Spring and fall yard cleanup
Toronto’s yard-waste pickup has rules, and they decide how a cleanup is packed:
- Leaves, twigs, roots and trimmings go in kraft paper yard-waste bags, or in rigid open-top containers between 55 and 95 cm tall. Plastic bags are not collected.
- Branches up to 7.5 cm across are bundled no longer than 1.2 m and no wider than 0.6 m, and each bundle stays under 20 kg.
- Collection is every other week on garbage day, from about mid-March to mid-November. With daytime pickup, it goes out by 7 a.m. and not before 8 p.m. the night before.
- Grass clippings, sod, soil and thicker wood are not collected. If they need to go, we haul them as junk removal.
We do not cut or remove trees. Many trees on private property in Toronto are protected by the City’s tree by-laws, which were updated on September 1, 2026, and work on them belongs to a certified arborist.
Patio and balcony setup
Patio sets, sectionals, fire-pit tables and umbrellas arrive flat-packed or in heavy boxes. The setup is the same work as indoor assembly with the weather in mind: hardware tightened properly, glass tops seated, and umbrellas in a base heavy enough for their size. On a condo balcony, check your building’s rules before you buy. Many limit what can be fixed to the railing or the slab, and some restrict privacy screens and planters.
In the fall the cushions come in, the umbrellas come down and the furniture is stacked or covered for winter. In the spring it all goes back out.
Gazebos and pergola kits
A gazebo catches wind like a sail, so anchoring is most of the job. On a concrete patio we use concrete anchors; on a wooden deck, structural screws into the framing; on grass, ground anchors. Anything dug or driven into the ground needs a locate first: Ontario law requires a request through the Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call, at least five business days before digging, and the request is free. You can file it yourself online.
Hardtop gazebos also carry snow. Check the snow load your kit is rated for, and clear heavy snow off the roof during the winter.
Sheds
A shed is only as square as its base. Before the visit, the foundation has to be ready and level: a concrete pad, patio stones or a level wood platform, sized to the kit’s instructions. Then it is floor, walls, roof and doors, with a final check that the doors open and close cleanly.
In Toronto, a detached, one-storey storage shed of up to 15 m² (161 sq ft) without plumbing does not need a building permit. It still has to meet the zoning by-law, and anything larger needs a permit.
Play sets and trampolines
Swing sets and trampolines are built to the manufacturer’s instructions, including the anchoring kit where one is supplied, on level ground with clear space around them.