NATURAL STONE RETAININGBLOCK RETAINING WALLSGARDEN WALLSRAISED PLANTERSSTEEP YARD WALLSWALL REPAIR & REBUILDCOURTICE & CLARINGTONNATURAL STONE RETAININGBLOCK RETAINING WALLSGARDEN WALLSRAISED PLANTERSSTEEP YARD WALLSWALL REPAIR & REBUILDCOURTICE & CLARINGTON
A retaining wall in Courtice can be natural stone or interlocking block, and The Setting Stone Company builds both for homes in Glenview, the Southeast Courtice lands around Avondale and Ebenezer, and Bayview beside the Robinson Creek valley.
Grading can be the reason a yard needs a wall. Clarington’s landscaping instructions want finished grades between 2% and 5%, and where more than that is needed, a 3:1 slope applies. That slope uses 3 metres of yard for every metre of height. A deep lot east of Farewell Creek may have room for it. On a smaller lot there may not be, and a wall can hold the grade instead.
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Your lot’s drainage swale must not be filled in or changed, so we place the wall to leave it clear. Then the build itself: an excavated, compacted base, gravel and perforated pipe behind the wall, and fabric between topsoil and drain stone. Techo-Bloc, a block maker, says topsoil moved into the stone behind one failing wall and reduced its ability to drain. CMHA adds that burying the bottom of a wall deeper adds stability on steep slopes and weak soils.
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Older properties sit among the new growth here, so one wall type won’t suit every yard. Our wall services across the region include all four of these.
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It can. Robinson Creek’s valley largely defines the eastern edge of Bayview. Southeast Courtice holds the headwaters and tributaries of Tooley and Robinson creeks. Clarington calls those two watersheds vulnerable to land use change, and their subwatershed study looks at flooding and stream bank erosion. Along Highway 2, the Courtice Main Street plan names Farewell Creek and the Black Creek valley.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation (CLOCA) manages the Black/Harmony/Farewell Creek watershed, and its permit page says fill, grading or work close to a stream may need a permit under Ontario Regulation 41/24. Asking staff is its stated first step. For Robinson and Tooley, ask Clarington which authority applies.
By-law 2024-017 requires a site alteration permit before fill goes down or soil comes out, and fill can't come from outside Clarington.
On newly built lots, deck and pool enclosure permits may wait until the developer's engineer certifies the lot grading. Find out where yours stands.
If a heritage designation includes a retaining wall, changing or replacing that wall may need a heritage permit. Clarington charges no application fee.
We are based in Bowmanville, also in Clarington, so a site visit to look at your slope is easy to arrange.
Grading, access and water can differ from one side of a street to the other, so we visit before we quote. No phone estimates.
Expect a reply within 1 business day and a free site visit. Keep any grading plan from your builder handy if you have one.
We measure the fall across your yard, find the swale and property lines, and work out whether a slope or a wall fits better.
It comes itemized, with our advice on any permits that may apply, and you are under no obligation to go ahead.
Our own crew does the excavation, drainage and wall, keeps the site clean, and walks the finished work with you.
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When a gentle grade won't fit. Clarington's landscaping instructions want finished grades between 2% and 5%, and steeper changes follow a 3:1 slope, or 3 metres of yard per metre of height. If the drop is 1 metre and you have less than 3 metres to spare, a wall may be the practical answer. We can work out both at the visit.
No. Clarington says a lot's drainage swale must not be filled in or changed, because that affects drainage on your lot and on neighbouring properties. A violation can bring a fine or an order to remove. That goes for a new lot in Southeast Courtice as much as an established one in Highland. A retaining wall or planter has to work around the swale, and it also has to sit 0.6 metres off property lines.
Sometimes. The Ontario Building Code makes a wall over 1,000 mm in exposed height a designated structure, which needs a permit, when it sits next to public property, access to a building, or private property the public is admitted to. It also falls under the Code's structural design part, so for a wall like that, expect to need an engineer's sealed drawings. Clarington's web pages give no height, so confirm any wall with its Building Division.
They call for more care. These are two of the smallest watersheds in Clarington, and the municipality calls them vulnerable to land use change. Robinson Creek's watershed sits almost completely inside the Courtice urban area and drains through the McLaughlin Bay Wetland Complex to Lake Ontario. If your yard is near either creek, ask Clarington before planning grade changes.
Cost depends on the yard. A long wall across a deeper lot on Highway 2 is a different job from a short planter wall in Bayview, and height, drainage and machine access matter too. We skip the ballpark phone numbers. After a free visit, you get an itemized quote you can compare properly.
Once a slope is held back, there is room for a flagstone patio or a new deck. Browse our local services and nearby towns.
A free visit tells you whether a slope or a wall makes more sense, and the quote comes itemized. Call (905) 922-6684.
Expert interlock, flagstone, driveways, retaining walls, decks, and fences across Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Oshawa, and Clarington.
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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!
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