishing and Curing
The final steps include tooling edges, applying color hardeners or release agents for decorative finishes, and proper curing. Professional installers understand how Wisconsin's climate affects curing and take steps to prevent premature drying or freeze damage. We also clean up thoroughly, leaving your landscape ready to enjoy.
What you'll need for professional results:
- Commercial curbing extrusion machine (can cost $9,000 - $22,000)
- Proper concrete mix design and additives
- Base compaction equipment
- Specialized finishing tools
- Knowledge of local soil and climate conditions
- Experience reading concrete working windows
- Physical stamina for extended concrete work
Krafty Kurbs has refined this process through
countless installations across Southwest Wisconsin. We know how our local soils behave, which mix designs withstand our winters, and how to create landscape curbing that enhances your property for years to come.

While DIY attempts might seem cost-effective at first, the specialized equipment, material waste from trial and error, and risk of complete do-overs often make professional installation the smarter financial choice.
Contact Krafty Kurbs for Professional and Durable Landscape Curbing
