Concrete Curbing & Landscape Edging in Ottawa, Illinois
Concrete curbing is a poured border that runs around a bed, tree or walk in one unbroken line. It holds the mulch in, keeps the grass out, and gives the mower something to follow.
- Free estimates
- Owner-run by James
- Illinois Valley to the Quad Cities
Concrete Curbing around Ottawa
Each curb is formed and shaped on site to fit the curve of your bed. There are no separate pieces to shift or pull apart over the winter.
It works on a new landscape or an old one. Many homeowners add it when they redo beds, others when they are tired of resetting edging every spring.
Town has a little of everything, from the historic district around Washington Square, where the first Lincoln-Douglas debate was held in 1858, to newer subdivisions on the edges. Curbing suits both. The shape follows the yard.
James lays out the line with you before anything is poured. Once the concrete is down, the curve is set, so this is where we take our time.
What the job covers
- Continuous curbing around planting beds
- Rings around trees and island beds
- Edging along walks and patios
- Borders along gravel drives to hold stone
- Bed layout and prep before the pour
- Finish grading and seed along the new edge
Concrete Curbing in Ottawa: what to know
Why it holds up through a northern Illinois winter
Plastic and loose edging often lifts as the ground freezes and thaws. By spring it is crooked, and grass has found the gaps. A continuous concrete curb sits as one piece, so there are fewer places for that to start.
Concrete can still crack, and a good installer plans for it with control joints. If you are comparing options, our guide on concrete curbing vs plastic edging sets out the pros and cons fairly.
Laying out the line
The shape is the part you live with, so we settle it first. We mark the curve on the ground with you, look at it from the house and the street, and adjust until it reads right.
Then we cut the base along that line so the curb sits level and firm. Beds that need reshaping or a lawn that slopes the wrong way get fixed at this stage, not after the pour.
Before you start: permits and utilities
Ottawa's Building Department handles fence permits and street permits. If your curbing runs near the street, the sidewalk or the parkway, ask the department whether a permit applies before the work is booked.
We call JULIE before cutting the base, so buried lines get marked. Sprinkler lines and low-voltage lighting are not on JULIE's maps, so tell us where yours run.
Pair it with grading
Curbing looks right on ground that sits right. If water pools against your beds or the yard slopes toward the house, fix that first with yard grading in Ottawa. Then the curb goes in on a finished grade.
For how we approach curbing in general, see the main concrete curbing and landscape edging page.
Concrete Curbing on real jobs
Every photo here is from a real OPS job. See more recent work. Or read about our full curbing & landscape service.
Ottawa concrete curbing questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (815) 240-9065 and ask James, or read the common questions.
- Cost GuideHow Much Does Concrete Curbing Cost?
- GuideConcrete Curbing vs Plastic Edging: What Holds Up in Illinois
- Cost GuideForestry Mulching Cost Per Acre in Illinois: What Moves the Price
- Cost GuideHow Much Does Land Clearing Cost in Illinois?
- Cost GuideHow Much Does It Cost to Build a Pond in Illinois?
- Cost GuideGravel Driveway Cost in Illinois: What Moves the Price
Does concrete curbing suit an older home near downtown Ottawa?
It can. Because the curb is shaped on site, it can follow old beds and mature trees rather than forcing a new layout. We go over the line with you first so it fits the house.
Can curbing run along a gravel driveway?
Yes. A curb along the edge of a gravel drive helps keep stone off the lawn. It also gives a clear line to plow and mow against.
Do I have to redo my beds before curbing goes in?
Not always. If the beds are the shape you want, we can curb them as they are. If you want new curves, we can reshape them during prep.
What should I tell you to get an estimate?
Tell us roughly how many beds, trees or runs you want edged, and send a few photos. Then James will come and measure. Call (815) 240-9065 or use the form.
Ottawa & La Salle County
We cover Ottawa and the communities around it, including:
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (815) 240-9065.
Pond Building in Ottawa
New ponds dug and shaped, silted-in old ones cleaned back out.
See the Ottawa pageSame townDriveway Installation in Ottawa
New rock drives cut in, washed-out ones regraded and re-stoned.
See the Ottawa pageSame townBrush Clearing in Ottawa
Overgrown lots, field edges and fence rows cut back with the forestry mulcher.
See the Ottawa pageSame townGrading in Ottawa
Low spots filled, high spots cut, water sent where you actually want it.
See the Ottawa pageTown pageAll services in Ottawa
Land clearing, mulching and dirt work around Ottawa and La Salle County.
Ottawa overviewServiceCurbing & Landscape
Poured concrete edging and finish work to close a project out.
The full serviceConcrete Curbing in other towns
Towns near Ottawa
What people say after
Word for word from the OPS Google Business Profile. Recent jobs are on Facebook.
“James has done a wonderful job for us. He is timely, efficient and willing to travel where needed. You will not be disappointed.”
“OPS does what they say they’ll do, and do it efficiently and at a fair price. You’ll be glad you hired them.”
“James is a good communicator… he has some super equipment and for sure endeavors to do a great job. He recently rototilled some property for me… then planted it with oats and grass seed. Now it can rain all it wants!!”
“OPS did an amazing job on our property. We hired them to install a drainage system for our pool area, level the ground…”
From First Call to Usable Ground
Call or Text
Call or text (815) 240-9065 or send the form. Roughly how many acres, what is growing and whether a truck and trailer can get in.
We Look at the Ground
James looks at the ground before he gives you a number, so the estimate fits the job in front of him.
The Work Gets Done
We agree on what comes out and what stays. Then the machines go to work, with James running them.
Ground You Can Use
You are left with ground you can walk, mow, build on or farm, and the topsoil stays where it belongs.
Need concrete curbing in Ottawa?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.
Straight to James. No call center.
Got a piece of ground?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.