Kerb Installation

It starts with excavating a trench along the marked line, deep and wide enough for the profile being installed, then compacting the base and laying a concrete foundation, typically semi-dry concrete under a precast unit or a full pour for cast-in-situ work. The kerb is set to line and level, haunched with concrete on the back face for support, and, where drainage is part of the job, cast with a channel and a fall running to an outlet. The foundation is what determines whether the kerb holds for years or starts moving within a season, so we spend more time on that than on the visible finish.

Precast kerb units are manufactured off site under controlled conditions, then delivered and bedded on site, which makes installation faster and gives a consistent finish, and suits long straight runs. Cast-in-situ kerbing is mixed and poured directly on site, which takes longer but handles curves, tight corners and changes in direction better, and gives greater strength along a continuous run because it isn't broken into joints between units. We use both, and recommend one over the other based on the geometry of your site.

Barrier kerb has a higher, near-vertical face designed to stop a vehicle crossing it, and suits busy internal roads, complex frontages and anywhere pedestrians need to be protected from traffic. Semi-mountable kerb is lower and less aggressive, used at junctions and traffic islands where a vehicle occasionally needs to cross without damage. Mountable kerb has the lowest, most gradual profile and suits driveway crossings and parking bays where vehicles regularly ride over the edge. Most sites need more than one profile across different sections, which we specify on the site visit.

There is no fixed rate, because it depends on the length of the run, whether it's precast or cast-in-situ, the profile specified, whether a combined kerb and channel is needed for drainage, and how much site preparation is involved. We give a free, written, on-site quote after assessing the run and the traffic it needs to handle, with no payment upfront for materials, and the same pricing basis whether the job is residential, commercial or municipal.

That depends on the length of the run and whether it's precast or cast-in-situ — precast goes in faster since the units arrive ready to bed, while cast-in-situ needs time to form, pour and cure on site. As a general guide, freshly cast concrete needs about a week to reach enough strength for regular vehicle traffic, and longer again before it should carry anything heavier, like a truck or a loaded delivery vehicle. We give a realistic timeframe and curing period specific to your job on the site visit.