7 Reasons Your Customers Are Struggling With DIY Landscape Edging (And How You Can Be the Solution)

If you work in curbing, you’ve likely heard it a hundred times: “We tried that edging kit from the hardware store, but it didn’t last.” While most homeowners like a nice DIY effort, many of them run into the same problems with long-term landscaping edging.

As a curbing expert, you’re not simply marketing a boundary; you’re also marketing durability, beauty, and peace of mind. We have dealt with hundreds of small company owners and contractors in the United States who were fed up with temporary solutions and wanted to improve their tools and provide genuine, permanent value to their clients.

Here are seven justifications for why homeowners’ edging fails and how your company can provide pro-grade solutions with the correct curbing machine, materials, and methods.

1. DIY Edging Just Won’t Stay Put

Homeowners who call you in anger about their deteriorating landscaping borders usually point to the same issue: separation. What they fail to understand is how drastically seasonal ground movement influences those metal and plastic edging pieces they picked up at the hardware shop.

We’ve spoken with Minnesota and Texas contractors who tell us the same tale: DIY edging can’t manage soil movement. In northern locations, the freeze-thaw cycle wreaks havoc on modular edging solutions, causing portions to spring up, detach, and create unattractive gaps. Even in warmer areas, soil expansion during rainy seasons and constriction during dry intervals generate the same letdown outcomes.

A good curbing machine helps you change your company’s offer here. Designed specifically, our Harpten machine extrudes a constant, uninterrupted concrete border, moving with the earth as a unified unit rather than separate components. Every contractor appreciates the seamless design since it eliminates weak spots and greatly reduces client complaints and callbacks.

Continuity distinguishes professional-grade curbing. Arriving with a curbing machine capable of laying down a strong, reinforced concrete edging in one continuous operation offers you something the large box retailers cannot equal. Your consumers see the change in quality right away; word-of-mouth recommendations come next.

2. Grass and Weeds Still Sneak Through

After all the time I put into building edging, the grass is still encroaching on my flower beds. Homeowners who believed their DIY remedy would fix their weed issues express this annoyance all the time. Most store-bought borders, in fact, don’t provide a good barrier.

Typical plastic edging lies too shallow in the soil, therefore producing a slight speed bump for aggressive roots. Though metal edging may reach deeper, the joints between its segments become access opportunities for tenacious weeds. Even stone and brick borders leave holes that grass quickly takes hold of.

Professional curbing solves this basic issue by building a smooth concrete barrier. Your curbing becomes both very useful and aesthetically pleasing when combined with appropriate ground prep methods—something we stress in our contractor training. Machine-extruded concrete curbing’s depth and continuity offer a far more effective barrier against invading roots.

Many of our most successful contractors say that displaying before-and-after images of weed-infested gardens vs ones with expert curbing is their most efficient sales strategy. The striking change in maintenance needs makes homeowners instantly grasp the value of the offer.

From the appropriate mixing ratios to the correct equipment and installation methods, our all-inclusive Curbing Packages include all you require to provide this exceptional solution. Our training guarantees that your staff can boldly handle this typical consumer pain point and promote your service as the final answer.

3. Most Materials Don’t Survive the Elements

Environmental durability is where DIY landscape edging truly fails the test of time. Plastic edging becomes brittle after UV exposure, eventually cracking when hit by lawn mowers or during routine maintenance. Wood borders rot where they contact soil, regardless of pressure treatment—metal edging rusts, particularly at connection points where water collects.

For contractors, this built-in obsolescence could mean repeat business if you’re selling the same temporary products. However, forward-thinking curbing professionals recognize that offering a truly durable solution builds a stronger reputation and leads to quality referrals.

We’ve formulated our concrete mix specifically to handle all climate challenges, with special attention to freeze-prone areas where durability is most tested. When combined with our heavy-duty concrete mixers and recommended fiber additives, your finished curbs resist cracking, spalling, and deterioration. Our field-tested coloring systems and premium sealers ensure the finished product maintains its appearance through harsh weather and UV exposure.

Contractors consistently tell us that explaining the long-term durability of professional concrete curbing versus DIY alternatives is a powerful selling point. Homeowners immediately grasp the value of investing once rather than replacing edging every few seasons. By positioning your service as a permanent solution rather than a temporary fix, you elevate your business above commodity competitors.

4. DIY Edging Rarely Looks Professional

Even with considerable effort and careful measurement, most homeowners struggle to achieve professional-looking results with DIY edging. Creating smooth curves, maintaining consistent heights, and achieving clean transitions between sections require skills and tools that most homeowners don’t possess.

This aesthetic shortfall presents a perfect opportunity for curbing professionals from demonstrating their value. Our system—including decorative stamps, vertical concrete attachments, and optional precast molds—allows you to create borders that don’t just function better but look dramatically better than anything available at retail.

The professional-grade equipment we provide enables you to offer designs that mimic natural stone, brick, or completely custom patterns. This versatility allows you to match any architectural style or landscape design, offering homeowners something they cannot achieve themselves.

Many of our most successful contractors have created showcase installations in visible locations within their service areas. These demonstrations of craftsmanship serve as powerful marketing tools, often generating inquiries from neighbors and passersby who notice the dramatic difference in appearance compared to DIY alternatives.

5. It’s More Work Than They Expect

DIY edging kits consistently overpromise and underdeliver when it comes to ease of installation. Packages labeled as “weekend projects” frequently turn into multiple weekends of frustration, followed by ongoing maintenance headaches. The specialized tools required for proper installation are often missing from homeowners’ toolsheds, and the physical labor involved frequently exceeds expectations.

As a professional contractor with the right equipment, you offer not just a better product but a complete solution. With properly configured trailers customized for curbing work, your team can arrive at a job site, complete the installation, clean up, and move on—all in a single day. This efficiency starkly contrasts with the DIY experience that homeowners immediately appreciate.

Our trailers are designed explicitly for curbing crews, with secure compartments for accessories, parts, and consumables. This level of organization ensures your team has everything needed for efficient installation, minimizing delays and maximizing productivity. When homeowners see your professional setup and systematic approach, they understand they’re getting something far beyond what they could achieve.

The value of your service isn’t just in the finished product—it’s in the time and frustration you save your customers. Many contractors emphasize this benefit in their marketing, contrasting their one-day professional installation with the multiple weekends homeowners might spend struggling with DIY alternatives.

6. Limited Design Options = Lost Sales

Today’s homeowners are increasingly design-conscious and seeking personalization in all aspects of their homes, including outdoor spaces. The basic black plastic edging or plain metal borders available at retail don’t satisfy this desire for customization and style.

This trend creates a significant opportunity for curbing professionals who can offer a range of aesthetic options. With our full selection of profiles, coloring systems, and decorative stamps, you can provide custom styles that complement any home or landscape vision. This versatility allows you to serve both traditional clients seeking classic looks and design-forward customers wanting something distinctive.

Many contractors have found success by creating sample boards displaying their range of color and texture options, allowing customers to visualize the possibilities. This consultative approach positions you as a design partner rather than just an installer, elevating your service and justifying premium pricing.

Beyond basic edging, our flatwork finishing tools enable you to expand your service offerings to include decorative concrete elements that coordinate with your curbing. This complementary capability allows you to capture additional revenue from existing customers while providing more comprehensive landscape solutions.

7. DIY Edging Ends Up Costing More

The initial low price point of DIY edging products creates a misleading impression of value. While homeowners might pay just $100-300 for materials to edge an average yard, they fail to calculate the actual lifetime cost of this approach. With typical DIY edging requiring replacement every 2-5 years, plus the value of their time for installation and maintenance, the real cost far exceeds the initial investment.

This reality gives you a powerful selling opportunity. When you demonstrate the long-term savings of professional concrete curbing and back it up with quality artistry using durable cable reinforcement and premium sealers, you’re offering genuine value rather than just a lower upfront price.

Successful contractors often prepare simple cost comparisons showing the 10-year expense of repeatedly replacing DIY edging versus the one-time investment in professional curbing. This concrete demonstration of value helps overcome initial price objections and positions your service as the economical long-term choice.

The Bottom Line: Give Your Consulting Business the Edge

Curb Depot is more than simply a provider of tools and supplies. We are your ally in creating a successful, profitable curbing company. From launching a new company to expanding an existing one, we offer the all-encompassing assistance you require to thrive.

Engineered for dependability and accuracy, our professional-grade Curbing Machines and Concrete Mixers let you finish more tasks with fewer breakdowns and constant quality. From tools to training, our all-in-one curbing packages offer everything new teams require to start running.

Designed by contractors for contractors, the completely furnished trailers we provide take into account every element to maximize your productivity and professionalism in the field. Our sturdy consumables, parts, and accessories guarantee your ability to keep your equipment running for years of lucrative use.

Most significantly, we provide the knowledge and assistance resulting from decades in the sector. From helping you determine the optimal equipment setup to offering continuous technical assistance, we’re dedicated to your success. Our clients regularly say that this collaborative strategy, rather than merely marketing goods, distinguishes Curb Depot.

Start Working with Us Right Now

Ready to start providing real solutions that provide long-term value for your consumers instead of fighting with the large box stores? Reach Curb Depot now to find out why hundreds of prosperous contractors around the nation rely on us to run their curbing company. Your consumers are already feeling the restrictions of do-it-yourself landscape edging; now is the ideal moment to demonstrate to them there is a better approach.