Landscaping and Hardscaping in Dundas

Yes. We do it regularly in the old town. Excavated soil goes out and base material comes in by wheelbarrow or a small machine that fits the gate, and we agree the route and the drop spot with you first. It adds some time, and the quote shows exactly how much.

Usually. Natural stone walls, steps and flagstone paths suit the old town, and we source stone to sit beside what is there. Stone is billed at cost with no markup, so the choice is about the look, not our margin. See retaining walls and walkways.

Shade and roots. An old maple takes the water and the light, and a thin lawn on compacted soil cannot compete. Fresh topsoil, a shade tolerant sod and a bed or mulch ring where grass will never win is the honest fix, and we protect the roots while we work.

Shade-tolerant plants such as hostas and ferns, in a bed with fresh soil and a layer of mulch, laid out so the big roots are left alone. Under a mature maple a planted bed or a mulch ring usually does better than grass, and every plant is billed at what it costs us. See garden beds and planting.

Often, yes. We regrade so the ground falls away from the wall, extend the downspouts to let go well clear of the house, and where the lot is too flat to shed water, add a swale or a French drain to an outlet that does not send it to the neighbours. Anything inside the foundation is a waterproofing contractor's job. Read about water pooling in the yard.

We reply fast, usually within the hour. A lot of Dundas jobs can be quoted by phone, text or email from a few photos, and when the access or the slope needs a look, we set a visit at a time that suits you. The written quote follows quickly after. Start dates are booked in the order quotes are accepted, so an early call gets an early start.

Yes. There is no minimum: a few steps relaid, one bed cleared and edged, a short run of fence or a strip of sod beside the walk all get a written quote. On old-town lots a lot of the best work is small, and we fit it around the bigger jobs.

Yes. We are fully insured, which matters on a narrow old-town lot where the work runs a few feet from the house and the fence next door, and we agree the route for materials and the haul-away with you before we start. The work itself carries a 1-year craftsmanship warranty.

Only if you both agree. The City of Hamilton says a fence has to stand on your own property unless you and your neighbour agree to put it on the shared line, and disputes between neighbours are a civil matter the City stays out of. On a narrow Dundas lot a few centimetres matter, so it pays to settle the line before the posts go in.

Not all of them. The free public locate (the service now called Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call) marks the utility companies' lines within five business days, but lines you own, such as power to a shed or garden lights or a gas line to a barbecue, need a private locate. Tell us what has been added over the years and we plan around it.

Not always. Dundas has had its own private tree by-law, 4513-99, since before amalgamation, and the City has been working on a single by-law for the urban area. Check with the City before a large tree comes out. We plan beds and walkways around the trees that stay, including their roots.

Only with Forestry's sign-off. Hamilton's driveway guide says a new or wider driveway that comes within 1 metre of the dripline of a City tree, or of a private tree covered by the Dundas Tree Protection By-law, needs written approval from City Forestry with the application, and the boulevard parking program is not offered in Dundas. We measure the dripline at the quote so the plan starts from what can be approved.

It might be. The Hamilton Conservation Authority regulates the Spencer Creek valley and has an online map that shows the line lot by lot. If you are inside it, a retaining wall or a change of grade can need HCA permission before we start. We check the map when we quote and tell you what it means for the schedule.

Check with the HCA first. The Hamilton Conservation Authority lists Dundas Valley land among the areas it regulates, along with the land next to it, so grading, fill, a deck or a retaining wall there needs its written approval. Small fences and minor fill can be exempt in some cases, and the HCA confirms that project by project.

If it is attached to the house, yes, whatever its size. A freestanding deck of 10 square metres or less needs one only when it sits at a door and stands more than 600 millimetres high, and a larger uncovered one only when it is more than 200 millimetres off the ground; new railings always need a permit. See decks and fences.

A wall over one metre in exposed height beside public property, a building entrance or a place the public walks is a designated structure under the Ontario Building Code and needs a permit and an engineer's design. Lower garden walls usually do not. On the escarpment the Niagara Escarpment Commission may also have a say. We tell you before we quote.