NATURAL STONE WALLSINTERLOCKING BLOCK WALLSDRY-STACK & MORTARED STONEGARDEN WALLS & PLANTERSWALLS FOR SLOPED YARDSWALL REPAIRS & REBUILDSOSHAWA & DURHAM REGIONNATURAL STONE WALLSINTERLOCKING BLOCK WALLSDRY-STACK & MORTARED STONEGARDEN WALLS & PLANTERSWALLS FOR SLOPED YARDSWALL REPAIRS & REBUILDSOSHAWA & DURHAM REGION
If your Oshawa yard needs a retaining wall, The Setting Stone Company can build or rebuild it in natural stone or interlocking block, from the Columbus growth area to yards near the Oshawa Creek East Branch around Samac.
Two separate permit questions come up here. One is the building permit, which depends on height and location. The other is the Site Alteration Permit: the City lists new retaining walls as work that needs it, and any change to ground level within 0.6 m of the property line triggers it too. City staff review a proposal at no cost, and where neighbouring properties are not affected, they issue a Clearance Letter instead.
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Oshawa lots are designed to drain along the property line, and owners are responsible for keeping that drainage working. So we plan where the water goes before we plan the wall. The wall sits on a compacted granular base with the bottom course buried, and a gravel drainage layer and perforated pipe go behind it. Taller walls get a backward lean, called batter. The Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) says gravel and pipe should only handle incidental water, not act as the main drainage path, and that water should be directed away from a wall whenever possible.
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This city runs from the lakeshore to rolling hills in the north, so the wall has to suit the slope. The options are laid out on our Durham Region wall page.
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Height and location decide the building permit. The City’s permit guide lists one for a retaining wall over 1.0 m (39 inches) in exposed height next to public property or access to a building, or on private property the public is admitted to. A 1.2 m wall beside a public sidewalk fits that line, and one beside your front walk may too. A wall on private property the public isn’t admitted to needs no building permit under the guide, as long as the Site Alteration By-law permits it and it stays outside the angle of repose of a building, roughly the soil a foundation relies on.
Rules can change, so confirm your wall with Building Services at 905-436-3311.
Hauling more than 20 cubic metres in or out triggers a Site Alteration Permit, and the by-law's definition of fill includes stone, concrete and sod.
City design criteria, written for development plans, keep walls, footings and tie-backs on one property and at least 0.15 m from the line.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) has jurisdiction over both. Under Ontario Regulation 41/24, fill or grading near a stream may need its permit first.
Changing a swale or the existing drainage pattern triggers a Site Alteration Permit, so check a lot's drainage before a wall goes in.
A wall quote depends on height, soil, access and drainage, so we need to stand in the yard before we name a number.
Call or send a note and we reply within 1 business day. At the visit we look at the slope, the water and machine access.
We check the height, the distance to the property line and any nearby creek, then tell you which permits may apply.
You get a clear, itemized quote for the wall. There is no obligation, so take the time you need.
Our own crew protects the property, builds from base to cap and cleans up. Then we walk the finished wall with you.
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A Site Alteration Permit covers work that changes land levels, and all land in Oshawa falls under By-law 85-2006. New retaining walls are on the City's landscaping and grading page, in the Minor Residential category. Staff review proposals at no cost. The City lists a $1,000 Minor Residential security deposit and says a permit is typically valid for one year from approval.
Plan on staying back. The City's Design Criteria Manual, written for development plans, keeps walls, tie-backs and footings on one property and at least 0.15 m from any property line. It also caps residential walls at 1.5 m without integrated fencing. Treat those numbers as a guide, and remember that any change to ground level within 0.6 m of the line triggers a Site Alteration Permit.
A low block wall can sit on a levelling pad instead of a deep footing. An NCMA guide says segmental walls are flexible, so the footing need not go below the frost line if the soil bears enough weight. The pad is crushed stone or unreinforced concrete at least 6 in. thick. In Oshawa, a grade change within 0.6 m of the lot line triggers a Site Alteration Permit, however low the wall.
Cost depends on height, length, material, drainage and how easily a machine can reach the spot, so we don't give ballpark phone estimates. We visit for free and send a clear, itemized quote. If the job needs a Site Alteration Permit, the City also asks for a security deposit, and we flag that before you commit.
Poor drainage can do it. CMHA's wall guidance warns about erosion, migrating fines (fine soil carried along by water) and water pressure behind a block wall. Techo-Bloc traced one failing wall to missing drain tile, no fabric between topsoil and clean stone, and too little stone. It says water coming through the face signals drainage problems, so if yours weeps, we check the drainage behind it first.
A wall can come with stone steps or a flagstone patio on the level ground it creates. Here is what else we build locally.
A walk along the slope and an itemized quote cost you nothing, with no obligation. Call Tim at (905) 922-6684 or send a note.
Expert interlock, flagstone, driveways, retaining walls, decks, and fences across Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Oshawa, and Clarington.
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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