Backyard Renovations · Ottawa
Complete backyard renovations in Ottawa
Complete backyard renovations in Ottawa, planned as one job: demolition, grading and drainage first, then the patio, deck, fence and beds on ground prepared for them. One plan, one schedule, one written price.
- Compacted base
- Drainage stone
- Drain lines
- Decorative gravel
- Landscape fabric
- Mulch
What goes wrong
The problem with doing a yard piece by piece
A yard built piece by piece ends up working against itself. A new patio goes in one year, a fence the next, drainage after that. Each job digs up the last one, and the slope of the yard is never planned as a whole, so water ends up wherever the newest surface sends it.
We plan the whole yard at the start: what comes out, how the ground should slope, where water goes and what gets built where. Then the work follows one order, from demolition to the last bed border.
You get one project and one schedule, with every surface built on ground prepared for it.
How we build it
The order we build a backyard in
A complete yard combines several trades. Done in the right order, each one protects the work before it.
- 1. Demolition
Old slabs, sod, fences or decks come out, down to workable ground.
- 2. Base and grading
The ground is shaped to fall away from the house, and bases are compacted.
- 3. Drainage
French drains or clear-stone strips go in while the ground is open.
- 4. Construction
Patios, walkways, steps, walls, decks and fences go on the prepared ground.
- 5. Finishing
Beds, borders, gravel and a final cleanup of the site.
- Finished surfacesPatio, walkway, slabs, gravel or deck, to suit the plan.Set on the bedding
- Compacted baseBuilt under every hard surface once the grade is set.Placed in lifts
- Drainage stonePlaced where water needs to collect and move through the yard.Open and free-draining
- Drain lines, where neededInstalled before surfaces go on, so nothing has to be dug up later.Laid to fall
- Regraded soilShaped so the whole yard sheds water away from the house.To firm ground
What we build
Backyard renovations: the work we take on
Full yard rebuilds
Old surfaces removed, ground regraded, and a new layout built from the base up.
Gravel and slab yards
Low-maintenance yards with clear gravel and large slabs where a lawn kept struggling.
Patio and deck combinations
A deck off the house stepping down to an interlock or slab patio.
Garden beds and borders
Beds with fabric, mulch and interlock edging that keep their shape.
Phased projects
Ask about splitting a larger plan into stages, with the grading and drainage done first.
Real projects
Backyard renovations we have built
Our own jobs, photographed on site by the Korvex crew.
French drain, walkway and rear patio
A French drain across the lawn, membrane and clear stone along the house, then a slab walkway to a rear patio.
View project
“Vlad and his crew installed my patio in 2 days. Did excellent work and vlad answered any and all questions I asked. I highly recommend Korvex Development for any job you may require.”
Joe Ayoub · Patio installed
“Did awesome work! had them repair a leany fence and they were on time, cheap and super professional”
Josh Cohen-Collier · Leaning fence repaired
Related services
Often built together
Service areas
Backyard renovations across the Ottawa area
Soil, lot grading rules and house age change from one part of Ottawa to the next. Here is what that means for this work in each area.
On request: Gloucester, Carp, Richmond, Russell, Embrun. To check your street, call or text 613-880-7679.
- OttawaOriginal lot grading
The City expects owners to keep the lot grades set by the original grading plan. Swales cannot be filled, piped or blocked by sheds, gardens or other landscaping.
- KanataBeaverbrook and older streets
Beaverbrook’s first street, Tiffany Crescent, dates to 1964, and the area is known for its hedged houses. A rebuild on these lots works around established hedges, trees and older footings.
- StittsvilleNew homes, recent grading plans
Nearly half of Stittsville’s homes are less than ten years old, so many lots still follow their original grading plan. The City expects owners to keep those grades and leave swales open.
- BarrhavenDeep clay plain
Along the Jock River the clay layer runs about 8 to 10 m deep over limestone and dolostone. Base thickness, compaction and slope are set for that soil.
- NepeanPost-war lots
Qualicum-Graham Park was built in the 1960s on large lots, and Trend-Arlington was developed from the 1960s to the 1980s. Wider yards leave room for bigger decks and patios with a proper slope away from the house.
- OrleansThick marine clay
Much of Orleans sits on thick, soft Champlain Sea clay, which loses strength when disturbed. Excavation stays tidy and the granular base is compacted in lifts.
- ManotickWells and septic beds
When a project affects a septic system, the City directs owners to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority to check setbacks from the tank and bed. Decks, patios and footings are laid out with that in mind.
- Riverside SouthRecent lots and grading plans
Owners are expected to keep the grades set by the original grading plan, and swales and catch basins stay open. Newer homes are more likely to have that plan on record with the City.
FAQ
What homeowners ask about backyard renovations
Can you do the whole project, or do I need several contractors?
Korvex Developments covers demolition, grading, drainage, interlock, retaining walls, decks and fences under one plan and one schedule. For anything outside that list, such as electrical work or planting, ask at the estimate and we will tell you how it fits into the order of work.
Can a backyard renovation be done in stages?
Often, yes. Korvex usually plans the full layout first and does the grading and drainage early, so later stages build on prepared ground and nothing finished has to be dug up again. A staged plan lets you spread the cost over more than one season while the yard still comes together as one design.
How long does a complete backyard take?
Most single jobs take Korvex one to two weeks on site. A complete backyard combines several, so it takes longer: the size of the yard, access for equipment and how many trades are involved set the schedule. Base work runs from spring to fall on most sites, and the schedule comes with the written quote.
What happens to the old patio, deck or fence?
Removal is the first stage of every complete backyard: old slabs, decks, fences and sod come out down to workable ground before anything new is built. Korvex confirms in your written quote what hauling away the old material includes, along with the rest of the scope.
How much does a backyard renovation cost?
Every yard is different, so Korvex Developments prices it after a site visit: we walk the yard with you, talk through how you want to use it and give you a written price broken down by part of the project. That breakdown makes it easy to adjust the scope or split the work into stages.
Book a free backyard estimate
Tell us what you want built and send a few photos. We come out, look at what sits under the job, and give you the scope and the price in writing.