Spring backyard projects: what are GTA homeowners planning for 2026?

DIY & Tutorials
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Spring is the season when GTA backyard projects get planned — and when booking windows fill up fast. Here is what 50+ years across thousands of Toronto-area projects has taught us about the most popular exterior projects, realistic costs, and what to know before you hire.

Most popular exterior projects we see in the GTA:

  • Interlock driveway and/or patio replacement
  • Deck build or replacement
  • Privacy fence replacement
  • Flagstone walkway or patio
  • Landscaping and garden refresh
  • Eavestrough replacement

The booking reality: Quality exterior contractors in the GTA fill their spring calendars well ahead of the season. If you are planning work this summer, the window to confirm a booking is now — not after the long weekend.

Realistic 2026 Cost Ranges

Interlock driveway (two-car): $14,000 – $28,000. Includes base preparation and polymeric sand. Price varies with paver brand and edge detail complexity. Proper 8-inch compacted granular base is non-negotiable in Toronto’s freeze-thaw climate.

Composite deck (16x12 ft): $18,000 – $32,000 installed. Pressure-treated wood runs $12,000 – $22,000 for the same footprint. Any deck over 24 inches from grade requires a building permit in Ontario — include $300 – $800 for permit fees in your planning.

Cedar privacy fence (100 linear feet): $5,000 – $9,000 including posts in concrete. Pressure-treated posts set at frost depth (48 inches in Southern Ontario) are essential; anything shallower heaves.

Flagstone walkway or patio: $6,000 – $20,000+ depending on stone type and sq footage. Natural limestone and bluestone are local favourites; tumbled granite runs higher.

Eavestrough replacement (typical GTA two-storey): $3,500 – $6,000 for seamless aluminum. Add $2,500 – $5,000 if soffit and fascia need work. Micro-mesh guard systems add $2,000 – $5,000.

The Three Questions Worth Asking Before You Book

  1. What’s in the base? For interlock especially: ask for compacted granular depth and geotextile spec. Thin bases are the number one cause of heaving.
  2. Are permits included in the quote? Deck permits are a frequent surprise. A reputable contractor pulls permits in their name — it protects you at resale and under your home insurance.
  3. What does the timeline look like? Get the project start date in writing and tie milestone payments to completion stages, not calendar dates.

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C3 Industries Landscaping
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A few practical points worth adding before people start booking:

Lumber costs are up — plan accordingly for decks

Framing lumber has climbed roughly 17% over the last 12 months and forecasts are pointing to another 25% jump by mid-2026, driven by tariff pressure and mill closures. If a deck is on your list, quotes you get today may not hold through June. Ask contractors how long their material pricing is locked in — most reputable shops will honour a quote for 2-4 weeks, some longer if you sign quickly.

Decks usually need a permit in Toronto

This catches homeowners off guard. Any deck more than 600mm above grade (that’s about 2 feet) requires a building permit in the City of Toronto. This is non-negotiable and the inspections are real — unpermitted decks show up on title searches and can be an issue when you sell. Budget 3-6 weeks for permit approval and build that into your contractor timeline. The contractor should pull the permit, not you; if they’re offering to skip it, walk away.

Drainage baseline before any interlock or flagstone

Before any contractor quotes your interlock or patio, do this: after the next rain, walk your backyard and note where water pools and how long it sits. Take a photo. This tells you two things — whether you have a drainage problem that needs to be addressed as part of the project (not after), and whether the contractor who showed up is asking the right questions. If they’re not asking about drainage or grading before they quote, they’re not pricing your project properly.

Happy to weigh in on any specific project types — interlock, flagstone, deck framing — if anyone’s in early planning stage and wants a gut-check on scope or budget.