Thor Construction company did some hardscaping for us in our backyard around the pool. Right from the start they were responsive, they worked with us on a design that was functional for the space and stayed within the agreed budget. Their work was fabulous! The attention to detail created that special place in our backyard that we will certainly enjoy for many years to come.
Shoreline · Kawartha Lakes
Shoreline restoration on the Kawartha Lakes
Eroded banks, leaning walls and ice damage rebuilt in the form the conservation authority and Parks Canada approve, with the permits filed for you. Permits take months and in-water work closes March 15, so winter is when next season's shorelines get booked.
- Conservation authority and Parks Canada permits filed
- Built in the open fish window
- One crew for grading, stone and planting
Get your free shoreline consult
A few quick questions. No obligation.
Most shoreline builds start around $20,000.
Your details go to Thor's two owners, nobody else.
Why it matters
Keep the shoreline you paid for.
Most people ask us for armour stone at the shoreline. What gets permitted on the Kawartha lakes is sloped river rock and deep-rooted planting at the water, with armour stone for the steps and seating up the bank. It holds through ice and high water, and it is the build the conservation authority and Parks Canada sign off on.
Ground you keep
Ice pushes and high water pulls at an open bank every spring. Each season it waits, there is less bank left and more to rebuild.
A build that makes next summer
Most jobs here need two approvals, and in-water work closes March 15 to July 15 while fish spawn. Permits filed in fall or winter are what put a crew on your shore once the window opens.
An easy way down to the water
Armour stone steps and seating walls set into the bank, so getting down to the dock is easy and there is a place to sit at the bottom.
The ballpark
Most shoreline builds start around $20,000. The frontage, the slope and how machines reach the water set the rest.
What we do
What is included.
Shoreline restoration
Bank washing into the lake, an old wall leaning out, ice shoving the stone around every spring? You get a shoreline rebuilt to hold, in the form the permit offices approve.
- Eroded banks re-sloped and armoured with river rock on a 3:1 slope
- Failed timber, concrete and stone walls taken out
- Native planting and a no-mow buffer that roots the bank
- Armour stone steps and seating walls up the bank to the water
- Machine and stone access planned, the site restored when we leave
The permits, handled
On the Kawartha lakes most shoreline jobs need two approvals, and the calendar matters as much as the paperwork. You sign; we prepare and file.
- Your survey checked for a City shoreline road allowance
- Pre-consultation and permit with Kawartha Conservation or Otonabee Conservation
- Parks Canada in-water and shoreline works application on Trent-Severn lakes
- The build timed to the fish-spawning window
- Every approval in hand before a machine touches the bank
One crew, start to finishWe run our own excavators and skid steers, so the grading, the stone and the planting are one crew's work, with an owner on site every day.
What gets permittedWe design to what the conservation authority and Parks Canada approve. If what you picture is a vertical armour stone wall at the waterline, you hear at the first visit what gets permitted instead, before you spend a dollar on drawings.
How it works
Four steps, one crew.
Tell us about your waterfront
Send the form or call. An owner calls you back the same business day.
An owner walks the shoreline
We measure the frontage, photograph the bank, check your survey for a shoreline road allowance, and work out how machines and stone get in.
We file the permits
Pre-consultation with the conservation authority, then the applications to it and to Parks Canada with the site plan and photos they ask for.
Build in the open window
Stone, grading and planting when the fish window allows, then a walk-through and your written warranty.
Our work
On the job.
Recent shoreline jobs, filmed and photographed on site by the crew.
See all our work Follow @thorconstructioncompany on Instagram
Reviews
In their words.
Thor construction company did a great job on my landscaping for my new home, great design idea for my garden and driveway and walkway plus patio thanks for the great job, we highly recommend them
Can't say enough about Thor Construction Company. They transformed my backyard space into a perfect little getaway; can't wait to host this summer! They were professional, hardworking bunch and I would recommend you chose this company for your backyard or landscaping needs...big or small!
Service areas
Shoreline near you.
Pick your town for the permits, the ground and the rules that apply there.
Bobcaygeon & Fenelon Falls
Lindsay & south Kawartha Lakes
Buckhorn & Trent Lakes
Peterborough & Lakefield
Haliburton & Minden
Orillia & Severn
Barrie & South Simcoe
Cobourg & Port Hope
Durham: Oshawa to Port Perry
York: Markham & Stouffville
No page for that town yet. We may still cover it. Call (705) 208-7121 and we will tell you straight.
Questions
Shoreline FAQ.
Do I need a permit to fix my shoreline?
On the Kawartha lakes, almost always two. Parks Canada permits all work on the bed and waters of the Trent-Severn lakes, including shoreline stabilization, and the conservation authority permits work in its regulated area along the shore. We prepare and file both.
Can I put an armour stone wall at the water's edge?
Kawartha Conservation's published guidance steers away from hardened shorelines, meaning retaining walls, sheet piles and armour stone at the water's edge. What it recommends is river rock in mixed sizes on a 3:1 slope along the natural contour, native plants and a no-mow buffer. We design to that, and put armour stone where it earns its place: steps, seating walls and terraces up the bank.
When can the work happen?
On lakes that hold walleye and bass, which is most of the Kawarthas, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's timing window keeps in-water work off-limits from March 15 to July 15 while fish spawn. Parks Canada permits are valid for one year, so we file in fall or winter and schedule the build for the open window.
How long do the permits take?
Kawartha Conservation publishes its timelines: a streamlined permit is checked for completeness in 10 days and issued within 14 more, a standard minor permit in 14 plus 21 days. Parks Canada asks for applications several months before the start date. That is why fall is the time to start.
Can you take out an old wall?
Yes. Removing a failed timber, concrete or stone wall is shoreline work too, so it goes through the same permits, and the bank is re-sloped and planted where the wall stood.
How is a shoreline priced?
By the length of frontage, the slope, how machines and stone get to the water, and what the permits require. You get a written price after the site visit, with the permit work priced in the same quote.
Is there a minimum project size?
Most of the shoreline and yard builds we take on start around $20,000.
How long have you been in business?
Thor Construction is 3 years in business, with 20+ years of experience behind it. One of the two owners runs every job, every day.
Free quote
Ready to get your shoreline permitted?
Two quick steps. An owner calls you back today and books the site visit.
- 1An owner calls you back todayOne of the two owners, never a dispatcher.
- 2A visit to your propertyAccess, grades, soil and what is underground, checked in person.
- 3A written price after the visitYou know the number before anything starts.
Get your free shoreline consult
A few quick questions. No obligation.
Most shoreline builds start around $20,000.
Your details go to Thor's two owners, nobody else.
Same crew, other work
