Landscaping and interlock work in Scarborough

Scarborough is the part of Toronto closest to us. Markham, where we’re based, sits on the other side of Steeles Avenue, which is the line between the two cities, so landscaping in Scarborough is a short drive for us.

Most of Scarborough was built out as suburbs after the Second World War, so a lot of the yards here are older than those in Markham’s newer subdivisions. What sets it apart is the ground: the Scarborough Bluffs run about 15 km along the lake, and Highland Creek and the Rouge River cut deep wooded valleys through it. Plenty of backyards end at a slope.

What landscaping work do Scarborough yards need?

It depends a lot on when the street was built.

• Post-war bungalow streets like Wexford, and the older lakeside areas like Birch Cliff and Cliffcrest, have big trees and a lot of leaves. A thick layer of leaves left on the grass over winter is one of the conditions that encourages snow mould, so a fall cleanup before the last yard waste pickup in November is worth booking. Our fall cleanup checklist covers the timing.
• Driveways and walks that were redone in interlock years ago tend to sink near the garage and the street, and the joints fill with weeds and moss. That’s often a repair job rather than a replacement, for the reasons in our guide on why interlock sinks. See interlock repair and polymeric sand and weed removal, or cleaning and sealing if the pavers are sound but grey.
• In the neighbourhoods up north that were built from the 1970s on, like Malvern and Milliken, decks and fences have had decades of sun and freeze-thaw. Washing, repairs and a new coat go a long way. See deck staining and sealing and deck and fence repair.
• Small front lawns along busy roads take a beating from road salt and foot traffic. Patches can be cut out and re-sodded, or the whole front redone with new sod. After that, regular lawn care (mowing through the season) keeps a thin lawn from sliding back.

Which Toronto rules affect yard work in Scarborough?

The City of Toronto’s rules apply, not Markham’s or York Region’s, because Scarborough has been part of Toronto since 1998. These five come up most. The City’s own pages, linked below, have the final word.

Scroll sideways to see the whole table.

Trees

Toronto requires a permit to injure or remove a private tree with a trunk 30 cm (about 12 inches) or more across, measured 1.4 m above the ground. That’s a bigger tree than Markham’s 20 cm threshold. Injury counts as well as removal, so heavy digging over the roots of a big tree can need a permit. The City’s permit page explains how to measure and apply. From September 1, 2026, the City also added a “distinctive tree” category for large, healthy trees over 61 cm and new permit fees in ravine areas, set out in its tree bylaw review.

Ravines and the Bluffs

This one is easy to miss. If your lot is inside one of Toronto’s ravine and natural feature protection areas, you need a permit before you:

1. Dig out or add soil on a slope.
2. Place or dump fill, including earth, sand and gravel.
3. Harm or remove any tree, whatever its size.
4. Build a new retaining wall or replace an old one.

Lots along the Bluffs and the Highland Creek and Rouge valleys are the ones most likely to be inside a protected area, which takes in parts of Guildwood, Cliffcrest, Birch Cliff and Highland Creek.

A new patio base or a load of topsoil to level a sloping lawn can need a permit there, and near valleys and the shoreline the City may also want to see a permit from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority for grade changes. Mowing, cleanups, hedge trimming and deck or fence staining don’t change the grade, so they aren’t affected.

The City’s permit page links to a map that shows the protected areas, so check it before you book anything that moves soil.

Yard waste and leaves

The City collects yard waste every other week on your garbage day, from around mid-March to mid-November. Markham’s 2026 season ends on October 30, so Toronto’s runs a couple of weeks later into the fall, which helps with late leaf drop.

Use kraft paper bags or open rigid containers 55 to 95 cm tall, never plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Branch bundles can be up to 1.2 m long and 0.6 m wide, under 20 kg, tied with natural fibre twine or rope, with no piece over 7.5 cm thick. Grass clippings aren’t collected.

Parts of Scarborough used to have vacuum leaf pickup from the curb. The City no longer runs it, so leaves have to go out in yard waste bags or containers. Raking leaves onto the sidewalk or road is an offence that could bring a $200 fine.

The boulevard is yours to keep up

The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road belongs to the City, but Toronto expects the homeowner next to it to cut the grass, pull the weeds and keep it tidy. If you want it done as part of a mowing or cleanup visit, just say so when you ask for a quote.

Fences

Toronto’s fence bylaw sets these heights for houses:

Scroll sideways to see the whole table.

A fence within 2.4 m of a driveway has to be see-through, like chain link, for at least the first 2.4 m back from the street, so drivers backing out can see the sidewalk. Repainting or staining an existing fence doesn’t change anything. If you’re replacing one, our guide on fence rules in Markham and Toronto goes through the differences.

Getting a quote in Scarborough

Text your street or postal code and a couple of photos to (437) 684-2535 (send a text), or use the form below, and we’ll set up a free visit.

If the back of your lot drops into the Highland Creek or Rouge valley or ends at the Bluffs, tell us that too. Mowing, cleanups and staining go ahead as normal there, but a patio base, a load of topsoil or a new retaining wall means checking the City’s ravine map first. Near the Pickering line or over in North York? We also work in Pickering, North York and the rest of the areas listed here.