Landscaping and hardscaping, Minden and Minden Hills

Landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills

Patios, walkways, retaining walls and outdoor living for homes and cottages from Minden village to Gull, Moore and Twelve Mile Lakes. Send the form and an owner calls you back today.

★★★★★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

5.0 on Google

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 Minden and Minden Hills

Landscaping in Minden Hills starts with one question: does the work sit within 20 metres of the water? Since April 1, 2023, the County of Haliburton's Shoreline Preservation By-law has governed grading, fill and clearing in that strip, and lake frontage runs right through the township. The usual asks are stone steps down a rock slope to the dock, a level patio cut into a hillside, and a wall holding the yard above the water, built by Thor with an owner on every job.

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 Minden and Minden Hills: what changes here

Permits and locates

Within 20 metres of the high water mark of a lake, river, stream or pond, County of Haliburton By-law 4169 applies in Minden Hills. Minor work goes ahead without a permit: retaining walls under 1 metre, grade changes of 0.3 metres or less, paths under 5 metres wide, and removing no more than 25 per cent of the native vegetation on a residential lot. Anything bigger goes to the County for a shoreline permit first, and the Planning Director decides within 30 days. Every dig starts with a locate request to Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call). We file both.

The ground you are on

This is Canadian Shield ground. Soil over rock can be thin and lots often fall away toward the water, so a patio base is often a cut into rock on one side and built-up granular on the other. In Minden village, the Township's Hazard Lands Overlay covers land along the Gull River and its tributaries that can flood, and new development there is restricted. The depth of granular follows what the machine finds, rock or soil, so the stone sits flat after a Haliburton winter.

The rule that shapes the build

The Minden Hills Official Plan keeps shoreline activity on a residential lot to 25 per cent of the frontage or 15 metres, whichever is less. That strip holds the path to the dock, the steps to the water and the waterside seating, and the rest of the frontage stays natural. On a 60 metre lot, that is 15 metres. We lay out the stone work inside that strip from the first sketch.

Communities we cover from here

MindenCarnarvonIrondaleGelertLochlinIngoldsbyHowlandLutterworthMoore's FallsGull LakeMoore LakeHorseshoe LakeTwelve Mile LakeMountain Lake

How landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills works, in four steps

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.

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.

Drawings and permits

Structural drawings where a wall needs them, permits filed, the schedule set.

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

★★★★★5.0from 32 Google reviews

★★★★★

“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 Minden and Minden Hills: your questions answered

Do I need a County permit for a patio near the lake?

Not if the work is minor. Inside the 20 metre shoreline area, a patio or path that changes the grade by 0.3 metres or less and clears under 25 per cent of the native vegetation is exempt. More fill, a wall over 1 metre or wider clearing goes to the County for a shoreline permit. We check at the first visit.

Can you replace the stone in my old retaining wall?

Yes. The County lets you replace rock or stone in an existing structure without a permit when the material stays the same. Making the wall longer, taller or different goes to the County for review. We tell you which side of that line your job sits on.

My lot slopes to the Gull River in town. Is that a problem?

It can be. The Township's Hazard Lands Overlay covers flood-prone land along the Gull River, mostly inside the Minden settlement area, and new development there is restricted. We check the schedule for your lot before we draw anything.

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

Other work near Minden and Minden Hills

Excavationin Haliburton and Minden→Septic installationin Minden and Minden Hills→Shoreline restorationon Gull Lake and the Minden lakes→Septic installationin Wilberforce and Highlands East→Excavationin Wilberforce and Highlands East→Septic installationin Haliburton and Dysart et al→Shoreline restorationon Kashagawigamog and the Haliburton lakes→Demolitionin Minden and Minden Hills→Demolitionin Haliburton and Dysart et al→Demolitionin Wilberforce and Highlands East→Every area we coverMap and full list→

Ready to plan your build, Minden and Minden Hills?

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

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

Call Now

Landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills

Landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills

Patios, walkways and walls

Outdoor living

Building yards in Minden and Minden Hills: what changes here

Permits and locates

The ground you are on

The rule that shapes the build

Communities we cover from here

How landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills works, in four steps

Recent builds

What our customers say

Landscaping in Minden and Minden Hills: your questions answered

Other areas and services

Landscaping in other towns

Other work near Minden and Minden Hills

Ready to plan your build, Minden and Minden Hills?

Services

Service areas

Ready to take the next step in your project?