Landscaping and Hardscaping in Burlington

Age and base. Interlock from the 1980s and 1990s was often laid on a shallow base, and a few decades of freeze and thaw have moved it. We lift the sunken area, correct and compact the base, reset the pavers flush, then wash and re-sand the joints. The stones are reused. Read about patio restoration.

Yes. On interlock from the 1980s and 1990s the low spots are lifted and re-levelled first, then the surface is washed deep and the joints refilled with polymeric sand, and the sealer goes on last, because sealing over open joints and sunken stones only locks the problems in. The stones you have are reused. Read about patio restoration.

Both work. Concrete is a plain, strong slab with control joints; interlock can be lifted and reset if a section ever moves. Either needs a deep compacted base. Our guide on interlock versus concrete driveways in Burlington goes through the trade-offs, and the quote is free either way.

Yes, usually by terracing it. A retaining wall with clear gravel and a drain behind it holds a flat level for the patio, and steps join it to the rest of the yard. On a slope the water moves, so the plan starts with where it runs now and where it should go when we are done. Read about a sloped backyard.

Yes. Halton Region, which supplies Burlington's water, asks everyone to water lawns on the odd/even rule by house number, and its own answer is that newly planted sod or seed can be watered during restrictions until it is established. After that, watering deeply once or twice a week grows deeper roots. See our Burlington sod installation page.

No. The written quote for a Burlington job is one price for the work, and the drive is not on it. Burlington is next door to us, so distance is not a factor in the price or the schedule.

A 1-year craftsmanship warranty, on every job. If our workmanship fails within that year, we come back and put it right, and we are fully insured while we work. The warranty is stated on your written quote as well.

We tell you. We try to give a heads-up on any delays and let you know when we are coming, with as much notice as possible. After heavy rain, waiting a day for the ground to drain can save a base or a new lawn, so a short delay is sometimes the better call.

Up to 2.0 metres on a residential lot, 1.2 metres in the front yard near the street line, and 1 metre for solid fencing in a visibility triangle. Those are Burlington's numbers, not Hamilton's, and we build to them. See fences and gates and our Burlington fences page.

Your property survey does. The City of Burlington says it does not determine property lines, that a fence built on the line belongs to both neighbours, and that its Division Fence By-law sets out how the cost of a shared fence can be split. Having the survey handy and a word with your neighbour before we start saves trouble later. See our Burlington fences page.

Only so close. Under Burlington's tree rules, work inside a tree's minimum protection zone counts as injuring it, and inside the urban boundary a private tree 20 centimetres or more across needs a permit before it is injured; the zone grows with the trunk, from 2.4 metres for a trunk of 11 to 40 centimetres to 3.6 metres at 51 to 60 centimetres. We measure the trunk at the quote and keep the patio outside the zone where we can.

Inside the urban boundary, a tree 20 centimetres or more across at chest height needs a permit under Private Tree By-law 40-2022, and replacement planting usually comes with it. Most of the time we route the patio around the tree instead. Removing a tree is an arborist's job, not ours; once it is down, we build. We tell you the options before we quote.

It can. Conservation Halton regulates Grindstone Creek, Bronte Creek and the small creeks, so a retaining wall, a patio near the slope or a change of grade on a creek or ravine lot may need its permission first. We check the map when we quote and build the approval time into the schedule.

It can. Conservation Halton regulates the Lake Ontario shoreline as well as creeks, valleys and steep slopes, and on a regulated lot its permission comes before a deck, stairs, a retaining wall, grading or fill. Once an application is complete it aims to finish its review within about four weeks, and its permission does not replace the City's permits.

Not for your own tree pruned within good practice: Burlington's tree page says pruning no more than a third of a private tree's live crown needs no permit. City trees are different, since only the City prunes them, and you can ask it to. We trim and prune hedges, shrubs and private trees; removals are an arborist's job. See tree and shrub trimming.

Yes. Unless the work is part of a site plan approval, Burlington requires a driveway modification permit before an existing driveway is widened, made circular or given a second entrance, and any change to the curb or sidewalk is arranged by the City. The width allowed depends on the width of your lot, and the work has to respect the public and private tree by-laws.

Usually not. Burlington lists uncovered patios on grade, retaining walls 1 metre high or less, detached pergolas, fences and landscaping among projects that need no building permit, while a deck attached to the house, or a detached one over 10 square metres or over 600 millimetres high, does. A patio or wall can still need a site alteration permit or a tree permit, which we check at the quote.

Possibly. Burlington's Site Alteration By-law 64-2014 regulates fill and grade changes, and the City's screening form asks about grade changes within half a metre of a lot line and about retaining walls. We complete the screening as part of the quote and tell you whether a permit follows. Read about grading.