Interlock and patios we build in Dundas
We lay interlock and patios across Dundas, from a paver patio off the back of a century home to a full interlocking driveway out front. The work covers:
- Paver patios. A level paver patio in the back yard for the table, the barbecue, and the chairs.
- Interlock walkways. Front walks, side paths, and garden steps that tie the yard together.
- Interlocking driveways. A new or resurfaced driveway in pavers, built on a base that can take the weight of a car.
- Steps and stone landings. Raised entries and steps where the front of the house needs them.
- Pool surrounds. Paver decking around a pool, built to the enclosure rules.
Dundas is the Valley Town, and it builds like it. The older King and Sydenham core is full of tight lots and narrow side yards, where a walkway has to thread past the house with little room to work. Up toward Sydenham Hill and the escarpment edge, the ground falls away fast, and a paver patio has to sit dead level on ground that doesn't. That is the part of the job most of Dundas hangs on, and we plan for it at the quote.
The Hammer Construction is licensed and insured, and we do the work right. Every job starts with a free on-site quote, where we walk the yard, look at the slope and the access, and tell you straight what the build involves. Prefer the same patio or driveway poured solid instead of laid in pavers? We pour concrete flatwork too.
Do you need a permit for interlock in Dundas?
For most interlock, no. An at-grade paver patio or walkway is landscaping, and it generally needs no building permit in Dundas. The same goes for an at-grade interlocking driveway.
That changes when the patio gets built up off the ground. An elevated, deck-style patio follows the deck rules: you generally need a building permit if it is attached to the house, sits more than 0.6 m (about 24 inches) above grade at any point, or serves a pool. At that point it is a raised structure, not flatwork, and it is treated like one.
A few rules apply either way:
- Grading. The lot has to shed water away from the house, and it can't dump runoff onto the neighbour's land. On a Dundas slope that is the whole game (more on that below).
- Lot coverage and setbacks. Hard surfaces count toward lot coverage, and a new patio or driveway has to respect the setback rules.
- Driveways. A new or widened driveway has to meet the lot-coverage and grading rules, and a new or widened entrance onto the road can need the City's OK. We confirm that before we start.
- Pools. A paver surround around a pool falls under the pool-enclosure rules, on top of everything else.
We confirm the permit side with the City before we dig, so there are no surprises. Dundas adds one more layer. Spencer Creek runs through the valley, and the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) regulates the land near watercourses, floodplains, wetlands, and steep slopes. Under Ontario Regulation 41/24, in force since April 1, 2024, you need a permit before site alteration in those regulated areas. On a steep escarpment lot, or anywhere near Spencer Creek, that can apply to a larger patio dig, so we check with the HCA and confirm before we break ground. When a bigger job needs the machine in, that ties into our excavation side.
The base is the job (slope + frost)
The quality of interlock is in the base, not the stone. Anyone can lay pavers. What decides whether they are still flat in five years is what sits under them.
Before any digging, we book the locates through Ontario One Call. By law, anyone breaking ground in Ontario has to have the buried utilities marked first, homeowner or contractor, a single post hole or a full patio dig. The request is free, it goes in at least five business days ahead, and the utility owners come mark their gas, hydro, water, and telecom lines. We don't skip it.
Then we build the base properly:
- Excavate and compact in lifts. We dig out the soft ground and lay compacted granular in layers, so it is solid all the way down, not just on top.
- Deeper where it has to be. Heavy clay is common around the escarpment, and clay holds water and heaves hard, so it gets a deeper base. Anything driveable gets a deeper base again: a driveway carries a car, so its base goes deeper than a patio's.
- Edge restraint and joint sand. We lock the perimeter with edge restraint so the pavers can't creep, then sweep in jointing sand to bind the field together.
A thin or poorly compacted base is exactly what makes interlock heave and rut through an Ontario freeze-thaw winter. Wet soil under a skimped base freezes, swells, and pushes the pavers up, then drops them unevenly come spring. Get the base right and that doesn't happen.
On a sloped Dundas lot, the base and the grading do double duty. The base has to hold the pavers level and dead flat, while the grade underneath still has to carry water away from the house and off the lot. Those two jobs pull against each other on a slope, which is why a level paver patio on falling ground is more work than it looks. Where the grade is steep enough to need a wall to hold it, we build retaining walls too, so the patio has level ground to sit on.
What working with us looks like
Here is how an interlock job runs with our crew:
- Free quote. Send your details through the contact form, or call or text (647) 424-1148. We come out, walk the yard, and look at the slope and the access.
- Layout and locates. We lock the design and materials, confirm the permit and grading side with the City, and book the Ontario One Call locates.
- Excavate and base. We dig out, lay and compact the granular base to the right depth for the soil and the use, and set the grade.
- Lay and lock. Pavers go down to the pattern, then edge restraint and jointing sand lock them in place.
- Clean-up. We grade off, haul the spoil, and leave the site clean before we call it done.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a paver patio in Dundas?
Usually not. An at-grade paver patio or walkway is landscaping and generally needs no building permit. You only get into permit territory when the patio is elevated, deck-style, above grade, attached to the house, or serving a pool, which puts it under the deck rules. We confirm with the City before we start either way.
Can you build a level patio on a sloped Dundas lot?
Yes, it is most of what Dundas asks for. We set the base and the grade together so the pavers sit dead level while the ground underneath still sheds water away from the house. On a steep lot near Sydenham Hill or the escarpment edge, that can mean a retaining wall to hold level ground, which we build too.
How deep does the base need to be under interlock?
Deep enough for the soil and the use. A patio over heavy clay gets a deeper base than one on sandier ground, and a driveway gets deeper still because it carries a car. We excavate out the soft ground and compact granular in lifts, because a thin base is what heaves and ruts in freeze-thaw.
Do you need locates before laying interlock?
Yes. Ontario law requires a locate request through Ontario One Call before anyone breaks ground, even for a base dig on your own property. It is free, it goes in at least five business days ahead, and we book it on every job and wait for the lines to be marked before we dig.
Will interlock heave in an Ontario winter?
Not if the base is right. Heave comes from a thin or poorly compacted base trapping water that freezes and lifts the pavers. We dig to depth, compact granular in lifts, lock the edges, and set the grade so water drains, which is what keeps the surface flat through freeze-thaw.
Get a free interlock quote in Dundas
Want a straight answer on your patio or driveway? We'll come out, walk the yard, look at the slope and the access, and give you an honest quote with no pressure. The Hammer Construction is local, licensed, and insured, we book the locates and build the base to hold, and we leave the site clean when we're done. Get a free quote through our contact form, or call or text (647) 424-1148.