Armour Stone Wall Installation in Burlington, ON | OCM Excavation
OCM Excavation & Construction installs Armour stone retaining walls, slope-stabilization walls, and Lake Ontario shoreline erosion control across Burlington. We work the north-end Escarpment-adjacent neighbourhoods of Mountainside and Tyandaga, the established subdivisions through Aldershot and downtown Burlington, and the south-Burlington lakefront. Each area brings its own regulatory and construction realities and we know how to handle them. Most Burlington projects run 50 to 250 linear feet, $300 to $450 per foot installed (more for shoreline work). Call 416-317-3090.
Niagara Escarpment Plan Considerations in North Burlington
Portions of north Burlington — particularly properties bordering the Mountainside and Tyandaga edge of the Escarpment — fall within the Niagara Escarpment Plan area regulated by the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC). Any significant grading, retaining wall, or armour stone work on properties inside that designated area may require NEC development permit approval in addition to City of Burlington and Conservation Halton review. We do a property-specific check against NEC mapping before quoting, so you know up front whether the project triggers NEC. When it does, we coordinate the permit application as part of the contract.
Lake Ontario Shoreline Erosion Control in South Burlington
South-Burlington lakefront properties face steady Lake Ontario shoreline erosion — wave action, high water years, and storm surges have moved a lot of property lines in the last decade. Armour stone is the proven response. We use larger blocks for lake shoreline work (often 24 to 36 inches face minimum) because Lake Ontario delivers more energy than inland walls have to handle. Shoreline projects in Burlington require Conservation Halton approval; we coordinate the permit application, supply engineered drawings, and work around the in-water construction window restrictions.
What Armour Stone Is
Large dimensional limestone — 12 to 36 inch face heights, 18 to 36 inch depths, lengths up to six feet, blocks weighing 200 to 1,000 pounds. Dry-stacked on a compacted Granular A base for walls up to four to six feet. Taller walls or walls retaining a driveway get an engineered concrete footing. Fifty-plus-year lifespan compared to 20 to 25 for segmental retaining wall units or timber.
Burlington Applications
- Lake Ontario shoreline armouring on south Burlington waterfront lots
- North Burlington slope stabilization and terracing near the Escarpment edge
- Replacement of failing 1990s timber retaining walls in Aldershot and central Burlington
- Driveway grade-separation walls on hillside lots
- Decorative entrance and front-yard feature walls
Our Process
Site visit, measurements, mapping check against NEC and Conservation Halton boundaries, then a written quote. Walls over 1.2 metres get engineered drawings; shoreline and Escarpment-area projects always do. Excavation goes to stable subsoil, never topsoil. Compact six to eight inches of Granular A, set the first course level using laser, dry-stack subsequent courses with a slight back-batter. Behind inland walls: 19mm clear stone and non-woven filter fabric. Shoreline work gets deeper toe protection sized to wave and ice loads. Permits are typically handled through the City of Burlington Building Division when engineering triggers them.
Cost
Inland Burlington armour stone walls typically land in the $300 to $450 per linear foot installed range. Lake Ontario shoreline work runs $400 to $600 per foot because of larger stone, deeper toe, dewatering, and permit complexity. NEC-jurisdiction projects sit slightly higher because of the additional permit process. We provide a fixed written quote after the site visit and mapping check.
Why OCM in Burlington
We self-perform every stage, run our own equipment, and are fully insured. We coordinate directly with the NEC, Conservation Halton, and structural engineers when their approvals are required. We know Burlington’s mixed terrain — Escarpment-edge properties, ravine lots, lakefront erosion zones, and dense urban sites where access is tight. We also serve [Innisfil](/armour-stone-wall-innisfil/) shoreline work and the broader GTA listed on our service areas page. Call 416-317-3090.
Materials and Equipment We Use on Burlington Armour Stone Projects
Our standard armour stone comes from Owen Sound, Wiarton, and Cambridge quarries — Mid-Ordovician dolomitic limestone, flat-bedded blocks that weather to a soft grey tone. The 18 to 24 inch face is our workhorse for residential walls; 30 to 36 inch face stone is used for statement walls; shoreline and commercial work uses 36 inch and larger. North-Burlington escarpment-zone projects use the larger blocks and tie into existing rock outcrops, while south-Burlington Lake Ontario waterfront uses similar shoreline-grade stone to what we run on Lake Simcoe. Under inland walls we lay 6 to 8 inches of compacted Granular A, with 3/4 inch clear stone backfill against a non-woven geotextile filter fabric. Equipment is our Yanmar SV40 for base prep plus a rented telehandler at $800 to $1,200 per day or a boom truck for placement. A 3 to 4 person crew completes a typical 80 to 100 linear foot wall in 5 to 8 working days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my property is in the Niagara Escarpment Plan area?
The Niagara Escarpment Commission publishes mapping that shows the regulated area. North Burlington properties in Mountainside and Tyandaga most commonly fall in or near the boundary. We check your specific address against current NEC mapping before quoting so you know up front whether NEC review applies.
Do I need Conservation Halton approval for shoreline work?
Yes — any work in or near Lake Ontario along the Burlington shoreline requires Conservation Halton permit approval. We coordinate the application, supply engineered drawings, and plan construction around in-water work-window restrictions as part of the contract.
How long do armour stone walls last?
Fifty-plus years when properly built. The limestone itself is essentially permanent. Failures trace back to a poor base, missing drainage, or undersized stone for the exposure. We size every wall to the actual conditions, so failures don’t happen.
Can you replace my old wood retaining wall?
Yes. We demolish the old timber, haul away the debris, re-excavate to stable subsoil, rebuild the base, and set armour stone. The footprint is usually slightly larger because armour stone is deeper than timber.
What other services do you offer in Burlington?
We install segmental retaining walls, interlocking paver driveways and patios, and full-service site excavation. Bundling work in one mobilization is cost-effective on larger Burlington projects.
Get Your Burlington Quote
Planning an armour stone wall in Burlington? Call 416-317-3090 or use our free quote form. We’ll come out, check the NEC and Conservation Halton mapping if relevant, measure the run, and give you a fixed written price.