Several City of Toronto rules decide what front yard landscaping can include. Our landscape designers check each of them against your address before drawing the landscape design, which avoids a redesign after a neighbour complaint or an inspection.
| Lot frontage |
Minimum landscaping in the front yard |
| Under 6.0 m |
All of the front yard except the driveway |
| 6.0 m to under 15.0 m |
At least 50% |
| 15.0 m or more |
At least 60% |
In each case, at least 75% of that landscaping must be soft landscaping, according to Zoning By-law 569-2013.
The City Boulevard
The strip between the sidewalk and your property line usually belongs to the City. Under the street use by-law, hedges and gardens can go in without a permit, and walkways under 1.5 m wide or fences and retaining walls under 0.9 m high are allowed as long as they keep sight lines clear. Street trees of any size are protected.
Front Yard Parking Pads
New front yard parking licences are not issued in large parts of the city under Municipal Code Chapter 918. Where a pad is possible, the process includes a neighbourhood poll, permeable paving and new tree planting, so we confirm eligibility before drawing a pad into the plan.
Fence Heights at the Front
Front yard fences are limited to 1.2 m within 2.4 m of the street and 2.0 m elsewhere in the front yard. Low walls, hedges and planters often give the same sense of enclosure without a fence at all.
What Front Yard Landscaping Costs
Cost depends on frontage, the number of steps, the materials and the scope of the landscape construction. Planting beds and sod start at about $5 per square foot, while walkways, steps and walls are priced by the job after measuring. Heated walkways and driveway sections add roughly $14 to $24 per square foot installed.
Best Time of Year to Redo a Front Yard
Toronto’s average last spring frost falls around April 13 and the first fall frost around November 3. Designing over the winter lets construction start as soon as the ground allows, while planting does best in spring or early fall.
Walkway and Step Materials Compared
| Material |
Strengths |
Trade-offs |
| Interlocking pavers |
Wide colour choice, easy to repair one unit at a time |
Joints need topping up with sand over the years |
| Natural stone |
Classic look that suits older Toronto homes |
Higher material cost, uneven pieces take longer to set |
| Precast slabs |
Clean, modern lines with large formats |
Heavier units need good access for installation |
| Poured concrete |
Lower cost for simple shapes |
Harder to patch neatly and can crack with frost movement |
Low-Maintenance Planting for Toronto Front Yards
Good garden design for a low-maintenance front yard usually leans on shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials that return every year, with mulch between them to hold moisture and keep weeds down, which cuts ongoing maintenance for Toronto homeowners who want less lawn care. Evergreens near the entrance give structure through the winter, and plants set back from the walkway edge are less affected by de-icing salt.
Heated Walkways and Steps
For homeowners who would rather not shovel, a heated walkway or front steps melt snow as it lands. Running costs for a heated driveway of about 1,000 square feet are roughly $120 to $250 per winter, and a path costs less because the area is smaller.
How a Front Yard Project Runs
Our team keeps the whole process short and clear:
- Measure and check: Frontage, grades, the boulevard line and any protected trees.
- Landscape design: A 2D plan and 3D renders showing walkways, steps, planting and lighting.
- Build: Excavation, base, hardscape and lighting cable, followed by planting and sod.
- Handover: A final walkthrough with care notes for the first season.
Free Front Yard Estimate
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(647) 937-1023 
