Frequently Asked Questions

BerryHill Landscaping & Construction is a family-run landscaping and hardscaping company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in business since 2005. Owned by Jeremy Maclellan, we specialize in paver patios, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and complete backyard transformations built for Manitoba's freeze-thaw climate. Every project is completed by our own in-house crew.

BerryHill has been building landscapes and hardscapes in Winnipeg since 2005 — nearly two decades in the same city and the same freeze-thaw climate. That longevity means we've watched our own work hold up through twenty-odd Manitoba winters, which is rare in this trade and shapes how we build.

BerryHill is located at 876 Muriel Street, Winnipeg, MB R2Y 0Y3. You can reach us at 204-801-7669 or [email protected]. We serve homeowners across Winnipeg and the surrounding communities.

We serve Winnipeg and surrounding communities, including Charleswood, Tuxedo, River Heights, Bridgwater, Linden Woods, Sage Creek, St. Vital, and East St. Paul, among others. If you're not sure whether your neighbourhood is in our range, give us a call and we'll let you know.

No. BerryHill works with an in-house crew from start to finish, so the same team that quotes your project also builds it. Nothing gets handed off to the lowest bidder, which keeps our standards consistent and means nothing gets lost in translation between sale and build.

Yes. BerryHill carries the appropriate insurance for the work we do and operates as an established Winnipeg contractor. We're also a Belgard Authorized Installer with a Better Business Bureau A rating. We're happy to confirm our coverage details during your on-site estimate.

Yes. BerryHill is a Belgard Authorized Installer, holds an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, is reviewed on HomeStars, and our crew is trained to industry paving standards (ICPI where applicable). These are third-party signals that the work is done to a recognized standard.

BerryHill is owned and led by Jeremy Maclellan, who runs projects personally from the first walkthrough to the final sweep. That owner-on-site approach is deliberate — it's how a family-run shop keeps its standards from slipping the way they can when work is passed down a chain of subcontractors.

Our deepest expertise is hardscaping — paver patios, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, driveways, and walkways. We also handle sod and softscaping, grading and drainage, decks and pergolas, and complete backyard design-build projects, all engineered for Manitoba's climate.

BerryHill focuses on residential landscaping and hardscaping for Winnipeg homeowners — custom patios, walls, outdoor living spaces, and complete backyard design-build projects. Our work is tailored to homes, not institutional or commercial-only contracts.

Yes. We provide free, no-obligation on-site estimates for Winnipeg homeowners. After discussing your project, we visit your yard to measure, assess site conditions, and give you a clear, detailed quote for the work you're considering.

Call 204-801-7669, email [email protected], or request a quote through our website to book a free on-site walkthrough. We'll look at your yard, talk through your project and budget, and give you an honest number — base depth, drainage, and all.

BerryHill is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 7pm. You can call 204-801-7669 during those hours, or send a message any time through our website or by email.

Yes. We stand behind every project we build and back our work with a satisfaction commitment. Specific warranty terms depend on the project and the materials used — many manufacturers like Belgard also carry their own product warranties — and we'll walk you through the details in your quote.

We build the part you never see — the base, drainage, and grading — to the depth Manitoba's climate demands, using an in-house crew and no subcontractors. Combined with nearly two decades in one city, certifications, and an owner on every project, that's what separates work that lasts from a bargain that fails in five years.

Yes. When a project needs a City of Winnipeg permit — such as a taller retaining wall or an elevated deck — we advise on the requirement and handle the application and any engineering as part of professional project planning. A reputable contractor manages this rather than leaving it to you.

Yes. We offer landscape design as well as installation, mapping layout, grading, drainage, and materials before any shovel hits the ground. A good design keeps you from paying twice, and we can often credit the design fee back toward the build when you proceed.

Book as early as you can — ideally over the winter or very early spring. Winnipeg's building season is short and the best crews fill up fast, so early planning gets you a better spot on the calendar and calmer pricing. January, with snow on the ground, is a perfect time to design.

Payment terms vary by project size and scope. Many larger projects are naturally phased across seasons, which spreads the cost. We'll discuss payment structure and any available options during your estimate so there are no surprises.

You can read homeowner reviews on our website's reviews page, as well as on Google, HomeStars, Houzz, and Facebook. We're a top-rated Winnipeg contractor and happy to provide references from recent local projects during your estimate.

A landscaping project in Winnipeg typically ranges from about $2,000 for a small refresh to $150,000 or more for a full design-build transformation, with most meaningful yard projects landing between $15,000 and $60,000. The final number depends on size, site prep, grading, materials, and how much hardscaping is involved.

The biggest hidden factor is site preparation — grading, drainage, and base work you don't see once the job is finished. A much cheaper quote often means that prep was reduced or skipped, which fails within a few years in Winnipeg's clay and freeze-thaw. Access, materials, and design complexity also move the price.

A quote that's far lower than the others is usually missing something — most often base depth or proper compaction, the part you never see. A shallow-base patio looks identical on handover day, then heaves and settles within five to eight Winnipeg winters and needs a full rebuild. You pay less once, then pay again in full.

A complete backyard transformation — patio, retaining walls, steps, outdoor kitchen, lawn, gardens, and lighting, designed and built as one project — typically runs $80,000 to $150,000 or more. Most homeowners phase this over two or three seasons, which spreads the cost without wasting work.

Concrete paver hardscaping in Winnipeg generally runs $18 to $45 per square foot installed. Simple, large, easy-access jobs sit near the low end; small, curved, hand-carry, or natural-stone jobs sit near the top. Natural stone runs 30 to 50 percent more than concrete pavers.

The biggest drivers are size (bigger jobs cost less per square foot), access (machine vs. wheelbarrow), base depth for our frost line, material choice, design complexity (curves and patterns cost more), and any demolition or drainage correction needed first. Site surprises found during excavation can also add cost.

Yes, significantly. If a machine can reach the work area, material moves by the bucket and the job moves fast. If everything has to be wheelbarrowed by hand through a narrow gate, it can add $6 to $8 per square foot to the exact same job. Sometimes removing a fence panel for the week pays for itself.

A common industry rule of thumb is roughly 5 to 15 percent of your home's value for a complete landscape, depending on scope. It's a loose guideline rather than a rule, but it's a useful gut-check — a well-built yard tends to return value both in enjoyment and at resale.

Yes, and it's often the smart move. A good plan lets you build the grading and hardscape bones first, then add softscape and features like lighting or a kitchen over following seasons — without wasting a nickel, because the sequence was mapped out on day one.

Common extras include demolition and haul-away of an old surface, utility locates, drainage correction, permit and engineering fees on taller walls, soil amendment, and material delivery. Budgeting a 10 to 20 percent contingency for site surprises found during excavation is wise on larger projects.

Yes. A well-built landscape adds real, usable living space and tends to lift what buyers feel a home is worth, especially hardscaping, which is low-maintenance and expected in a quality outdoor space. The key word is well-built — a failing patio subtracts value, while a proper one earns its keep for decades.

Yes. We publish honest 2026 Winnipeg cost guides for landscaping, patios, retaining walls, and sod, plus an interactive sod cost calculator. They give real local ranges and explain what drives price, so you can budget before you ever call for a quote.

Winnipeg's ground freezes about four feet down, our clay soil holds water like a sponge, and freeze-thaw heaves everything around. Work that ignores this looks fine on handover day and fails by year five. Proper base depth, drainage, and grading are what keep a patio, wall, or lawn stable through our winters.

Heavy clay drains poorly and expands and contracts with moisture, which stresses anything built on it. It requires more excavation, a deeper compacted granular base, and geotextile fabric to keep the clay from pumping up into the base. Clay is exactly why proper prep costs more here than in sandy-soil cities.

Frost heave is the ground lifting as moisture in the soil freezes and expands — up to four feet deep in Winnipeg. We prevent it with proper excavation depth, a compacted granular base built in layers, geotextile fabric, and drainage that keeps water from collecting under and behind structures. Depth and drainage are the whole game.

Winnipeg sits in Canadian hardiness zone 3b, where winter temperatures can hit around forty below. That means plant choices matter — we select trees, shrubs, and perennials bred to survive a prairie winter rather than something that looks nice at the garden centre and dies by spring.

It depends on the project. Simple planting, low garden walls, and ground-level patios usually don't need one. Taller retaining walls, elevated decks, fences over the height limit, water features, and major grading changes typically do. We advise on and handle permits as part of professional project planning.

Generally, retaining walls over about 4 feet — measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall — require a City of Winnipeg building permit and engineered drawings. Walls under roughly 4 feet with no lot-grading change usually don't. Any contractor who suggests skipping a required permit is suggesting illegal work.

In Winnipeg, decks more than 24 inches (2 feet) above grade require a permit, and any deck over 2 feet needs guardrails. Ground-level platforms under 36 square feet are typically treated as landscaping and don't. Decks aren't permitted in the front yard, and any electrical work needs its own permit.

Standard residential fences generally don't require a building permit in Winnipeg, as long as you follow height limits — up to 2.0 metres in rear and side yards — and property-line rules. Pools, hot tubs, or water features holding more than 24 inches of water require a barrier fence by Manitoba law.

City of Winnipeg fire regulations require fire pits be set back at least 3 metres from anything flammable — trees, decks, fences, garages, and walls. Wood-burning is restricted under the Open Air Burning By-law in most residential zones, so propane and natural gas fire features are the preferred, compliant choice for Winnipeg backyards.

The permit fee itself is usually modest; the wait for approval before breaking ground is what catches people off guard, so it's built into the schedule. As part of professional planning, BerryHill handles the permit application and coordinates any required engineering, so you don't have to navigate the City process yourself.

Unpermitted work can be flagged during a home sale, may not be covered by insurance, and can be ordered modified or removed. For a structural feature like a tall retaining wall, that's a serious risk. It's always cheaper to permit correctly the first time than to fix an unpermitted structure later.

Because water is the boss of everything in Winnipeg. If your grade sends water toward the house instead of away, every dollar spent on the pretty stuff on top sits on a bad foundation. We fix grade and drainage first, then build — doing it in the other order means tearing up work you just paid for.

It's three stages: a free on-site consultation where we listen and discuss realistic options for your budget; design and a meticulous in-house build handled step by step; and a final walkthrough where we don't leave until you're thrilled, plus follow-up support afterward.

Timelines depend on size and complexity. A simple sod install or small patio may take a few days; a mid-size project with a patio and drainage runs one to two weeks; a full backyard transformation with multiple features can take several weeks, often phased across a season. Weather and access affect the schedule.

Grading and drainage first, then hardscaping (patios, walls, walkways), then softscaping (lawn, beds, plantings), then finishing features like lighting. Building in this sequence keeps you from tearing up and redoing work you've already paid for, and it's why a plan mapped out on day one saves money.

Most installation happens between spring and fall, once the ground thaws in April or May through about October. The smart move is to design and book over the winter so you get first pick of the season. Design work is perfect for January while there's snow on the yard anyway.

For anything beyond a simple job, yes. A real plan sorts out grading, drainage, materials, and how the whole thing fits together before a shovel touches the ground. A good design isn't an upsell — it's what keeps you from paying twice by building things in the wrong order.

We can provide landscape design and plans that help you visualize the layout, materials, and flow of your project before the build begins. Seeing the plan up front makes it far easier to make confident decisions and avoid costly changes mid-project.

Yes. Almost all of our work is exterior, so you can stay in your home throughout. We keep the site organized, clean up daily, and work to minimize disruption to your driveway access and daily routine while the project is underway.

There's inevitably some noise, equipment, and material staging during a build, but we manage it professionally — daily cleanup, tidy staging, and respect for your and your neighbours' property. For jobs needing machine access, we'll plan the route in advance and restore any disturbed areas.

Clear the work area of furniture, planters, and personal items, arrange for pets, and make sure we have the access we discussed. We'll confirm utility locates before digging. If a fence panel needs to come down for machine access, we'll coordinate that with you ahead of time.

Either. We can integrate new features with what you already have, or design a full transformation from a blank slate. During the estimate we'll assess what's worth keeping, what needs correcting (often drainage or grade), and how new work should tie into the existing yard.

Winnipeg weather sometimes forces short delays — heavy rain, extreme heat, or wet clay that has to dry before we build on it. We build reasonable weather margin into the schedule and keep you updated. We won't rush base or drainage work just to beat the clock, because that's what fails later.

Hardscaping is everything in your yard that isn't alive — patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, steps, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, pillars, and seat walls. It's the stone, pavers, concrete, and structure. If it's got a pulse, like grass or shrubs, that's softscaping. Hardscape is the bones of a yard.

Softscaping is the living part of a landscape — lawns, trees, shrubs, perennials, and garden beds. Hardscaping is the non-living, structural part — patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, steps, and fire pits. Softscape is the paint and flowers; hardscape is the bones and furniture. Most complete yards use both.

Hardscaping in Winnipeg typically costs $18 to $45 per square foot installed for concrete paver work, with most full backyard hardscape projects landing between $15,000 and $60,000, and large design-build transformations running $80,000 to $150,000 or more. Natural stone runs 30 to 50 percent higher than concrete pavers.

The base and the drainage. In Winnipeg's four-foot frost depth and clay soil, a properly excavated, compacted base with correct grading is what keeps a patio, walkway, or driveway from heaving and settling. It's the part you can't see once the job's done — and the part that matters most.

Proper excavation to the right depth, a compacted granular base built up in layers and compacted at each one, geotextile fabric between the clay and the base, correct grading so water runs away from the house, a screeded bedding layer, edge restraint, and polymeric sand in the joints. Skip any of these and the surface fails early.

Most of our work uses concrete pavers, which are engineered for freeze-thaw, come in many colours and styles, and are individually repairable. Barkman is a Manitoba company whose products are built for our winters, and as a Belgard Authorized Installer we also work with premium paver lines. Natural stone is available for a higher-end look.

Edge restraint is the unseen border that locks the perimeter of a paver surface in place. Without it, pavers slowly spread outward over years of freeze-thaw and use, opening joints and creating an uneven surface. It's one of the cheapest components of a build and one of the most important to its longevity.

Polymeric sand is a jointing sand mixed with binders that harden when wet, swept into the gaps between pavers. It locks the units together, resists washout, and slows weed growth in the joints. Topping it up every few years is part of the simple maintenance that keeps a paver surface looking new.

Softscaping is the living part of your landscape — sod and lawns, trees, shrubs, perennials, garden beds, and mulch. It's the green, growing, needs-watering side of a yard. Paired with hardscaping (the structural bones), softscaping adds colour, texture, and life to an outdoor space.

Garden beds, mulch, rock, and soft areas generally run $3 to $8 per square foot, with a typical yard's worth of beds landing between $2,000 and $20,000 depending on coverage. New sod runs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot. Trees are roughly $450 to $800 each, and shrubs and perennials $40 to $65 per plant.

Winnipeg is hardiness zone 3b, so we plant hardy, prairie-proven trees, shrubs, and perennials that can take temperatures around forty below. A good crew chooses for our climate, not for how something looks at the garden centre — the wrong plant looks lovely in June and becomes a stick by April.

It comes down to maintenance, use, and look. Sod gives a soft, classic lawn but needs watering and mowing. Garden beds add colour but need seasonal care. Rock and mulch beds are low-maintenance and great for slopes or awkward areas. Most yards use a mix, and we'll help balance them to your lifestyle.

Yes. We supply and plant climate-hardy trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to Winnipeg's zone, along with decorative boulders, rock, mulch, and full garden beds. Planting is done with proper soil preparation so things establish and survive our winters rather than struggling from day one.

Organic mulch improves soil as it breaks down, retains moisture, and needs topping up every year or two. Decorative rock lasts indefinitely, suppresses weeds well, and suits low-maintenance or high-traffic areas, but doesn't feed the soil. The right choice depends on the plants, the location, and how much upkeep you want.

A paver patio in Winnipeg typically costs $18 to $45 per square foot installed, with most backyard patios landing between $10,000 and $40,000 total. Material, size, yard access, and base preparation are the biggest factors in where your project falls in that range.

A standard segmental block retaining wall under about 3 to 4 feet runs roughly $45 to $120 per linear foot. Taller walls that need engineering, or natural-stone walls, run $150 to $400 or more per linear foot. Proper drainage behind the wall is the single biggest factor in whether it lasts.

The overwhelming cause is poor drainage — industry estimates put it around 85 to 90 percent of failures. Water builds up behind the wall, and in Winnipeg it freezes and multiplies the pressure until the wall bellies out. Proper gravel backfill, drain pipe, and crushed-stone backfill (never clay) are what prevent it.

Outdoor kitchens span $8,000 to $60,000 and up, because a kitchen can mean a simple built-in barbecue surround or a full masonry setup with counters, a fridge, a pizza oven, gas, and electrical. In Winnipeg it must be built to survive being buried in snow for months, so winterization is essential.

A built-in masonry fire pit runs $2,000 to $8,000, depending on size, materials, and whether a seat wall wraps around it. For fun-per-dollar it's one of the best features you can add. In Winnipeg, propane or natural gas is the compliant choice, set back at least 3 metres from anything flammable.

A paver driveway costs about $20 to $40 per square foot, with most two-car driveways (400 to 800 square feet) coming in between $14,000 and $32,000. Driveways cost more than patios per foot because they carry vehicle weight, so they need a deeper base and stronger edge restraint.

Walkways run $25 to $70 per square foot in Winnipeg — a wider per-foot range than patios because paths are narrow. A walkway is a long, skinny job with lots of edge and cutting and little middle, and that perimeter work is where the labour hides. Curved garden paths sit near the top of the range.

Custom water features vary widely by size and complexity, from a small bubbling rock to a full waterfall. They absolutely work here when designed for our climate — the key is proper winterization so the system can be shut down and protected before freeze-up. We design features specifically for Manitoba conditions.

Hardscape steps run about $150 to $500 or more per step, depending on material, width, and how much grade-work is needed to tie them into a slope. Steps are fussy — every one must be dead level, consistent in rise, and safe under a January boot — so they're not the place to bargain-hunt.

New sod installation in Winnipeg typically costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot installed, with most residential lawns landing between $3,000 and $8,000. The grass is the cheap part — site prep, grading, topsoil, and old-lawn removal affect the final price more than the sod itself.

Artificial turf costs several times more than sod upfront because of the base, drainage layers, and precise installation, but it eliminates watering, mowing, and fertilizing. It stays green through every season, holds up to freeze-thaw, and often breaks even around year five to seven. It's ideal for pets, shade, and high-traffic yards.

It depends on lifestyle and budget. Sod is cheaper upfront and softer underfoot but needs watering, mowing, and recovers slowly each spring. Turf costs more initially, stays green year-round, and is nearly maintenance-free — a strong fit for busy households, pets, and shaded or clay-heavy yards where grass struggles.

Seasonal services like spring and fall cleanups and ongoing lawn care are priced by property size and scope. They keep a yard healthy year to year — clearing debris, prepping beds, and setting the lawn up for the season. We can quote a one-time cleanup or recurring care based on what your property needs.

Garden beds, mulch, and decorative rock generally run $3 to $8 per square foot, with a typical yard's beds landing between $2,000 and $20,000 depending on how much ground you're covering. Decorative boulders are roughly $400 to $600 each and do more for a bed than a whole flat of annuals.

Supplied and planted, trees typically run $450 to $800 each, and shrubs and perennials $40 to $65 per plant. We choose zone-3b-hardy species and plant with proper soil preparation so they establish well. A good shade tree is one of the best long-term investments you can put in the ground.

Deck cost depends on size, height, and material — pressure-treated, cedar, or composite — plus whether railings, stairs, or a permit are required. Decks over 24 inches high need a City permit and guardrails. We build custom wood and composite decks designed to connect the home to the yard and last in our climate.

Pergolas run roughly $8,000 to $40,000 depending on size, materials, and whether you add lighting or a roof. A pergola or trellis that only provides shade generally isn't considered a building for permit purposes, though adding a solid roof or electrical can change that. We build custom shade structures for outdoor living spaces.

Grading and drainage corrections typically run $2,000 to $6,000 and up, with a simple rain-drain to move eavestrough or sump water away from the house running a few hundred dollars each. Larger regrading on bigger properties can reach $8,000 to $15,000. It's the first thing to fix, because everything else depends on it.

Signs include water pooling near your foundation after rain or snowmelt, soggy areas that never fully dry, basement moisture, or a grade that visibly slopes toward the house. Many Winnipeg yards have settled over time, creating low spots. If you're seeing any of these, grading should come before any new patio or lawn.

A sprinkler or irrigation system typically starts in the low thousands and rises with yard size and zones. It's most cost-effective to install while a yard is already torn up for other work, because retrofitting later means digging it all up again. It takes the daily effort out of keeping a lawn and beds healthy.

Landscape lighting typically runs $4,000 to $15,000 depending on how much of the yard you're lighting and the electrical involved. Dollar for dollar it's one of the biggest wow upgrades you can make — it roughly doubles the hours you can enjoy the space and highlights your best hardscape and plantings after dark.

Design is priced by the scope and complexity of your yard. For anything beyond a simple job it's well worth it, because it sorts out grading, drainage, materials, and sequencing before the build. Many outfits, us included, credit the design fee back toward the build when you go ahead — so ask.

A modest backyard refresh with sod, beds, and plantings often runs $3,000 to $10,000; a substantial project with a patio and drainage work runs $15,000 to $50,000; and a full backyard transformation with hardscaping, an outdoor kitchen, and lighting runs $80,000 to $150,000 or more.

Front-yard projects vary with scope — curb-appeal upgrades like new beds, a walkway, and plantings sit at the lower end, while a full front redesign with hardscape and grading costs more. Because the front yard is what buyers and neighbours see first, it's often one of the highest-return areas to invest in.

Complete landscaping is a full-property, design-build project handled end to end by one in-house team — grading and drainage, hardscape like patios and walls, softscape like sod and plantings, and features such as lighting and irrigation, all planned and built as one cohesive project rather than a series of disconnected jobs.

A yard makeover is a whole-yard renovation that redesigns and rebuilds an entire outdoor space, often starting from a tired or poorly draining yard. It typically combines grading, hardscape, softscape, and features into a single planned project, and is frequently phased across two or three seasons to spread the investment.

A patio is a ground-level paved surface built on a compacted base — pavers, stone, or concrete. A deck is an elevated structure, usually wood or composite, built on footings and framing. Patios suit ground-level spaces and last decades with little upkeep; decks suit sloped or raised areas and step down from a raised door.

Yes. Backyard putting greens are built on a properly graded and compacted base with synthetic turf designed for the purpose, and we've installed them as part of Winnipeg backyard makeovers. Built correctly, a green performs year after year and pairs well with a patio, fire pit, or rock garden.

Yes. We regularly combine decks, pergolas, and patios into one cohesive outdoor living space, which is the ideal way to do it — the levels, drainage, and footings are planned together so everything ties in cleanly rather than being retrofitted later. Building them as one project also avoids tearing up finished work.

Yes. Artificial turf is a popular choice for pet runs and play zones because it's durable, drains well when properly installed, and stays clean and green year-round. The key is proper base compaction, drainage, and infill — done right, it handles heavy use and Winnipeg's freeze-thaw without dying or turning to mud.

Our focus is landscaping and hardscaping construction rather than seasonal snow contracts. The best way to confirm what we currently offer heading into winter is to call us at 204-801-7669 — and winter is also the ideal time to plan and design next season's build while crews have availability.