![]() ![]() Garrett estimates, “Depending on the region, cost of materials can be from 30 cents to 50 cents a foot for colored curb, and 90 cents to $1.10 a foot for stamped curb. Customers sometimes have unrealistic expectations.” Unfortunately, he adds, some homeowners go with the cheapest price, though it is likely not the best work. “I worked for years in the residential market - it’s tough. Leon Burch, owner and president of Concrete Crafters, one of the leading commercial curbing firms in the country, emphasizes the importance of having both a good business plan and a good marketing plan. “This will help your cash flow and cost of labor tremendously.” “An owner is generally part of the crew,” Garrett says. ![]() “It normally takes two people to get a job done,” he says, “but three to four people will cut the installation time down.”Īs with most things, speed of installation directly affects the profit margin, and installation time is dependent on the scope and difficulty of the project, site preparation, and the efficiency of the crew. Robert Parrish, CEO of Decorative Curbmaking Machines Inc., lays out a list of what you need to get a curbing business going: an extrusion machine, mixer, sod cutter, plate compactor and trailer. In these areas contractors will use more smooth-finished colored curbs.” Because stamp designs and color choices are virtually endless, a contractor can pretty much make the curbing match the exterior décor of a customer’s home -brick, stone, wood, whatever. “In the western United States and Florida there are many smooth-finished or stucco homes. “We find that nationwide, the stamped curb is more popular,” Garrett says. Preferences for a smooth or stamped finish seem to mirror architectural styles. In Las Vegas, customers favor a very narrow 4-inch by 4-inch profile. McKinnon reports that in Southern California, a 5-inch profile with rounded edges is popular, while the most popular preference in the Northwest is exposed aggregate. Style and profile preferences naturally vary from region to region of the country. But instead of curving up to the back side, this curbing has a straight slant, allowing for imprints and impressions that look like stone or slate or brick. “The slant style has become very popular because it likewise has a lower side against the grass and a higher side for raised flower beds,” Rose says. In the early days we emphasized the beauty of this style by saying that it was like putting a picture frame around your landscaping.”īut another style is gaining in popularity, too. “It then curves over and up so that the back side is higher, allowing for raised flower beds. “It has the lower edge set at the same height as the firm sod for lawn-mowing applications,” Rose explains. The most popular curb style among homeowners is the mower edge. Residential market growing by leaps and bounds ![]()
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