Retaining Walls Built for Whitby Lots

DRY-STACK STONE WALLS
MORTARED STONE WALLS
INTERLOCKING BLOCK
RAISED PLANTERS
SLOPED YARD WALLS
CRACKED WALL REBUILDS
SERVING ALL OF WHITBY
DRY-STACK STONE WALLS
MORTARED STONE WALLS
INTERLOCKING BLOCK
RAISED PLANTERS
SLOPED YARD WALLS
CRACKED WALL REBUILDS
SERVING ALL OF WHITBY
Example retaining wall for Whitby homes: two-tier grey block retaining wall in a sloped side yard
WORK
Drainage pipe and clear stone behind a retaining wall
The Town calls walls near lot lines a common mistake

Retaining Wall Builders in Whitby Who Check the Swale First

The Setting Stone Company can build, repair or rebuild a retaining wall in Whitby, for homes from Brooklin down to Port Whitby.

Start with what the Town itself warns about. Its drainage page lists retaining walls, along with gardens and sheds, as a common mistake near property lines, because they can block drainage swales and cause flooding. It also recommends no changes within 60 cm of the line. So we look at where the water runs today before we talk about stone, block or height.

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Wet ground, careful drainage

What Goes Behind the Wall Matters Most

The Town’s Corbett Creek study describes the lowland along the lake as mainly permeable silts, sands and gravels, with clayey silt commonly showing at the surface. That is regional, not a reading of your lot, so we dig and look. Gravel and perforated pipe go behind the wall, and the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) sets its block wall minimum at 12 in. of free-draining aggregate and a 3 in. drain pipe. Fabric keeps topsoil out of the stone, and taller walls lean back.

Swales and the neighbourhood drainage pattern noted before design

Free-draining gravel, perforated pipe and fabric behind the wall

Bottom course buried, with a backward lean on taller walls

Slope excavated for a retaining wall
Perforated drain at the base of a new wall
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Two sets of rules

Which Whitby Rules Apply Before a Retaining Wall Goes In?

The digging and the wall answer to different rules. Grade work falls under Site Alteration By-law 7425-18, and the Town’s site alteration page has a pre-screening questionnaire the Town uses to decide if your job needs a permit. The wall itself is a Building Code question. Under the Ontario Building Code, a wall over 1,000 mm in exposed height needs a permit as a designated structure when it sits next to public property, access to a building, or private property the public is admitted to. The Town’s building permits page does not mention retaining walls, and rules can change, so ask Building Services at building@whitby.ca what applies to yours.

Planning a Project? Talk to Tim.

A newer flood map for Lynde Creek

Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) replaced its 2008 mapping in 2025. Fill or grade changes near a stream may need its permit first.

Lots on the Oak Ridges Moraine

The Town won't issue a Site Alteration Permit here unless the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan's requirements are met. Zoning By-law 5581-05 also applies.

Brooklin's heritage district comes first

An owner among the district's 169 properties needs a Heritage Permit before any proposed work. Questions go to heritage@whitby.ca.

Infill lots can bring their own permit

Infill By-law 8067-24 can require a Grading, Servicing and Drainage Permit, and the Town's guideline lists a retaining wall deposit among its items.

Four steps

How Tim's Crew Runs a Wall Job

Every yard is different, so we skip the phone estimate. We come out, look at the slope and the water, and price what we see.

See the slope together

Book a free, no-obligation consultation. We reply within 1 business day and walk the yard with you, wet spots included.

01

Trace the water

We note swales, the distance to the line and any creek nearby, then explain which Town approvals may apply.

02

Read the itemized quote

Your clear, itemized quote shows what each part of the job involves, and there is no obligation to go ahead.

03

Crew builds, you inspect

Our own crew, no subcontractors, protects the property and builds the wall. We clean up and do a final walkthrough together.

04

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From Our Google Reviews

What Customers Say After Working With Tim

Armour stone wall and steps

Highly recommend! Honest, reliable, and hardworking. Tim takes a lot of pride in his work and is a true perfectionist when it comes to making sure everything is done properly and looks great. You can tell he genuinely cares about the quality of his work and his customers. If you’re looking for someone dependable who does an amazing job, you won’t be disappointed!

Madison Google review

Such a great company. Incredibly hardworking, reliable and genuinely takes pride in what they do. You can tell how much care and effort is put in and making sure everything is done properly. Would absolutely recommend The Setting Stone Company!

Alexis L. Google review

Tim at Setting Stones rebuilt our slipped stone steps and installed a new retaining wall. Hands down the best contractor we’ve worked with. He was professional, listened closely to our vision, and accommodated every design change without complaint. He kept the site immaculate throughout the project, and the finished stonework speaks for itself. Highly recommend.

Samra M. Google review

I can’t say enough how impressed we are with Tim’s work ethic, attention to detail and just truly making the effort to deliver an impeccable job in our backyard. Our fencing and landscaping are better than we hoped for…highly recommended!

N. Lynch Google review

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Retaining wall answers

Whitby Wall Questions, Answered Plainly

The Town recommends no changes within 60 cm of the property line, and its drainage and grading page says water must not pond on your land or a neighbour's. The neighbourhood's overall drainage pattern has to stay as designed. For drainage pattern questions, call the Town at 905-430-4307. We lay out the wall with all of that in mind.

The owner. Section 4.11 of Property Standards By-law 6874-14 requires owners to keep retaining walls in good repair and free of significant masonry cracks affecting stability, with handrails and guards where the Ontario Building Code calls for them. If yours has cracked, we can look at it and tell you whether it needs a repair or a rebuild.

Fence By-law 8228-25 measures fence height from the higher adjacent grade where the two sides differ. That matters when a wall lifts one side of the yard, because the ground you measure from sits at the top of the wall. We also build decks and fences, so we can plan the two together.

The water may have nowhere to go. The Town's Corbett Creek study says the water table is typically near surface in the watershed's northern half, where the ground below does not readily drain, and that silt and clay plains farther south shed snowmelt across the surface. That is regional, so we check your lot. CMHA says to direct water away from a wall whenever possible.

There is no honest number without seeing the yard. Height, length, stone or block, drainage and machine access set the cost, and a lot near Lynde Creek or on the moraine can add approvals of its own. We visit free of charge and send a clear, itemized quote, with no obligation. Winter is a good time for that visit, since our schedule fills in spring and summer.

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Is a Wall or a Swale Causing Trouble in Whitby?

Tell us what the slope is doing. We reply within 1 business day, and the visit and itemized quote are free. (905) 922-6684.