Looking for hardscaping in Port Perry? Michael Durham Landscaping builds interlock patios, walkways, front steps and retaining walls for homes in town and on rural lots across the Township of Scugog. Scugog mixes a heritage downtown, lakefront streets and septic-serviced country lots, so the approvals a project needs vary by address. Here is what the Township publishes.
How We Build Patios, Walkways and Walls
Our interlocking and stonework service uses natural stone or concrete pavers, and the method stays the same whatever the size of the job:
- Base first. Six inches of engineered aggregate, placed and compacted in three lifts, sits under every surface so it holds its shape through Ontario freeze-thaw.
- Water planned before stone. We work out every slope and swale at the start so runoff heads away from the house.
- Polymeric sand fills the joints, binding the pavers together and discouraging weeds and ants.
- Edge restraint keeps the pattern from creeping outward over time.
- Insurance: every hardscape project carries full commercial liability coverage.
A typical backyard patio runs 3 to 5 days from digging to the last sweep of sand, while bigger jobs that include walls can stretch past a week. We also repair and seal existing interlock. For slopes, see our retaining wall service, and our post on signs you need a retaining wall.
What Scugog Township Publishes for Hardscape Projects
Building permits: decks, structures and walls
Scugog's Building Permits page lists building a deck among the typical projects that need a permit, along with any structure larger than 15 square metres (161 square feet). It also names retaining wall permits as one of the permit types the Township issues. A ground-level paver patio is not on that list, but the Township's Building Permit Guide for Homeowners stresses that every structure must still meet zoning rules for setbacks, lot coverage and height, and that it is the owner's job to get a permit when one is required. When a raised deck, wall or other structure is part of your plan, we confirm the permit question while preparing your quote and take care of the application if the Township needs one.
Lakefront lots and conservation authorities
The homeowner guide says Conservation Authority approval may be required if a property sits in a flood plain or next to any watercourse. Scugog is covered by three authorities, Kawartha Region Conservation Authority, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, according to the Township's Additional Dwelling Units page. If your yard backs onto Lake Scugog, a creek or a wetland, ask the Township which authority covers your lot before shoreline steps, walls or patios go in. The same guide notes that new construction of a building or structure in the Oak Ridges Moraine needs a conformity assessment form.
Downtown Port Perry heritage district
The Township's Heritage Conservation District covers downtown Port Perry, and its Heritage Permits page says owners there must apply for a Heritage Permit before changing a building's exterior. The Township's heritage permit guide lists landscape renewal among the alterations that do not need one, while new masonry work and the replacement of entrances and porches do. So new garden paving is usually fine, but rebuilt front steps tied to a building entrance are worth raising at a pre-consultation with the Building Department.
Patios around pools and hot tubs
Scugog replaced its old pool rules with Swimming Pool Enclosure By-law 09-26, passed in March 2026. It says no pool component, including walkways, decking or concrete, may encroach on a drainage swale, and that changing grade for a pool must follow the Township's site alteration by-law. The enclosure cannot sit within 1 metre of steps, ledges or similar climbable objects, and landscaping within 1 metre of an above-ground pool wall counts against using the wall as the barrier. Scugog's Fence, Pool and Hot Tub Permits page adds that in an unassumed subdivision the Township wants a final lot grading certificate and the builder's approval before it issues a pool permit.
Rural lots on septic
If your property has a private septic system, plan around it early. Scugog's homeowner guide lists Health Department approval among the documents needed for a building permit when a septic system is on the property. The Region of Durham's Sewage and Septic Systems page explains that its Health Department approves private sewage systems, and its clearance distances chart sets minimum distances from tanks and leaching beds to structures, property lines, wells and lakes. Know where your tank and bed are before choosing a spot for a wall, deck or patio, and ask the Health Department if anything you plan is near them.
Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Township of Scugog's Building Department and, for septic questions, the Durham Region Health Department before work starts. Grading, fill and driveway entrance rules are covered on our landscaping in Port Perry page.
Planning Your Port Perry Hardscape
On a sloped lot, walls and steps can create level space for a patio. On rural properties, the septic layout can decide where a patio fits best. Our guide to backyard landscaping ideas in Durham Region has layout ideas, and our post on patio materials for cold climates compares stone and pavers for winters like ours.
Common Questions
Does an interlock patio in Port Perry need a building permit?
A paver patio laid at ground level does not appear on Scugog's list of typical permit projects. Decks do, as do structures over 15 square metres and retaining walls that need a permit, and every project still has to meet the Township's zoning setbacks.
Can I build a patio or steps near Lake Scugog without extra approval?
Not always. The Township says conservation authority approval may be needed for properties in a flood plain or next to a watercourse, and three different authorities cover parts of Scugog. Check which one applies to your lot first.
Do I need a heritage permit for landscaping in downtown Port Perry?
The Township's heritage permit guide says landscape renewal does not need a Heritage Permit. Exterior changes to buildings, including new masonry and replacing entrances or porches, do, so discuss front steps with the Building Department.
What should I know before adding interlock around a pool in Scugog?
By-law 09-26 bars pool walkways, decking and concrete from drainage swales and keeps the enclosure at least 1 metre from climbable objects such as steps and ledges. Plan the patio and fence together.
Book a Port Perry Hardscaping Quote
Contact us to arrange an on-site visit and a free quote for a patio, walkway, steps or retaining wall anywhere in Port Perry or the rest of Scugog.
Sources: Township of Scugog, Building Permits; Township of Scugog, Building Permit Guide for Homeowners (January 2026); Township of Scugog, Additional Dwelling Units; Township of Scugog, Heritage Conservation District; Township of Scugog, Heritage Permits; Township of Scugog, Heritage Permit Guide; Township of Scugog, Swimming Pool Enclosure By-law 09-26; Township of Scugog, Fence, Pool and Hot Tub Permits; Region of Durham, Sewage and Septic Systems; Region of Durham, Required Clearance Distances for Sewage System Components.