Hero photoimages/hero.jpg2400 × 1400
Kitchener–Waterloo Region
Engineered, not assembled.From the footing to the final cut.
A‑01 · What we build · Rev 01 · Approved
What we build.
PPH Group runs fencing, decking, cabanas, landscaping, hardscape and construction as one operation. Same crew, same equipment, same site visit. A deck can bear on helical piles we installed ourselves, a poolside cabana can be sequenced against the fence line before either starts, and the person who quoted your job is the person accountable for it.
Fence line
Posts set below the four foot frost line
Deck
Framed to real span, footed on pile or concrete
Poolside build
Cabana, bar, surround and code barrier
Retaining wall
Drainage layer and granular backfill behind
Planting bed
Mulch, edging and sod, maintained on schedule
Every line on this drawing, built by the same crew.
A‑02 · Client work · Rev 01
Built for people who live here.
Six jobs from around the region. Fence lines, decks, walls, patios, cabanas and the foundations under them, all built by the same crew.
Cedar privacy fenceimages/client-1.jpg
Composite deckimages/client-2.jpg
Retaining wallimages/client-3.jpg
Pergola & paver patioimages/client-4.jpg
Cabana & barimages/client-5.jpg
Helical pilesimages/client-6.jpg
A‑03 · Service detail · Rev 01
Every service line, in detail.
Six lines of work, all run by the same company. Open any one for what it covers, how it is built, and what changes the scope.
01Fencing
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Most fence jobs live or die on what is under the ground. We set posts below the four foot frost line so the line stays true through freeze and thaw, and we confirm the property line before a single post goes in. Wood, chain link, vinyl, composite and ornamental aluminum all behave differently over twenty years.
02Decks & Outdoor Living
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A deck is only as good as what holds it up. We frame to your actual joist span rather than a stock plan, and set footings, helical pile or concrete, below frost so the structure does not heave in spring. The same crew builds the pool house, the outdoor bar and the fire pit that go with it.
03Cabanas & Poolside Structures
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Everything that goes around the water. Change rooms, cabanas, pool houses, outdoor bars and the covered structures that make a pool usable, plus the surround and the code compliant barrier that has to go with it.
Because we run the framing crew, the hardscape crew and the fence crew, the cabana, the paver surround and the barrier get scheduled as one job instead of three.
04Landscaping & Grounds
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Landscape build and design, plus the maintenance that keeps it looking the way it did the week we finished. Mulching, edging, sod, planting beds and full yard cleanup, on a one-time basis or a season-long schedule.
05Hardscape & Structural
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Retaining walls fail for one reason more than any other: water with nowhere to go. Behind every wall we build there is a drainage layer and granular backfill doing the real work, not just the block on top. Grade changes over about three feet usually need an engineered design, and we will tell you when that is the case.
06Commercial & Construction
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Commercial work runs on schedule and paperwork as much as it runs on tools. We carry the insurance limits, WSIB clearance and safety documentation general contractors and property managers ask for, and we work around occupied sites without treating off-hours access as a special request.
A‑04 · Materials, compared · Rev 01
Materials, compared honestly.
Which material is right depends on your grade, your exposure, how long you plan to stay, and how much maintenance you actually want to do. There is no universal best answer. There is a best answer for your yard, and sometimes it is the cheaper one.
Pressure treated wood
Cheapest up front, and it needs restaining every two to three years or it greys and splinters. The right call if you are staying under ten years.
Composite
Costs more up front and gets noticeably hot underfoot in full sun through the summer. Nearly maintenance free for two decades.
Ornamental aluminum
Durable and low maintenance, but it gives you far less privacy than a solid panel. Often the right answer around a pool where code and sightlines both matter.
Eternity vinyl
Low upkeep and the longest warranty of the four, but panels can crack on hard impact and are not repairable in the field the way a wood board is.
A‑05 · Engineered foundations · Rev 01 · Approved
Engineered foundations.
Helical piles are screwed into the ground to refusal and torque-verified as they go, which means the capacity is measured rather than assumed. No excavation, no cure time, and the structure can be framed the same day.
A‑06 · How the job runs · Rev 01
How the job runs.
We do not estimate over the phone. We walk the site, then give you a fixed price in writing, and that is the number you sign. If anything changes mid job it goes through a written change order before work continues.
Site visit
We walk the property, measure, check grade and access, and talk through what you actually want out of the space. Bring your survey if you have one.
Fixed quote
A written scope and a fixed price, itemised by line of work, with what is included and what is not stated plainly.
Locates & permits
We call in locates before any dig and pull the permits your job needs. Pool barriers and walls over three feet almost always need one, and this is the step most schedules underestimate.
Build
One crew, one sequence. Site is cleaned at the end of every day, and you get a named contact who is on the job rather than a call centre.
Walkthrough & warranty
We walk it with you, fix anything on the list before we leave, and hand over the warranty in writing along with the torque log if piles were installed.
A‑07 · Year round property care · Rev 01
On the property all year.
Most of what we build needs someone to look after it. Grounds care runs on a schedule from the first spring cleanup through to snow removal, so the same company that built the yard is the one maintaining it.
Spring cleanup
Lawn care
Mulch & edging
Build season
Fall prep
Snow removal
In seasonOff season
A‑08 · Who you are hiring · Rev 01
Who you are hiring.
PPH Group is a working crew, not a sales office. We own our own excavator, skid steer and pile rig, which is why we can hold a schedule instead of waiting on a rental window or a subcontractor's calendar.
We take on residential and light commercial work across the Kitchener–Waterloo region. We do not bid ground-up commercial new construction, and we will tell you when a job is better suited to someone else.
Below frost, every time
Posts and footings go below the four foot line whether or not anyone will check.
Torque logged per pile
Every helical pile gets a recorded torque value and depth, handed over with the warranty.
Locates before any dig
Called in and confirmed on every job, including the small ones.
A‑09 · Commercial & industrial · Rev 02
Commercial and industrial.
For property managers, general contractors and facilities leads. One point of contact coordinates the whole scope, and the documentation you need before we are allowed on site is ready before we mobilise.
Retail and plaza, light industrial, multi-residential and municipal. Tenant fit-outs, exterior envelope, site work, perimeter fencing and foundations.
A‑10 · Before you call · Rev 02
The questions we get every week.
Do you charge for a quote?
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No. We walk the site, measure it and send a written fixed price. There is no obligation and no deposit to get a number from us.
Why will you not quote over the phone?
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Because grade, access and soil change the price more than the linear footage does. A phone number is a guess, and a guess turns into a change order later. We would rather spend an hour on site and give you a number that holds.
Do I need a permit?
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Pool barriers and retaining walls over about three feet almost always do, and decks over a certain height do as well. We pull what your job needs and we tell you at the quote stage rather than partway through.
How deep do posts and footings go?
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Below the four foot frost line, which is the Ontario Building Code depth for this region. That is the single most common corner cut in this trade, and it is why fences lean and decks heave after two winters.
Can you do the whole yard, or just one part?
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Either. Plenty of jobs are one fence line. But when it is the whole yard, having one company sequence the excavation, the piles, the hardscape and the fence saves a month of waiting on other people's calendars.
What happens if something changes mid job?
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It goes through a written change order before the work continues. You approve the change and the new number before we carry on, not after.
Start here
Tell us what you are building.
A site visit, then a fixed price in writing. No phone estimates, no pressure, and no obligation. Most quotes go out within three days of the visit.
Services heroimages/hero-services.jpg2400 × 1400
Home · Services
Seven service lines, one crew.
Every one of these is run in house. Nothing on this page is handed to a subcontractor and rebilled to you.
A‑01 · Service detail · Rev 03
Six lines of work, in detail.
Open any one for what it covers, how we actually build it, and what moves the scope on a real site. Every one of these is run by our own crews.
Fencingimages/client-1.jpg
We set posts below the four foot frost line so the line stays true through freeze and thaw, and we confirm the property line before a single post goes in. That one step is the most common corner cut in this trade, and it is the reason fences lean after two winters.
Wood, chain link, vinyl, composite and ornamental aluminum all behave differently over twenty years. We will tell you which one suits your exposure, your grade and how long you plan to stay.
Confirm the line
We locate the survey pins or pull the plan before quoting. If the line is genuinely unclear we tell you that instead of guessing and hoping.
Call locates
Gas, hydro, water and telecom marked before an auger turns, on every job including the small ones.
Set posts below frost
Augered past the four foot line, plumbed and backfilled one at a time rather than in a rush at the end of the day.
Frame and face
Rails run true to the grade and boards are spaced consistently, so the line reads straight from the street rather than only from the corner.
Gates last
Built to the opening we measure on the day, not ordered to a stock size and shimmed to fit.
Clean and walk it
Offcuts, spoil and old material gone, then the whole line walked with you before we leave.
- A grade change along the run, which decides between stepped and racked panels
- Rock, heavy clay or fill, which can stop an auger and force hand digging
- Access for the auger: gate width, slope, and what is already built
- Taking out and disposing of an existing fence
- Pool barrier requirements, which are set by code and not by preference
- The number of gates, their width and the hardware they carry
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
Decks and Outdoor Livingimages/client-2.jpg
We frame to your actual joist span rather than a stock plan, and set footings, helical pile or concrete, below frost so the structure does not heave in spring.
The same crew builds the pergola, the outdoor bar and the fire feature that go with it, so the whole outdoor room gets sequenced as one job instead of four.
Size the structure first
Beam and joist spans worked out before any material is ordered, because a deck that bounces was undersized on paper months earlier.
Set the foundation
Helical piles or poured concrete, both below the frost line. Which one depends on your soil and your access, not on what we would rather use.
Frame square
Where it attaches to the house the ledger is flashed and fastened properly. That detail is behind the boards forever and it is where water gets in.
Deck and finish
Hidden fasteners, mitered border, fascia closed, no exposed cut ends.
Rail and stair
Guard height and spacing to code, stairs landing on something that drains rather than into a low spot.
Close out the permit
Where one was pulled, we see the inspection through rather than handing you the file.
- Height above grade, which decides guards, stairs and whether a permit is required
- Attached to the house or freestanding
- Soil and access, which decide pile versus concrete
- Material: pressure treated, cedar or composite
- Built in benches, planters, skirting or lighting rough in
- Taking out and disposing of an existing deck
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
Cabanas and Poolside Structuresimages/client-5.jpg
Change rooms, cabanas, pool houses, outdoor bars and the covered structures that make a pool usable, plus the surround and the code compliant barrier that has to go with them.
Because we run the framing crew, the hardscape crew and the fence crew, the cabana, the paver surround and the barrier get scheduled as one job instead of three.
Site it against the code
Where the structure can sit is decided by the pool barrier and the setbacks before anything is drawn.
Foundation to suit the ground
Piles where access is tight or the soil is poor, concrete where it is not.
Frame and sheath
Built as a structure, not as a shed dressed up. Roof loads and spans are sized the same way a deck is.
Roof and finish
Overhang, soffit and cladding detailed so water leaves the building instead of running down the face of it.
Licensed rough ins
Electrical and gas go to the licensed trade, inspected and signed, before anything is closed up.
Barrier and surround together
The enclosure, the paver surround and the structure are closed out as one job so nothing waits on another company.
- Whether power, water or gas is going into the building
- Roof type and clear span
- Whether the pool barrier is being rebuilt at the same time
- Municipal permit and the pool enclosure inspection
- Interior finish level, from open shelter to finished change room
- How far services have to run from the house
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
Landscaping and Groundsimages/service-landscape.jpg
Landscape build and design, plus the maintenance behind it. Mulching, edging, sod, planting beds and full yard cleanup, taken on as a one time job or on a season long schedule.
The company that built the yard is the one maintaining it, which means nobody is guessing where the irrigation line runs or which plants were specified.
Read the water first
Where the water goes decides everything after it. We look at the grade before we look at the planting.
Strip and prep
Existing material removed rather than buried, and the subgrade shaped to fall away from the house.
Amend the soil
Beds get proper depth and structure, because plants put in construction fill are a warranty claim waiting to happen.
Plant and edge
Spaced for what the plant becomes, not for how it looks on install day, with a cut edge that holds its line.
Sod or seed
Levelled, rolled and watered in, with the transition to existing turf closed properly.
Hand over the maintenance
You get told what needs doing and when, or we put it on a schedule and do it.
- Drainage correction, which is the most common hidden cost in a yard
- Machine access versus wheelbarrow access, which changes the labour more than anything else
- Volume of material coming in and spoil going out
- Irrigation, existing or new
- Plant size at install
- Whether it is a one time build or goes onto a maintenance schedule
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
Hardscape and Structuralimages/client-3.jpg
Behind every wall we build there is a drainage layer and granular backfill doing the real work, not just the block you can see on top. Skip that and the wall bows out in three years no matter how good the block was.
Grade changes over about three feet usually need an engineered design. We will tell you when that is the case rather than building it and hoping nobody asks.
Excavate to real subgrade
Down to undisturbed ground, not to whatever depth makes the day easier. Almost every failed patio in this region failed here.
Base in compacted lifts
Granular placed and compacted in layers with a plate, not dumped and raked. The base is the product; the pavers are the finish.
Set the base course level
The first course is the one that matters. Everything above it inherits whatever it does.
Drain behind the wall
Clear stone and a drainage layer behind every retaining wall, tied to somewhere the water can actually go.
Build and backfill in lifts
Wall and backfill rise together and get compacted together, so the wall is never holding an unconsolidated load.
Cap, edge and joint
Caps adhered, edge restraint in, joints swept and locked so the field holds its pattern.
- Wall height, since walls over roughly three feet usually need engineering and a permit
- What the wall is actually holding back, from a garden bed to a driveway
- Base depth, which the soil decides and not the drawing
- Paver pattern and the number of cuts it forces
- Steps, seat wall caps, lighting and inlays
- Breaking out and disposing of existing concrete
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
Commercial and Constructionimages/service-commercial.jpg
We carry the insurance limits, WSIB clearance and safety documentation general contractors and property managers ask for, and it is ready before we mobilise rather than requested after the fact.
We work around occupied sites without treating off hours access as a special request, and we coordinate tenant notification rather than leaving it to you.
Scope review and site walk
We read what you sent, then walk it, because the drawing and the site disagree more often than not.
Written bid
Itemised by line of work, with inclusions and exclusions stated plainly rather than left to be argued later.
Documents before mobilisation
Insurance, clearance and the site specific safety plan are in your hands before we are on your property.
Phase it around your operation
Work sequenced so the site keeps functioning. Off hours access is how we schedule, not a favour to negotiate.
Build with daily close out
The area is left safe and passable at the end of every shift, whether or not we are back the next morning.
Deficiency walk and close out
Walked with you, list cleared, and the close out package handed over including torque logs where piles went in.
- Occupied site or vacant, which changes the sequence more than the scope does
- Permitted working hours and noise restrictions
- Tenant and staff notification
- Traffic and pedestrian protection through the work zone
- Municipal permits and any required road occupancy
- Whether you are carrying other trades we need to sequence against
None of these are extras invented after the fact. They are the things we look for on the site visit, and they are why the price comes after the visit rather than over the phone.
A‑02 · Engineered foundations · Rev 02 · Approved
Helical piles, torque verified.
Screwed into the ground to refusal and torque verified as they go, so capacity is recorded rather than assumed. No excavation, no cure time, and the structure can be framed the same day. We own the rig, so this is not a subcontracted line item.
On good soil with an open site, concrete is still cheaper and perfectly correct. We will say so.
A‑03 · In every job · Rev 01
What you get whichever trade you hire us for.
The six lines of work above are different trades with different tools. These eight things do not change between them, because they are the difference between a job that holds and a job that comes back.
The same people from quote to walkthrough
The person who priced your job is on it. There is no handoff to a project manager who was not at the site visit, and no crew arriving on day one who has never seen the scope.
Trades scheduled against each other, not in a queue
When the excavation, the piles, the framing, the hardscape and the fence are the same company, the order gets planned once. Nothing waits three weeks on somebody else’s calendar.
Someone who can actually answer
You call the people doing the work. Not a call centre, not a scheduler reading a screen, and not a voicemail that gets returned next week.
A‑04 · When to book · Rev 01
Booking early is the cheapest thing you can do.
This trade runs on a short season and a long queue. Nothing below is a sales tactic, it is just how the calendar works in this region.
Winter, before the ground opens
The quietest time to get a site visit and a written price. Nothing can be dug yet, but the quote, the permit and the position in the build queue can all be settled while everyone else is waiting for spring.
Spring, the moment frost is out
The busiest stretch of the year and the one that books out first. Excavation, piles and hardscape all restart at once, and every contractor in the region restarts with them.
Summer, the full build season
Long days and stable ground, which is when the large multi trade jobs get sequenced. Booking in summer usually means a start date rather than a finish date.
Autumn, the best kept window
Ground is still open, the rush has cleared, and lead times are at their shortest. Fencing, decking and hardscape all install perfectly well in October. Planting installs better in autumn than it does in July.
Winter again, for what can still be done
Helical piles go in frozen ground because they are screwed rather than poured, which is one of the reasons we run them. Snow clearing runs all season.
If you want work done next spring, the useful call is this winter. If you call in May for a May start, we will tell you the real date rather than the one you want to hear.
About heroimages/hero-about.jpg2400 × 1400
Home · About
A working crew, not a sales office.
We own the equipment, we run the trades in house, and the person who quotes your job is the person accountable for it.
A‑01 · Who you are hiring · Rev 03
Who you are hiring.
A working crew, not a sales office. We own the machines, we run the trades, and the person who quotes your job is the person accountable for it.
PPH Group owns its own excavator, skid steer and pile rig, which is why we can hold a schedule instead of waiting on a rental window or a subcontractor’s calendar.
We take on residential and light commercial work across the Kitchener–Waterloo region. We do not bid ground up commercial new construction, and we will tell you when a job is better suited to someone else.
Why everything is in house
When the excavation, the piles, the framing, the hardscape and the fence are all the same company, the sequence gets planned once. Nobody is waiting three weeks for the next trade, and nobody is blaming the last one.
It also means one number to call. Not a project manager who forwards you to a scheduler who forwards you to whoever is actually on your property that morning.
A‑02 · How we work · Rev 03
Six things we do not skip.
None of these are visible once the job is finished, which is exactly why they are the first things to disappear when a price is being cut. They are not optional here.
Every item here costs money and none of it shows up in a photograph. That is the whole problem with pricing this trade on the number alone: the cheapest quote is usually cheapest because one of these six is missing from it.
A‑03 · How the job runs · Rev 02
No phone estimates.
We walk the site, then give you a fixed price in writing, and that is the number you sign. Anything that changes mid job goes through a written change order first.
Site visit
We walk the property, measure, check grade and access, and talk through what you actually want out of the space. Bring your survey if you have one.
Fixed quote
A written scope and a fixed price, itemised by line of work, with what is included and what is not stated plainly.
Locates & permits
We call in locates before any dig and pull the permits your job needs. Pool barriers and walls over three feet almost always need one.
Build
One crew, one sequence. Site is cleaned at the end of every day, and you get a named contact who is on the job rather than a call centre.
Walkthrough & warranty
We walk it with you, fix anything on the list before we leave, and hand over the warranty in writing along with the torque log if piles were installed.
A‑04 · The kit · Rev 01
What we own, and why it matters to you.
Owning the machines sounds like a detail about us. It is actually a detail about your schedule, because a rented machine has to be booked, collected and returned on somebody else’s calendar.
Excavator
Digging, grading, trenching and bulk removal. Owning it is why a rain day moves the work rather than cancelling the week: we come back the next dry morning instead of waiting for the next rental window.
Skid steer
Material handling, base placement, site prep and snow. It carries granular into a back yard so it does not get barrowed one load at a time, which is where labour costs quietly double.
Helical pile drive head
The reason we can install foundations in tight access, in poor soil, and in frozen ground. Very few residential contractors in this region run their own, which is why most of them sub the work out or talk you into concrete.
Plate compactors and rollers
Base compaction in lifts, on every hardscape job. Not glamorous and not visible, but the single thing that decides whether a patio is still flat in ten years.
Augers and post equipment
Post holes to full frost depth without hand digging, which is what makes doing it properly affordable rather than an upsell.
Plow and salter
Year round property care. The same crew that built your yard in July is the one clearing it in January, so nobody is learning your property in the dark.
A‑05 · On your property · Rev 01
What it is like having us there.
Most of what people dislike about renovation work has nothing to do with the finished product. It is the two weeks in the middle. Here is how we run that part.
Fences have two sides and so do the conversations
On a shared property line we will tell you what is worth raising with the neighbour before we start. It is a five minute conversation that prevents a very long one later.
Electrical and gas go to the people licensed to do them
We run six trades in house. Electrical and gas are not among them, and we would rather say so than have an unlicensed hand on a service line in your yard.
A‑06 · Where we work · Rev 01
Kitchener–Waterloo, and the ground under it.
Working one region is not a limitation, it is the reason we can price a job accurately. We already know what is under most of these neighbourhoods.
Waterloo Region sits on a mix of clay, glacial till and sand that changes street by street. That mix decides whether an auger goes through cleanly or hits refusal at three feet, whether a wall needs more base than the drawing says, and whether a pile finds capacity at eight feet or fifteen.
A contractor who works the same ground every week prices that correctly the first time. One who does not either pads the number to be safe or discovers it mid job and comes back asking for more.
The frost line here is four feet. That is not a preference, it is the Ontario Building Code depth for this region, and it is the number the whole trade is built around.
Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge
Same week site visits through the build season, and the shortest lead times we run.
Guelph, Stratford, Brantford, Woodstock
Site visits scheduled within two weeks. Larger multi trade jobs preferred at this distance.
Commercial heroimages/hero-commercial.jpg2400 × 1400
Home · Commercial
Paperwork before mobilisation.
Perimeter fencing, helical piles, site work and concrete for property managers, general contractors and facilities leads.
A‑01 · What we take on · Rev 04
What we take on.
One point of contact coordinates the whole scope, across retail and plaza, light industrial, multi residential and municipal work. Here is exactly where the line sits.
✓We bid thisFive scopes
Perimeter & security fencing
Chain link, ornamental aluminum and privacy screening, with gates sized to the opening and access hardware to suit how the site is actually used. Includes bollards, guard rail and yard segregation where a lot needs dividing.
Helical pile foundations
Torque logged and verified per pile, with no cure time, so structure can be framed the same day. The right answer where access is tight, where soil is poor or filled, and where an addition cannot risk undermining what is already there.
Site work & grade
Excavation, trenching, drainage correction, granular base and regrading. Most of what goes wrong on a commercial exterior is water arriving where it was not planned for, and that is a grade problem before it is anything else.
Concrete & hardscape
Walks, pads, equipment bases, curbs, retaining structures and paver work. Base compacted in lifts and drainage detailed behind every wall, which is what decides whether it is still level after five winters of freeze and thaw.
Renovations & fit outs
Tenant work and exterior envelope on occupied properties. Sequenced so the building keeps operating, with the noisy and disruptive stages moved outside business hours as a matter of course rather than as a concession.
×We do not bid thisOne exclusion
Ground up commercial, as the general contractor
We are a specialist trade crew with our own equipment. On a ground up build we come in under the GC, which is where we do our best work.
So send the scope
We will tell you at the first call exactly which parts of it we can carry, and which parts belong to someone else.
A‑02 · Before we mobilise · Rev 04
The paperwork is already done.
Nothing on this list gets requested after the fact. It is in your hands before we are on your property, and it is the reason a first job with us does not stall at procurement.
Before we mobiliseimages/commercial-paperwork.jpg2400 × 1000
We work around tenants and staff
Off hours access is how we schedule commercial work, not a favour you have to negotiate for.
We coordinate it, not you
Tenants and staff hear what is happening and when, from us, before the crew arrives.
A‑03 · Who we work for · Rev 01
Four kinds of client, four different problems.
A property manager, a general contractor, a facilities lead and a municipality are not buying the same thing from us, even when the scope on paper is identical.
Property managers
Your problem is usually tenants, not construction. What you need is a contractor who notifies, works around occupancy, keeps the lot usable, and does not generate the complaint calls that land on your desk. We schedule around your building rather than asking it to schedule around us.
General contractors
You need a trade that shows up on the date it committed to, carries its own documentation, and does not become the reason the next trade is delayed. We come in under you, we do not try to run your job, and we tell you at bid stage which parts of a scope are not ours.
Facilities and operations leads
Your building has to keep running. Loading doors stay accessible, fire routes stay clear, and the work zone is safe and passable at the end of every shift whether or not we are back in the morning.
Municipal and institutional
The documentation matters as much as the work. Written scope, written change orders, torque logs where piles went in, and a close out package that survives an audit two years later.
Retail and plaza, light industrial, multi residential, municipal
Strip plazas and standalone retail, warehouse and light industrial yards, apartment and condominium grounds, and municipal or institutional sites.
A single scope, or the whole exterior
We will quote one fence line, and we will quote the excavation, the piles, the concrete and the fencing as one sequenced job. The second is where having six trades under one company actually saves you calendar.
A‑04 · How a bid runs · Rev 01
From your scope to a number you can hold us to.
No phone estimates and no allowances that quietly become change orders. Here is the sequence, and roughly what each step needs from you.
You send the scope
Drawings, a specification, a site plan, or an email describing the problem. Any of those is enough to start. We will tell you at the first call which parts of it we can carry and which belong to someone else.
We walk the site
Access, grade, existing services, staging space, and how the property operates day to day. This is where the drawing and the site are compared, and they disagree more often than not.
Written bid
Itemised by line of work, with inclusions and exclusions stated plainly. Assumptions are written down rather than left implied, because an unstated assumption becomes an argument later.
Documents before mobilisation
Certificate of insurance, clearance, and a site specific safety plan in your hands before the first truck arrives, not chased for afterwards by your procurement team.
Build to a schedule you have seen
Written, phased, and sequenced around your operating hours. If something moves it, you hear about it the day it moves rather than at the end of the week.
Deficiency walk and close out
Walked with you, list cleared before demobilisation, and a close out package handed over with warranties and any torque logs.
- Whatever documentation exists, even if it is incomplete or out of date
- Your permitted working hours and any noise restrictions
- Site access, staging space and where our crew can park
- Whether the property is occupied and who notifies tenants
- Any other trades on site we need to sequence against
- A single point of contact who can approve a change order
A change to the scope is priced and approved in writing before the work continues. That is not a formality, it is the reason our number at the end matches our number at the start.
A‑05 · Before you send a scope · Rev 01
What trade buyers ask us first.
Straight answers, including the ones where the answer is no.
Will you bid ground up commercial as the general contractor?
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No. We are a specialist trade crew with our own equipment, and on a ground up build we come in under the GC. That is where we are useful and it is where our work is best. Sending us a GC scope wastes your time and ours, so we would rather say it here.
Can you work outside business hours?
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Yes, and on occupied commercial sites we assume it. Off hours access is how we schedule this kind of work rather than something you have to negotiate for or pay a premium to request.
What documentation do you carry?
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Certificate of insurance, clearance, and a site specific safety plan, all provided before we mobilise rather than requested after the fact. If your procurement process needs something in a particular format, tell us at bid stage and we will match it.
How do you handle changes once the job has started?
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Written change order, priced, approved by your named contact, before the work continues. Nothing proceeds on a verbal and nothing appears on a final invoice that was not approved in advance.
Can you sequence against our other trades?
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Yes, and it is easier with us than with five separate companies, because the excavation, the piles, the concrete, the hardscape and the fencing are all the same crew and the same schedule. There is one calendar to coordinate against instead of five.
Why helical piles rather than concrete on a commercial job?
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No cure time, no spoil to remove, verified capacity per pile, and installation in tight access or poor soil where an excavator would struggle. On an occupied site the deciding factor is usually that we can install and load the same day rather than closing an area for a week.
Do you work in winter?
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Helical piles go into frozen ground because they are screwed rather than poured, so foundation work continues through the season. Concrete and hardscape are weather dependent and we will tell you honestly what can and cannot be done in January rather than taking the deposit and finding out.
Home · Request a Quote
Tell us what you are building.
Fill this in and we will call you back, walk the property with you, and put a fixed price in writing. No phone estimates, no pressure, no obligation.
Request a quote.
Tell us roughly what you are thinking. The more detail you give, the more useful the visit is.
A‑01 · Reach us directly · Rev 02
Or skip the form.
We call you back and book a time that works, usually within one business day.
We walk the property with you, measure it, and check grade and access.
You get a written scope and a fixed price. That is the number you sign.
You say go, we book the date, and the same crew that quoted it builds it.
A‑02 · Hours & service area · Rev 02
When we answer, and where we work.
Miss us on the phone and you will get a call back the same day during the build season.
Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge
Same-week visits through the build season.
Guelph, Stratford, Brantford, Woodstock
Visits scheduled within two weeks.
A‑03 · Before you call · Rev 02
The questions we get every week.
Do you charge for a quote?
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No. We walk the site, measure it and send a written fixed price. There is no obligation and no deposit to get a number from us.
Why will you not quote over the phone?
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Because grade, access and soil change the price more than the linear footage does. A phone number is a guess, and a guess turns into a change order later. We would rather spend an hour on site and give you a number that holds.
Do I need a permit?
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Pool barriers and retaining walls over about three feet almost always do, and decks over a certain height do as well. We pull what your job needs and we tell you at the quote stage rather than partway through.
How deep do posts and footings go?
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Below the four foot frost line, which is the Ontario Building Code depth for this region. That is the single most common corner cut in this trade, and it is why fences lean and decks heave after two winters.
Can you do the whole yard, or just one part?
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Either. Plenty of jobs are one fence line. But when it is the whole yard, having one company sequence the excavation, the piles, the hardscape and the fence saves a month of waiting on other people’s calendars.
What happens if something changes mid job?
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It goes through a written change order before the work continues. You approve the change and the new number before we carry on, not after.