Landscaping and hardscaping, Buckhorn and Trent Lakes

Landscaping and hardscaping in Buckhorn, Lakehurst and Burleigh Falls

Armour stone walls, natural stone steps, flagstone patios and fire pits for homes and cottages on Pigeon, Buckhorn, Lower Buckhorn and the Bald lakes. 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 Buckhorn and Trent Lakes

We build landscaping in Buckhorn and across the Municipality of Trent Lakes for year-round homes and waterfront cottages on Pigeon, Buckhorn, Lower Buckhorn, Big Bald and Little Bald lakes. Patios, armour stone walls, stone steps, fire pits, grading and sod, built by one crew with the owners on site every day and our own excavators and skid steers. Trent Lakes runs from limestone in the south to the southern edge of the Canadian Shield in the north. Most builds start around $20,000.

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 Buckhorn and Trent Lakes: what changes here

Permits and locates

Trent Lakes runs its own building department and takes permits through Cloudpermit. Its guide calls for a permit on open-air decks over 10 m² and accessory structures of 15 m² or more, and the Building Code designates a retaining wall over 1,000 mm of exposed height beside public property or building access. The municipality's agency list adds a Public Lands Act permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources for retaining wall construction, shoreline alteration and fill on shorelines, and possible Kawartha Conservation approval in the former Harvey and Galway townships. Pigeon, the Bald lakes, Buckhorn and Lovesick are Trent-Severn waters. Ontario Dig Authority locates come first.

The ground you are on

Kawartha Highlands, which takes in parts of the old Cavendish and Harvey townships, sits on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, on Grenville Province rock formed in a mountain-building collision over 1,100 million years ago. Kawartha Conservation describes the north end of the Pigeon Lake watershed as exposed granite or limestone bedrock with shallow soils. Frost falls between the 1.6 and 1.8 metre lines on the provincial map. Where rock sits at the surface we build up instead of digging down: a crushed stone base on the rock, armour stone seated on bedrock, and drainage planned across it so water does not pond under the patio.

The rule that shapes the build

Trent Lakes measures waterfront work from the 30 metre water yard. Since April 1, 2016 the municipality requires a survey by an Ontario Land Surveyor for any building permit, minor variance or zoning amendment for construction inside that 30 metres, with a flood contour line added on Trent-Severn lakes. New homes sit at least 30 metres back from the high water mark, and the municipality asks waterfront owners to keep 75% of the shoreline buffer natural. We design the stone work around that buffer and your survey.

Communities we cover from here

BuckhornLakehurstBurleigh FallsGalwayCavendishHarveyPigeon LakeBuckhorn LakeLower Buckhorn LakeBig Bald LakeLittle Bald LakeLovesick Lake

How landscaping in Buckhorn and Trent Lakes 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 Buckhorn and Trent Lakes: your questions answered

Do I need a septic review for a pool patio in Trent Lakes?

Yes. Trent Lakes, which has issued septic permits since 2024, reviews every above-ground and in-ground pool proposal and any deck that could encroach on a system. Its guide keeps structures 17 feet from the septic or filter bed and 5 feet from the tank. We map your system before we lay out the pool surround.

Can you deliver armour stone to Buckhorn in spring?

Not over posted roads during spring break-up. Trent Lakes limits vehicles to five tonnes per axle while load restriction signs are up, and County roads follow Peterborough County's own restrictions. Loaded stone trucks wait until the signs come down. We schedule stone deliveries around the restriction period.

Can I buy the shore road allowance in front of my Trent Lakes cottage?

If your land is adjacent to it, yes. Trent Lakes sells the 66 foot shoreline road allowance only to adjacent owners, at $7.50 per square metre plus HST, with an administration fee of $1,500 for one application or $500 in a group of ten. Survey costs are yours. We check your survey before we design near the water.

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 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→Landscapingin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Landscaping, every areaThe service page→

Other work near Buckhorn and Trent Lakes

Shoreline restorationon Buckhorn and Chemong Lakes→Shoreline restorationon Pigeon Lake→Excavationin Peterborough and the Kawarthas→Septic installationin Peterborough→Septic installationin Buckhorn and Trent Lakes→Excavationin Buckhorn and Trent Lakes→Demolitionin Buckhorn and Trent Lakes→Every area we coverMap and full list→

Ready to plan your build, Buckhorn and Trent Lakes?

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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