What are the different types of road curbs?
Road curbs come in four common types: barrier (vertical) curb, with a steep face meant to keep vehicles on the roadway; mountable (rolled) curb, with a sloped face vehicles can drive over; curb and gutter, cast as one unit with a drainage pan; and extruded or slip-form curb, placed continuously by a curb machine.
Road curb types compared
| Type | Face or form | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Barrier (vertical) curb | Steep, near-vertical face | Street edges, islands and medians where vehicles should stay off |
| Mountable (rolled) curb | Low, sloped face | Residential streets and medians vehicles may need to cross |
| Curb and gutter | Curb with an attached gutter pan | Street edges that also carry stormwater to inlets |
| Extruded or slip-form curb | Either face, formed by machine without fixed forms | Long continuous runs and parking lots, in concrete or asphalt |
Road curb dimensions come from the agency standard
Height, width, face batter and pan width vary between state DOT and city standard drawings, and one project can use several. Take dimensions from the detail the plans reference, not a generic size, and measure each curb type as its own linear-foot (LF) item, since types usually carry separate pay items.