15+ years building in Winnipeg’s climate
With contractors who’ve completed over 1,000 projects between them, in every soil condition this region throws at us.
Serving Fort Richmond & Richmond West, South Winnipeg
Landscaping in Fort Richmond & Richmond West, Winnipeg
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction works both halves of this south Winnipeg pair — renovating fifty-year-old Fort Richmond yards and solving the sump-discharge problem that comes with Richmond West’s tighter, newer lots. Driveway replacement, regrading, paving stone patios, decks, drainage and full yard renovations, all built in-house for Red River Valley clay. For a free on-site consultation and quote, call 204-801-7669.
15+years building in Manitoba’s climate
1,000+projects completed by our crews
300+reviews across Google, Houzz & more
The land beside the University of Manitoba was first laid out for housing as the King’s Park subdivision back in 1911, when the new Agricultural College sent values from $125 to $4,000 an acre. Then almost nothing happened for half a century. Fort Richmond was not actually built until sanitary sewer went in in 1965, and it filled in through to about 1978 with bungalows, bi-levels, splits and two-storeys.
Richmond West started in 1978 under Ladco and grew south through the 1980s and 90s, then north again into the 2000s. The two neighbourhoods sit side by side and look broadly similar from the street — but they were built on opposite sides of Winnipeg’s drainage bylaws, and that changes the work more than anything else about them.
Why Fort Richmond and Richmond West have opposite drainage problems
Same suburb, one road apart, and the engineering problem inverts:
Fort Richmond predates the hardware. Backwater valves have only been required in new Winnipeg homes since 1979, and sump pits with pumps since 1990. Fort Richmond was serviced in 1965 and built out by 1978, so most homes here started with neither, and weeping tile ran straight to the sewer line. Where there is no mechanical protection, the yard is the flood defence — grade, downspout run and driveway pitch are structural, not decorative.
Richmond West has the hardware and a different obligation. Post-1978 and especially post-1990 homes have valves and sumps. The City requires sump discharge to land on your own property, onto absorptive ground such as lawn or flowerbed — it is not legal to discharge onto a neighbour’s property, a lane, sidewalk, boulevard, street, or back into your own plumbing. On dead-flat clay with 1990s-tight side yards, satisfying that by eye is close to impossible. It needs designed swales or a drywell.
This was low, wet ground before it was serviced. King’s Park’s 92 acres still include a 6.9-acre lake and genuine marshland, which tells you what the surrounding ground was doing before the sewer went in. Expect old field tile, variable imported fill under 1960s and 70s lots, and clay that has now had fifty-plus years of shrink-swell cycling under the driveways and walks.
The canopy tells you which side you are on. Fort Richmond has generous 1960s and 70s frontages under fifty- to sixty-year-old trees. Richmond West is tighter — narrower frontages, front-drive attached garages, thin boulevards and visibly younger trees. The two neighbourhoods need very different planting plans.
Our landscaping services in Fort Richmond & Richmond West
On a 1970s Fort Richmond crescent or a 1990s Richmond West lot, we handle:
- Drainage and sump discharge design — Getting water to absorptive ground on your own property, legally, on flat clay. See grading and drainage.
- Regrading around the foundation — Restoring positive fall on lots where fifty years of settling has flattened the original builder grade.
- Driveway replacement and widening — Original 1960s and 70s concrete at end of life, widened for two vehicles. See paving stone driveways.
- Paving stone patios and decks — paving stone patios on a deep compacted base, and deck construction on footings below the 1.8 m frost line.
- Low-maintenance front yards — Practical near the University: rock and mulch beds, artificial turf and hardscape-led front yard landscaping that does not need weekly attention.
- Tree replacement and full renovations — tree and shrub planting as the 1960s canopy ages out, plus full yard renovations and sod installation.
Areas we serve around Fort Richmond & Richmond West
We serve Fort Richmond and Richmond West, between Pembina Highway and Waverley Street, from Bison Drive south to the Perimeter and east to the Red River — including the Kings Drive and King’s Park area and the streets around Bairdmore. Neighbouring areas include Fort Garry, East Fort Garry and Wildwood Park, Bison Run and Whyte Ridge and Lindenwoods South. See all our Winnipeg and Manitoba service areas.
Why Fort Richmond & Richmond West homeowners choose BerryHill
300+ reviews and recommendations
Across Google, Houzz, Facebook and HomeStars.
No subcontractors, ever.
The crew that quotes your job is the crew that builds it — except licensed gas fitting, where the law requires it.
We design the discharge, not just the patio.
On flat clay with narrow side yards, where the sump water lands is a real design problem. We solve it as part of the plan instead of leaving a hose pointed at the fence line.
Two neighbourhoods, two approaches.
Fort Richmond is a renovation market and Richmond West is a second-generation finishing market. We quote each for what it actually is.
How it works
- Free on-site consultation
We read the grade, find where your downspouts and sump currently discharge, check the state of the original concrete, and talk budget honestly. - Design and fixed quote
One line-itemed price covering excavation, base, materials and labour. 3D renderings on larger projects. - Build and final walkthrough
Grading and base prep first, then the hardscape and planting. We do not leave until you sign off.
Book a free Fort Richmond or Richmond West landscaping quote
Sump pump with nowhere legal to send its water, a driveway past saving, or a fifty-year-old yard ready for a proper rebuild? Call 204-801-7669 or book a free on-site consultation, and we’ll give you a real plan and price for your yard.
Fort Richmond & Richmond West landscaping questions
Who are the top landscapers in Fort Richmond and Richmond West, Winnipeg?
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction is among the top-rated companies serving Fort Richmond and Richmond West, with 15+ years of local experience and 300+ reviews across Google, Houzz, Facebook and HomeStars. Grading and drainage is our strongest specialty, which matters here more than in most of the city.
Where is my sump pump legally allowed to discharge?
Onto your own property, onto absorptive ground such as lawn or a flowerbed. The City is explicit that it is not legal to discharge onto a neighbour’s property, a lane, sidewalk, boulevard or street, or into your own plumbing. On flat clay with narrow side yards that often needs a designed swale or a drywell rather than just a longer hose.
My Fort Richmond house has no backwater valve. Should I be worried?
It is worth knowing about. Backwater valves have only been required in new homes since 1979 and sump pits since 1990, and Fort Richmond was largely built between 1965 and 1978. A plumber can advise on retrofits. From our side, it means the yard grading, downspout routing and driveway pitch are doing more work than they would on a newer home, so they are worth getting right.
Is Fort Richmond on wet ground?
It is low, flat former farmland and university land beside the Red River, and King’s Park still contains a lake and marshland, so the area was not serviced with sanitary sewer until 1965. In practice that means flat clay with poor natural infiltration and, on some lots, old field tile and variable imported fill under the original grade.
Why are Richmond West lots so much tighter than Fort Richmond?
Different eras of subdivision design. Fort Richmond is 1965–78 with generous frontages, curving crescents and mature trees. Richmond West started in 1978 with narrower frontages, front-drive attached garages and thinner boulevards. It affects everything from where a patio can go to how much side-yard room there is for drainage.
Can you do low-maintenance front yards for rental properties?
Yes, and it is a real market this close to the University of Manitoba. Rock and mulch beds, artificial turf, hardscape-led front yards and generous parking that still looks intentional rather than paved over.
How much does landscaping cost in Fort Richmond or Richmond West?
Regrading and drainage work commonly runs from several hundred to several thousand dollars, driveway replacement and patios higher, and a full yard renovation higher again. Every quote is free, on-site and line-itemed.
Do you replace the trees that are coming out?
Yes. Fort Richmond’s canopy is now fifty to sixty years old and reaching the point where removals are common. We plan replacement planting with Zone 3 hardy species so the yard is not left bare, and we choose placement that will not repeat the same conflicts in thirty years.
Do you offer free estimates in Fort Richmond and Richmond West?
Yes. Free on-site consultations throughout both neighbourhoods. We visit, assess the grade, soil and drainage, and give you a clear detailed quote.