I prefer dirt flush with the side walk. Easy to get a level cut, just my preference though.

 

When I poured my sidewalk, thats what i did.

 

I prefer dirt level as well. Less of a trip hazard and mower wheels don't bounce up and down when leaving the lawn

 

Good point about the trip hazard

 

Sidewalk should be 1/4-3/4 inch higher than the ground.

 

This actually makes sense, so you wont see the grass roots?

 

Its rare but I've actually seen the opposite done before. The dirt was probably 2 to 2.5 inches lower than the cement. The grass height was flush with the top of the concrete. It looked pretty cool.

 

I'd imagine this resulted in a few twisted ankles. I'd really worry about this with an elderly or vulnerable person around

 

Theres a property I see all the time that I hate because the dirt and grass is a good 4" higher than the sidewalk. Not sure what the heck is going on there but it looks awful to me. Guy maintains his own lawn and does a good job with it but it still looks horrible. The edging just looks extra bizarre to me. It's like the "margins" are off or something.

 

This is one option I had not even considered! Having to step up from the sidewalk onto the lawn, sounds bizarre.

The transition from the sidewalk to the lawn must look really weird. Does dirt spill onto the sidewalk?

 

When I put my driveway in, I put the top soil up to it a little higher. So when it settled, it would be nice and even. No tripping and easy mowing. I have customers I need to actually feather the deck up when to the front wheels go off the lawn so I don't scalp.

 

When I put my driveway in, I put the top soil up to it a little higher. So when it settled, it would be nice and even. No tripping and easy mowing. I have customers I need to actually feather the deck up when to the front wheels go off the lawn so I don't scalp.

What exactly do you mean when you "feather the deck up?" My lawn is higher than the sidewalk and I inevitably end up going to far over the edge of the lawn in spots (so that the front wheels go onto the sidewalk) and the edge of the lawn in those spots ends up being scalped. I have tried raising the front wheels so that I could let the front wheels of the mower go over the edge of the lawn but my lawn still doesn't look even. Thanks in advance!!

 

That's a complex question as it doesn't pertain to the guy cutting the grass , because the decision has already been made by the guy doing the installation.
Technically speaking
There should be a raised driveway surface with a shoulder that slopes toward the lawn surface.
That's ideal for drainage etc.
But I kinda looks stupid Nd a pain in the butt to maintain with a mower.
When installing a side walk
Typically I split the difference
The paver or concrete being 2.5 inches thick/high
I will set the lawn to come in so it leaves about an inch to inch and a half of paver "high" so part of the paver is exposed so the grass grows in at 2.5 to 3" it's slightly higher than the hardscape
It's difficultly to notice visually

but if you plan the height of grass to be equal with finished hardscape
Note that grass doesn't support your weight and now you have a "lip" at the end of every hard surface that's a full 3" deep and also exposes the pave edge restraint system (black poly edge) which is really hard to grow grass to cover.

BUT if you bring soil exactly to the hardscape edge
It oozes all over while the grass grows in and is a candidate for the sod growing over The hardscape making more edging issues in the future.

that's why I split the difference
And I've never seen a handbook say anything specific about it. only the asphalt guys have a spec for that shoulder mentioned above

 

I agree this question probably should have been posted in a different forum. I actually thought about that when I was composing it. I wasn't sure at the time which would be the best forum though. Thank you for the detailed explanations. Im coming to the conclusion that most likely having the dirt slightly lower that the hard surface is probably ideal. In this scenario if the mower wheel happens to go up on the sidewalk the grasd will just end up cut a little higher in that spot. I feel this would be preferable to the opposite issue of scalping which some have mentioned.

 

not a push mower but a rider

 

beep beep....... 🤖 💩

 

There it is.

And seriously!? Why are these things getting in so easily?

 

Doesnt matter what I like. Most folks dirt level is sunken well below the level of the sidewalk and thats just the way its going to be.

 

Most of the ones we encounter are the opposite.

 

I have very few sidewalks to deal with - almost none that run along a street - mostly just from the driveway to the front porch.
Why is it that almost all of them have a completely inconsistent ground height along the length of them?
"Wavy" - higher than the sidewalk, then lower, then higher, then even, then...

 

Settling, frost heave, improper grading to begin with.

 

grade and concrete same level for ease of maintenance

 

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i ripped up half my front lawn and replaced dirt/ seeded. my lawn was a good 2 inches higher than the 80 yr old sidewalks. when i regraded i set the dirt about a half inch below top of concrete.
inthink it looks good that way…but im not all that particular about it. i know it looks bad when the sidewalks make a canyon through the turf though.