Landscaping, interlock and lawn care in Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill runs about 14 km north to south, from Highway 7 up to Bloomington Road, and about 7 km across, between Bathurst Street and Highway 404. Markham is on the other side of the 404, so for us it’s a short drive.

Which landscaping jobs come up most in Richmond Hill?

In the south of the city it’s mostly repair work on driveways, joints, hedges, decks and fences that are now 20 to 35 years old. Richmond Hill was one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada in the early 1990s, and its population went from about 80,000 in 1991 to over 160,000 by 2006. Typical jobs on those lots:

• Interlock driveways that have sunk at the garage apron or along the edges, with rocking pavers and joints washed out. Most of that can be lifted, re-levelled and relaid with the same pavers. See interlock repair and our guide on why interlock sinks.
• Joints full of weeds and moss. They come back every year until the old sand is cleaned out and replaced with polymeric sand.
• Cedar hedges planted when the house was new that are now taller and wider than anyone wants. See hedge trimming and when to trim hedges in Ontario.
• Decks and fences that have gone grey and started to check. Washing and a fresh coat often keeps them going for years. See deck staining and waterproofing.

The north end is different. Roughly the northern third of Richmond Hill sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine, a glacial ridge the Province protects under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan. It’s built from glacial sand, gravel, silt and clay, and in Oak Ridges the land rolls and climbs above 300 m.

For a homeowner that usually means slopes. Mulch and soil wash out of beds, walkways need steps, and runoff scours the joint sand on a sloped driveway. If you’re on the moraine and planning anything bigger than garden work, the Province’s map shows your property’s designation, and the City can tell you what it means for you.

How wide can a driveway be in Richmond Hill?

It depends on the width of your lot. The City caps residential driveway width like this:

At least 45% of the front yard has to stay landscaped. The City counts pavers, patio stones, concrete and interlock toward that, as well as grass and planting, so an interlock walkway can make up part of the 45%.

The page doesn’t say how a paved strip right beside the driveway is treated, so ask the City before adding one. The City also says these rules are under review in its new zoning by-law. Check the current numbers before you plan a new interlock driveway or a widening.

What City of Richmond Hill rules affect yard work?

Six come up most: tree permits, yard waste pickup, oak pruning, fences, watering and grass length. The City’s own pages are the final word, and some rules differ from Markham’s and Vaughan’s, so don’t assume theirs apply here.

Yard waste and leaves

For 2026, yard waste is picked up every other week on your garbage day from April 14 to October 9 (yellow-zone collection starts the week of April 21). From October 13 to December 11 it’s weekly.

Put it out in kraft paper bags or a rigid open-top container of up to 125 L with a yellow yard waste sticker (free from the City). Each bag, container or bundle has to stay under 18 kg. Branches go in bundles up to 1.2 m long, with no branch over 10 cm thick.

Grass clippings, soil and sod aren’t collected, and the City asks people not to rake or blow leaves onto the road. Our fall cleanup checklist covers what to do before the last pickup, or we can do the fall cleanup for you.

Trees

Richmond Hill’s Tree Preservation By-law needs a permit before you remove or injure a private tree with a trunk 15 cm or more across, measured 1.4 m above the ground. That’s a smaller tree than Markham’s 20 cm threshold (measured at 1.37 m).

Injury includes taking off more than 20% of a tree’s live tissue within 12 months, and working inside its tree protection zone. That zone starts at a 2 m radius for a 15–20 cm trunk and grows with the tree. The application fee is $314 plus HST for the first tree and $109 plus HST for each extra tree.

It isn’t only about tree removal: digging a new bed, a patio base or a trench for edging close to a mature trunk can count as injury.

Oaks

The City’s oak wilt page asks residents not to prune oak trees from April 1 to October 31. The disease has been confirmed in Ontario, in Niagara Falls and Springwater, and fresh cuts in the growing season can let it in. If you have oaks, book their pruning for November to March.

Fences

The City’s fence by-law page allows fences up to 1.8 m (6 ft) in back and side yards, and up to 1.2 m (4 ft) in front yards. Corner lots have their own provisions, and the City asks owners to call By-law and Licensing Enforcement before building one there. Our fence height rules guide compares the neighbouring cities.

Watering

From June 15 to September 30, Richmond Hill’s watering rules allow lawn watering on odd days for odd-numbered houses and even days for even-numbered ones. You can water between midnight and 6 a.m. or between 7 and 10 p.m., for up to four hours.

Newly laid grass can be watered any time, on any day, for one month. After that, new sod is on the same schedule as everyone else, so plan its later waterings around your allowed days. See how often to water new sod.

Grass length

The City’s grass and weed by-law caps grass and weeds at 20 cm, all year, and homeowners look after the boulevard beside their property. Wildflower gardens are exempt as long as they’re clearly separated from the lawn.

For everyday mowing, the City’s lawn care advice is a blade height of 8 cm with the clippings left on the lawn. If you’d rather not keep up with it yourself, see lawn mowing and lawn care.

How do I get a landscaping quote in Richmond Hill?

Text your street or postal code and a couple of photos to us at (437) 684-2535, or fill in the form below, and we’ll come out and quote it for free.

If the job is a new bed, edging or a driveway base within a few metres of a tree 15 cm or more across, say so in the message, since that can be a permit question here before it’s a landscaping one. The same goes for an oak that needs pruning: that work waits for November. For published rates before you call, see landscaping costs in Markham and Ontario.

On the edges of the city we also work in Markham, Thornhill, Vaughan and Stouffville.

Sources

1. City of Richmond Hill: Yard waste
2. City of Richmond Hill: Tree cutting permit (Tree Preservation By-law)
3. City of Richmond Hill: Oak wilt
4. City of Richmond Hill: Fence by-law
5. City of Richmond Hill: Lawn watering restrictions
6. City of Richmond Hill: Front yard parking and driveway widths
7. City of Richmond Hill: Grass and weed by-law
8. City of Richmond Hill: Pesticides and lawn care
9. Government of Ontario: Oak Ridges Moraine
10. Wikipedia: Richmond Hill, Ontario
11. City of Markham: Tree permit application
12. Wikipedia: Oak Ridges Moraine
13. Wikipedia: Oak Ridges, Ontario
14. Landscape Ontario: 2022 charge out rate survey (April 2022)
15. City of Richmond Hill: Mill Pond Park
16. Wikipedia: List of postal codes of Canada: L
17. Wikipedia: List of postal codes of Canada: M
18. Canada Post: Find a postal code