Landscaping and outdoor living
Grading, planting, terraces, pools, pool houses and loggias, built with the same drawings, permits and trades as the house.
What we build outside
A landscape involves excavation, drainage, concrete, structure, electrical and gas, so we run it like any other construction project, with drawings and a schedule. The house and the yard are graded as one site.
- Grading, drainage and sod
- Planting: trees, hedges and garden beds
- Stone, porcelain and concrete patios and walkways
- Pools, coping and equipment enclosures
- Cabanas and pool houses
- Covered terraces and loggias
- Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces
- Retaining walls, steps and planters
- Driveways and forecourts
- Landscape lighting
What sits under a patio
A patio fails from below. Stone stays flat through freeze and thaw because of the base and the drainage underneath it.
- Stone or paversThe finished surface, laid with consistent joints.
- Bedding layerA thin, even layer that the stone is set on.
- Granular baseCrushed stone compacted in layers. It carries the load and lets water through.
- GeotextileA fabric that stops the base from mixing into the soil, where the soil calls for it.
- SubgradeNative soil, shaped to the same fall and compacted.
- Edge restraintHolds the outside row so the field cannot spread.
Built for Toronto weather
In Toronto, an open pavilion gets a few months of use a year. A loggia attached to the house, or an enclosed pool house with glass doors, heat and a fireplace, gets used from spring to late fall and keeps the furniture out of the weather.
Both are real buildings, with footings below the frost line, a roof that sheds snow, drainage and the permits a structure needs. Gas, power, water and drainage are all run before any stone is laid.
Approvals that often apply outside
- Pool enclosure permit
- Required by the municipality before a pool is dug.
- Building permit
- Cabanas, pool houses and covered structures need one. Small storage sheds are generally exempt.
- Zoning
- Accessory buildings have their own limits on setbacks, height and coverage.
- Conservation authority
- A permit may be needed where the yard backs onto a valley, a ravine or a watercourse.
- Trees
- Many municipalities require a permit to remove or work close to larger trees.
- Locates
- Underground services are located before any digging.
Landscaping questions
Can the landscaping be built at the same time as the house?
Yes, and it usually works out better. The grading, drainage, gas and electrical for the yard are planned with the house, and the heavy work is done before the finished landscaping goes in.
Do you take on a backyard without building the house?
Yes. We start with a survey and the grading of the lot as it is today.
How late in the year can outdoor work be done?
Excavation and structures can carry on into cold weather with the right protection. Stone, planting and asphalt depend on the temperature, so we schedule them for the warmer months.
Planning a landscape, a pool or a whole backyard?
Send us the address and a survey if you have one.