Sanibel • Lee County
Decorative Curbing in Sanibel, FL
Sanibel's landscape rules are mostly about plants, but they shape where a curb can go. Removing a protected native tree or shrub takes a vegetation permit from the city's Natural Resources Department, so a curb line is usually routed around an existing stopper, sea grape or palmetto instead of through it. Water is the other constraint. City staff have described how runoff in canal subdivisions such as Sanibel Isles drains through right-of-way swales or on-site retention before overflowing to tidal water, and how gulf-front lots have no real designed overflow at all. A raised curb across the low edge of a yard, or along a swale, can hold water against a house. The city's Vegetation Committee also asks homeowners to think about runoff crossing property lines before changing a landscape. Hodges sets curbing to frame beds and walkways, keeps it out of swales, and leaves breaks where water has to drain.
or call (239) 301-9455
Preview Your Curbing
Where it comes up in Sanibel
Gulf Pines
Sanibel Estates
Shell Harbor
Plants and materials that suit it in Sanibel
- Simpson's stopper
- Coontie
- Muhly grass
- Extruded concrete curb
Questions
Can curbing go along the swale in front of my house?
It is better kept back from it. On many Sanibel streets, the right-of-way swale is part of how the neighborhood drains, and the city also bars fertilizer from swales to protect water quality. A curb that changes how the swale fills can cause flooding on your lot or the next one.
Will installing curbing disturb my native plants?
It should not. The curb line can bend around existing natives. Removing a protected native tree or shrub, or trimming more than a quarter of its leaf area, requires a city vegetation permit, so the layout is planned around what is already growing.
Who do I ask if a project might change drainage?
The Sanibel Vegetation Committee's homeowner checklist suggests talking with the city's Planning and Public Works staff when landscape changes could send runoff across property lines or affect stormwater retention. It is a short call that can prevent a violation.