Do I need a permit for my project?

It depends on the project and the property. We look at that with you, and we handle the permits.

How long will approvals take?

It depends on the job and who needs to approve it. We give you a timeline once the scope is set.

Who hires the engineers?

We bring them in and manage the work as part of the build.

It depends on which approvals and reports your lot needs. We give you a rough budget range at the free discovery meeting.

Engineered retaining wall blocks being laid on a gravel base beside the excavation — The engineered retaining wall going up at Ravine’s Edge.

Permits and engineering

We handle the permits, and we bring in the specialists: geotechnical and structural engineers, and arborists. It suits homeowners with a slope, a ravine, wet ground or tricky approvals, and anyone who would rather not deal with the paperwork.

Book a free discovery meeting

What’s included

Permits: We handle the permits. On Ravine’s Edge we acted as the homeowners’ agent, including the City’s ravine protection permit and urban forestry.
Conservation authorities and the escarpment: We deal with the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Conservation Halton, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Niagara Escarpment Commission. Ravine’s Edge, for one, sits on TRCA-regulated land.
Geotechnical and structural engineering: A geotechnical slope assessment, engineered shoring and an engineered retaining wall at Ravine’s Edge. Helical piles and an engineered, frost-protected slab at Escape Plan.
Arborists and tree protection: An arborist’s tree plan and tree-protection hoarding at Ravine’s Edge.
Utility locates: Before every dig: Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call), plus private locates where needed.

How we approach it

On a hard site, the assessment comes first. We find out what the ground can hold, then design around the answer.

It starts with a free discovery meeting at your place. See how it works, step by step

Related work

View from inside the pavilion back up the timber arbour walk to the house

Flamborough, 2015–2018

Escape Plan

The cottage, brought home: a 25-by-50-foot concrete pool, a timber pavilion and a pool cabana, 200 feet from the house on an open field in rural Flamborough.

Rectangular pool with pale concrete deck, looking back to the house through tall trees

Scarborough, 2018–2020

Ravine’s Edge

A pool on sandy, sloping, conservation-authority land with three feet of side access. Geotechnical assessment, shoring, an engineered wall.

See all our work

Common questions

Do I need a permit for my project?: It depends on the project and the property. We look at that with you, and we handle the permits. Read our permit guide.
How long will approvals take?: It depends on the job and who needs to approve it. We give you a timeline once the scope is set.
Who hires the engineers?: We bring them in and manage the work as part of the build.
What if my yard is on a slope?: The assessment comes first. We find out what the ground can hold, then design around the answer. Read our guide to building on a slope.
What will it cost?: It depends on which approvals and reports your lot needs. We give you a rough budget range at the free discovery meeting.