Landscaping and Hardscaping in Mount Hope

Clay. The Haldimand clay plain holds water instead of letting it through, so a flat lawn stays wet until it evaporates. The fix is grading that gives the water somewhere to go, a swale or French drain where the grade alone cannot do it, and real topsoil so the lawn has somewhere to root. Read about yard drainage.

Clay under a shallow base. Clay holds water, the water freezes and lifts the pavers, then they settle unevenly in spring. We lift the affected area, correct and compact the base to the depth a driveway needs, reset the pavers flush and re-sand the joints. Read about uneven interlock driveways.

Yes. A rural lawn is measured by the thousand square feet, and we quote it the same way as a village lot: strip the old turf, add real topsoil over the clay, grade for drainage and lay bluegrass sod. The written quote shows the area and the scope. See sod and lawns.

Either can last if the base is right, and on clay the base matters more than the surface. Concrete gives a plain, strong slab with control joints, while interlock can be lifted and relaid in sections if the frost ever moves it. Both need a deep compacted gravel base and a slope that sends water off to the side. See concrete driveways.

Yes. A concrete pad for a shed, hot tub or workshop goes on a compacted gravel base with wire mesh, sized to the building and sloped so water runs off it, and on clay the base is what keeps it level. Tell us what is going on it and roughly how big. See concrete steps, porches and pads.

Yes. We trim and shape hedges, shrubs and smaller trees, and bring overgrown ones back gradually where one hard cut would harm them, whether that is a long run of cedars or a windbreak along the lane. Removing trees is an arborist's job, not ours. See tree and shrub trimming.

Yes. We ask where the well and the septic bed are before we start, keep machines, fill and any new hardscape off the bed, and keep the work away from the wellhead. Tell us what you know about the layout and we plan around it.

No. Every quote is free and comes in writing. Often we can price a job over the phone or from photos by text or email; a grading or drainage job gets a visit. Materials come at cost with nothing added, and the work carries a 1-year craftsmanship warranty.

As much as we can give. We try to give a heads-up on any delays and let you know when we are coming, with as much notice as possible. On Mount Hope clay a heavy rain can leave the ground too soft for a machine for a few days, and we would rather wait than rut your lawn.

Yes, a 1-year craftsmanship warranty on every job. On clay that moves every spring, that first year is when a weak base would show, and if our workmanship is the cause, we come back and fix it. We are fully insured as well.

It could be either. The Hamilton Conservation Authority covers the north of Glanbrook and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority the south, and both have regulated areas near creeks and drains. We check both online maps when we quote a wall or a grade change.

Widening across the City boulevard needs access approval from Hamilton, with single approaches 2.7 to 3.6 metres and doubles 5.4 to 6.1 metres. On a rural road we also check the ditch and the culvert. The access approval is part of every driveway quote we write. See concrete driveways and interlock driveways.

Sometimes, once. On a lot in Hamilton's Rural Area, the Site Alteration By-law lets an owner improve drainage or soil quality without a permit using up to 500 cubic metres of fill or topsoil from within the City, as long as the City is told at least 48 hours before work starts; the exemption can be used only once per property and is confirmed in writing by City staff. Beyond that, a permit is needed.

Where both apply, yes. The Hamilton Conservation Authority says its permit does not replace a City building permit, and a City permit does not replace its own, so on a regulated lot near a creek or a drain both are needed. We line them up before the start date rather than after.