STONE WALLS ON LARGE LOTSINTERLOCKING BLOCKDRY-STACK & MORTARED STONEGARDEN WALLSRAISED PLANTERSREBUILDS & REPAIRSPICKERING & DURHAM REGIONSTONE WALLS ON LARGE LOTSINTERLOCKING BLOCKDRY-STACK & MORTARED STONEGARDEN WALLSRAISED PLANTERSREBUILDS & REPAIRSPICKERING & DURHAM REGION
Building, rebuilding and repairing retaining walls in Pickering is work The Setting Stone Company takes on across the city, including Rouge Park and Brock Ridge, with its open space along Duffins Creek.
This city has real grade to work with. The old shoreline of glacial Lake Iroquois is still visible across central Pickering, the south slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine has many long, narrow mounds called drumlins, and parts of six watersheds cross the city. A wall on land like this needs more than a neat face. We start with what the slope is doing, where the water goes and who the wall belongs to.
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Property Standards By-law 7887/21 says storm water must drain without causing recurring standing water, erosion or damage on your lot or a neighbour’s. A retaining wall can change where water goes, so that rule shapes the build. We excavate, compact a granular base and bury the bottom course, then run gravel and perforated pipe behind the wall. Taller walls get a backward lean. The by-law also says fill can’t sit unlevelled for more than 30 days without an active building permit, so we plan the work around that.
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A City housing assessment, using 2021 data, says 77.5% of dwellings were built before 2000, so your yard may hold an older wall. See our regional wall page for more.
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If a wall sits near a lot line, settle ownership first. The City only acts on retaining wall complaints once ownership of the wall is established, and that may take a Plan of Survey from an Ontario Land Surveyor, paid for by the owners.
Permits come next. The City’s building permit page says a wall over one metre (3 feet 3 inches) may need one when it is on or next to public property including streets, at building entrances, or on private property the public can access. Walls on private property not open to the public typically don’t need one, though zoning still applies. Confirm yours with Building Services at 905.420.4631, as rules can change.
More than 2 loads, or 20 cubic metres, may need a Fill and Topsoil Disturbance Permit under By-law 6060/02, which also covers grading changes.
Section 4 of that by-law separately requires a permit to place fill or remove topsoil within 30 metres of any body of water.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority wants a design detail and cross section for a replacement wall, and the City cannot issue a building permit until TRCA clears it.
The City warns that skipping a required permit can mean delays, penalties, legal action or removal of the work at the owner's cost.
We won’t guess at a wall over the phone. The slope, the access and what sits behind it decide the job, and those take a visit.
Get in touch and hear back within 1 business day. The on-site consultation is free and there is no obligation.
We look at the slope, lot lines, nearby water and any old wall, and flag what the City or TRCA may want to see.
Your clear, itemized quote shows what the job includes, and we confirm which permits apply before anything starts.
Our own crew builds it, keeps the site tidy and goes over the finished work with you at the end.
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Find out who owns it. Pickering's Property Standards By-law requires walls to be durable, in good repair and structurally sound, but the City acts on complaints only once ownership is established, which may take a Plan of Survey paid for by the owners. A friendly talk over the fence costs less than a survey, so we suggest starting there.
A new wall can change drainage, so check first. The City's new homeowner FAQ says residents cannot change grading and drainage patterns set at the subdivision stage, swales cannot be filled in and catch basins cannot be covered. Owners could be liable for damage. If your home is under 5 years old and you have grading concerns, City Development is at 905.420.4617.
A retaining wall is one option, and the City's rules shape the rest. A wall under 1 metre at every point typically doesn't need a building permit, though zoning still applies. More than about 2 dump truck loads of fill may need a permit. In a new subdivision, residents can't change grading and drainage patterns. We look at the whole slope at the free visit and tell you what fits.
Each wall is priced on its own height, length, material, drainage and machine access, which is why the number comes after a free visit, in an itemized quote. If your wall needs a building permit, the City says a qualified designer or contractor can get it on your behalf.
With the slope held back, you may want a flagstone patio above it or new stone steps down to it. Our other local services are here.
Reach us at (905) 922-6684 or send a note. The site visit and itemized quote are free, with no obligation.
Expert interlock, flagstone, driveways, retaining walls, decks, and fences across Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Oshawa, and Clarington.
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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!
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