Landscaping and hardscaping, Huntsville and Lake of Bays

Landscaping in Huntsville, Port Sydney and Lake of Bays

Patios, walkways, stone steps, retaining walls and planting for homes and cottages from Hidden Valley and Port Sydney to Baysville and Dorset. Most builds start around $20,000. Send the form and an owner calls you back today.

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Call (705) 208-7121
★★★★★5.0from 32 Google reviews
  • ✓Same-day callback from an owner
  • ✓Design meeting on your property, written quote after it
  • ✓One crew, owners on site every day of the build
Get your free landscaping consult
A few quick questions. An owner calls you back today.
Prefer to talk? Call (705) 208-7121
32 reviews, most of them for yards and stone work
Owners on site
One or both owners on site every day of the build
Our own machines
Excavators and skid steers we own, so the base and the stone are one crew's work
Locates before every dig
Ontario Dig Authority locate filed before the machine arrives

Landscaping in Huntsville and Lake of Bays

Landscaping in Huntsville and Lake of Bays is mostly waterfront work on thin soil over Shield rock, and the two municipalities hold the shoreline to similar numbers. Huntsville keeps a natural buffer across at least 75 percent of a lot's water frontage, at least 15 metres deep, and Lake of Bays keeps 75 percent of the shoreline natural to the same depth. The patio, the path and the steps go in the rest. We lay that out at the site visit and give you a written price after it.

Patios, walkways and walls

The stone you walk on every day, laid on a base built to stay flat through a Kawartha winter.

  • ✓Natural stone, flagstone and interlock patios
  • ✓Walkways, front entrances and stone steps
  • ✓Armour stone and block retaining walls
  • ✓Pool surrounds
  • ✓Grading, drainage and sod to finish the yard

Outdoor living

The pieces that turn a yard into the place everyone ends up on a summer night.

  • ✓Fire pits and seating areas
  • ✓Pergolas and privacy screens
  • ✓Outdoor kitchens
  • ✓Decks and fences

We run our own excavators and skid steers, so the base under your patio is dug, graded and compacted by the same crew that lays the stone. The base is what decides whether a patio stays flat through freeze and thaw.

Walls that need them get structural drawings and a permit before we dig, and every build ends with a walk-through and a written warranty contract.

Building yards in Huntsville and Lake of Bays: what changes here

Permits and locates

Muskoka has no conservation authority. Huntsville and Lake of Bays regulate vegetation removal and site alteration through their community planning permit by-laws. In Huntsville, removing woody vegetation 1 metre or taller within 30 metres of a shoreline, watercourse or wetland on a rural or waterfront lot takes a permit, and so does grading or fill that changes the land more than 0.3 metres over more than 10 square metres, unless exempt. Under the Building Code, a retaining wall over 1 metre of exposed height next to public property, access to a building, or private property the public is admitted to is a designated structure, designed to Part 4. We file the permits for you.

The ground you are on

Soils across the Muskoka River watershed are typically sandy and 10 to 30 centimetres deep over weathered granitic bedrock, so the depth to rock sets how a patio base or a wall footing is built. Huntsville's by-law defines a steep slope as more than 30 percent with a drop of 3 metres or more, and it keeps vegetation removal on the Mary Lake Ridgeline and in the Gryffin Bluff Special Policy Area under permit outside approved building and septic envelopes. We set the base and the drainage to the ground on your lot.

The rule that shapes the build

The shoreline activity area. In Huntsville it is the land within 15 metres of the controlled high-water mark where docks, boathouses and swimming access go, and together with every shoreline structure it is capped at 25 percent of the lot frontage, to a maximum of 15 metres. In Lake of Bays the cap is 25 percent or 23 metres, whichever is less, kept 4.5 metres off the side lot line. Going wider takes a Class 2 or Class 3 permit in Huntsville. We design waterfront patios and steps inside the cap.

Communities we cover from here

HuntsvillePort SydneyUttersonHidden ValleyGrassmereDwightBaysvilleDorsetPort CunningtonNorway PointMary LakePeninsula Lake

How landscaping in Huntsville and Lake of Bays works, in four steps

1
First visit
We walk the property with you, talk through what you want, and give you rough numbers so you know where the project sits.
2
Design and quote
Our designer meets you on site and works through every detail. A 10% deposit locks the scope and materials, and the final quote is the exact price for the job.
3
Drawings and permits
Structural drawings where a wall needs them, permits filed, the schedule set.
4
Build and warranty
One or both owners on site every day. A final walk-through, the final invoice and a written warranty contract.

Recent builds

Stone fire pit and seating built by Thor Construction
Pergola and privacy screen built by Thor Construction
Front entrance stone work by Thor Construction

What our customers say

★★★★★

“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!”

D 1072
Pool surround, hardscaping · Google review
★★★★★

“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”

Jeremy Thorsen
New home, full landscaping · Google review
★★★★★

“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!”

Matthew Tynkaluk
Backyard rebuild · Google review

Landscaping in Huntsville and Lake of Bays: your questions answered

Can I clear trees for a view on a Huntsville waterfront lot?

Within limits. The shoreline buffer stays natural except for removing dead and decaying vegetation and one 2 metre path to the water, and removing woody vegetation within 30 metres of the shoreline on a rural or waterfront lot takes a permit. Dead or hazardous trees are exempt. We plan any clearing with the permit in hand.

How much patio can go near the water in Lake of Bays?

Patios are among the structures allowed in a Shoreline Activity Area, which reaches 20 metres inland and covers up to 25 percent of the frontage or 23 metres, whichever is less. Buildings and structures within 20 metres of the shoreline generally cover no more than 40 percent of that area. We size the patio to fit.

Will a patio or pool affect my septic system in Huntsville?

It can. The Building Code keeps leaching bed piping at least 5 metres from any structure, and the Town's maintenance inspection program re-inspects each private system at least once every 20 years. We find the tank and the bed before laying out a patio, pool or shed, and keep the build clear of them.

What do you build?

Patios and walkways in natural stone, flagstone and interlock, armour stone and block retaining walls, stone steps, pool surrounds, fire pits, pergolas and privacy screens, outdoor kitchens, decks and fences, plus the grading and sod that finish it.

How does pricing work?

The first visit gives you rough numbers. After the design meeting you get a detailed quote, a 10% deposit locks the scope and materials, and the final quote is the exact price for the job.

What size of project do you take on?

Most builds start around $20,000, from a patio and wall up to a full backyard at $150,000 and more.

When can you start?

One crew builds a limited number of yards each season. Designs signed over the winter are scheduled first for spring.

Do I need a permit?

Most patios and garden walls do not. A retaining wall over 1 metre of exposed height next to public property, access to a building, or private property the public is admitted to is a designated structure under the Ontario Building Code: it is designed to the Code's structural rules and takes a building permit, and we arrange the engineering. Anything close to the water needs the conservation authority's permit first. We check at the first visit.

Who is on site?

One or both of the owners, every day of the build, managing the job and keeping you and your neighbours in the loop.

Other areas and services

Every page has the local permit office, the ground and the rules for that area.

Landscaping in other towns

Landscapingin Bobcaygeon→Landscapingin Fenelon Falls→Landscapingin Lindsay→Landscapingin Buckhorn and Trent Lakes→Landscapingin Peterborough→Landscapingin Coboconk, Norland and Kinmount→Landscapingin Omemee, Bethany and Pontypool→Landscapingin Lakefield, Bridgenorth and Ennismore→Landscapingin Millbrook and Cavan Monaghan→Landscapingin Apsley and North Kawartha→Landscapingin Minden and Minden Hills→Landscapingin Wilberforce and Highlands East→Landscapingin Beaverton, Cannington and Sunderland→Landscapingin Port Perry and Scugog→Landscapingin Orillia, Severn and Ramara→Landscapingin Georgina, Sutton and Keswick→Landscapingin Mount Albert and East Gwillimbury→Landscapingin Oro-Medonte→Landscapingin Markham→Landscapingin Barrie and South Simcoe→Landscapingin Warsaw and Douro-Dummer→Landscapingin Keene and Otonabee-South Monaghan→Landscapingin Cobourg and Port Hope→Landscapingin Bewdley, Gores Landing and Rice Lake→Landscapingin Bowmanville, Newcastle and Clarington→Landscapingin Haliburton and Dysart et al→Landscapingin Norwood and Havelock→Landscapingin Uxbridge→Landscapingin Campbellford and Trent Hills→Landscapingin Oshawa, Whitby and Brooklin→Landscapingin Stouffville→Landscapingin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Landscapingin Pickering and Ajax→Landscapingin Newmarket, Aurora and King→Landscapingin Bradford West Gwillimbury→Landscaping, every areaThe service page→

Other work near Huntsville and Lake of Bays

Septic installationin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Septic installationin Huntsville→Excavationin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Demolitionin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Excavationin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Demolitionin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Shoreline restorationon Lake Muskoka→Shoreline restorationon Fairy, Peninsula and Vernon Lakes→Every area we coverMap and full list→

Ready to plan your build, Huntsville and Lake of Bays?

Send the form and an owner calls you back today. Or call now and talk to the person who will dig the job.

Call (705) 208-7121
Get your free landscaping consult
A few quick questions. An owner calls you back today.
Prefer to talk? Call (705) 208-7121
Thor Construction Company
Bobcaygeon, Ontario · Serving Central Ontario, north of the GTA
  • (705) 208-7121
  • jp@thorconstruction.ca
  • Bobcaygeon, Ontario

Services

Septic installation

Excavation

Landscaping

Hardscaping

Shoreline restoration

Demolition

Service areas

Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls

Lindsay and south Kawartha Lakes

Buckhorn and Trent Lakes

Peterborough and the Kawarthas

Haliburton and Minden

Orillia, Severn and Ramara

Barrie and South Simcoe

Muskoka: Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville

Cobourg, Port Hope and Northumberland

Durham: Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering, Ajax, Clarington, Uxbridge and Port Perry

York: Markham, Stouffville, Newmarket, Aurora, King and Georgina

All service areas

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