LANDSCAPING & SITE PREP
Site Prep, Grading, Drainage and Sod
The dirty work that makes everything else possible. Proper grading for drainage, soil amendment for Ontario clay, and sod or seed that actually roots.
LANDSCAPING & SITE PREP
The dirty work that makes everything else possible. Proper grading for drainage, soil amendment for Ontario clay, and sod or seed that actually roots.
THE BASE LAYER
Your lawn is dying in patches. Water pools by the house after rain. The new sod never rooted. Ninety percent of the time the issue isn't the grass — it's what's underneath. London is mostly heavy clay. Clay holds water, compacts, and chokes root systems. Without proper grading and soil prep, every planting on top of it struggles.
Landscaping to us is everything between bare dirt and a finished yard: grading, drainage, topsoil import, soil amendment, sod, seed, garden bed prep, edging, and mulch. It's less glamorous than the patio or the pool, but it's the work that actually determines whether your yard looks good in year three.
We pull soil and aggregate from Paton Soils, run a small excavator and skid steer for tight residential access, and work from grading plans that respect slope and roof runoff.
SCOPE
Often landscaping is part of a bigger project (after a pool or patio build). Sometimes it's the whole project. Either way, here's what's in scope.
Move earth to match the grading plan. Slope away from the house, pitch the yard, level pads for future hardscape.
Final grading before sod or seed. Rake smooth, pick stones, roll. What separates a pro finish from an amateur one.
French drains, catch basins, downspout extensions, dry wells. Ontario clay doesn't drain on its own.
4 to 8 inches of quality topsoil on top of graded subgrade. Composted organics tilled in for clay soils.
Kentucky bluegrass sod laid fresh, rolled, watered. Specific watering schedule handed over.
Seed + starter fertilizer + straw or hydroseed. Cheaper than sod, takes 3 to 6 weeks to establish.
Steel, aluminum or natural stone edging between lawn and beds. Keeps mulch in and grass out.
Triple-shred hardwood mulch or cedar mulch installed 2 to 3 inches deep. Refresh every 2 to 3 years.
HOW IT WORKS
Chris walks the property, checks existing grade, drainage issues, and soil conditions. Honest talk about what needs to change.
Rough sketch or full plan depending on scope. Where water goes, where soil is added or removed, where drain tile goes.
Excavator and skid steer on site. Rough grade, drainage install, topsoil import. Usually 3 to 7 days depending on size.
Final rake, stone pick, roll. Sod or seed installed. Mulched beds. Cleanup.
Watering schedule for sod (usually 3 weeks of daily water). Mowing start date. Fertilizer plan for season one.
TRANSPARENT PRICING
Installed ranges for 2026, before HST:
Cost drivers:
All ranges are ballpark figures for London and Southwestern Ontario, 2026. HST (13%) added as a final line on every quote.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Usually three reasons in Ontario clay. Compacted soil (roots can't breathe or take up water). Poor drainage (roots sit in water then starve in drought). Insufficient topsoil (roots hit clay at 2 inches and stop). Fix those three and most lawns come back. We'll tell you which one you have.
Sod: instant lawn, rooted in 2 to 3 weeks, more expensive per sqft. Good for pool-side and high-traffic yards. Seed: cheaper by 50%+, takes 3 to 6 weeks to be usable, 2 full seasons to mature. Good for large areas or budget-conscious jobs. Both work if you prep the soil properly.
Depends on the source. Roof runoff: extend downspouts 6 to 10 feet from the house. Surface water: regrade to pitch away from the house at 2% minimum. Groundwater: French drain or catch basin system piped to a low point or dry well. We diagnose before we quote.
Spring (April to June) and fall (September to October) are the sweet spots. Summer sod needs daily watering to establish. Late fall is fine for rough grading and drainage but too late for sod north of October. Winter is for planning and design.
No. We install landscaping, we don't mow weekly. Once your yard is established, we hand you off to a maintenance crew if you want ongoing service. We focus on install and renovation work.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Tell us what's wrong with your yard or what you want it to be. We'll come out, assess, and send a real quote.