WoodWorking Landscape Projects
Wood is a great alternative to stone for creating landscape structures. Woodworking projects can bring all the same form and function but with a softer more natural look. Wood brings a nice colour contrast to the greens and darker shades that are usually present in garden landscaping projects. Stain or paint your finished woodworking project to give it a personal touch and really make them stand out. Here are a few types of woodworking projects we handle on a regular bases.
Already know what you're after and just want to see how we price our woodworking services? Check out the pricing links below:
Wood Steps
Wood steps constructed with 4x4 or 4x6 can create a very custom look for your access point. Wood steps can be long and drawn out or the can be short a steep. If your area has a gradual slope then wood steps can take a hybrid form of steps and platforms that cover more length than height. On the other hand if you're just looking to get up 5 or 6 feet in height in a compact area then a more traditional stair case can be built for you.
Wood steps can be easily integrated into pre-existing landscape or structural elements. They can be built as part of a larger wood retaining wall project or the can be stand alone and still be very sturdy structures. Wood steps can have customized step width and length and can be infilled with crush gravel for a very non-slip surface or have patio pavers or slabs inset.
Wood Borders and Wood Planter Boxes
Create separation to your landscape look with wood borders. Bold angles and straight lines will give your yard a modern look that's attractive and also functional. Frame in designated planting areas and build up planter boxes for extra height. Wood borders and planter boxes have a lower profile and therefore can be more easily installed than larger options such as Allan Block.
For sloping yards we can raise the lower level up by installing wood tie retention, giving you a level area for a new lawn or patio space.
Fixing Rotten Wood
We are frequently approached by people asking us "can you fix this rotten wood wall?" and "can I replace this rotten wood with new wood?" Or, "how long does pressure treated wood last?" While we often create woodworking projects from scratch, we do a good amount of wood replacement projects as well. Pressure treated wood in our Surrey/Langley climate should last a minimum of 10 years but often holds strong for 20 years.
Rotten Window Wells
Unfortunately is has become quite common in recent years that builders do not construct window wells with pressure treated wood. We frequently find new home with a totally decomposing window well within 5 years. This is not how it should be. When we replace these window wells you can expect 10-20 years of good life out of them.
How Much Do WoodWorking Projects Cost?
Woodworking project vary quite a bit depending on what's being built. The main considerations are the number of cuts required and the amount of wood that is needed. For framing in landscape elements and garden beds or 4x4 planter boxes you can consider the base row (the bottom row) being installed at about $20 - $25 per linear foot (including materials) and additional rows on top of the base row being installed at approx. $5 - $7 per linear foot (including materials).
Wood Steps can also have a large range depending on the number of steps, the step dimensions and the extent of the excavation required. For standard steps the base range lands between $300 - $600 per step. Another main factor in this range is how high each step. Step are usually 4" - 8" high. Higher steps will not only require more lumber but also create a larger volume that will need additional crush gravel to fill.
Rotten Wood Replacements generally come in on the lower ends of the above budges just simply due to the straightforwardness of the work. Usually the excavation is mostly taken care of from the previous installation. The only exception to this may be in cases such as window well replacements where the full area around the rotten window well must be excavated back in order to access and replace the rotted wood.
In all woodworking projects access may play a role in the amount of labour hours needed. This is generally less of an issue with the actual wood portion and more to do with bringing in the crushed gravel/soil/mulch/other fill needed to complete the woodworking project.
Woodworking Pricing Case Studies
Backyard double terrace steps and Pathway
Here's a set of steps and a meandering path that was build from scratch. There are some longer sections to this pathway as it spanned up two terraces. The steps are 8 inches high and has inset slabs throughout. The upper pathway and steps also curves slightly as it goes requiring more cuts than if it were straight. A step/pathway like this would be on our higher end of pricing due to it checking all the boxes for added material and labour. In this case as well it was a fair distance to traveling bring in each barrow of gravel for the steps so access also played a role in price due to the added labour.
PRICE: $7,152.40 (12 step pathway 8 inch high steps with inset slabs) ≈ $600/step
Straight Forward step replacement
This is Will, he's got the step building down to a science. This is an interesting case to look at because it is a similar design to the one above with a few key differences that really brought the pricing down. A little less distance was needed to be covered but it had a similar style of long stepped pathway to cover a varying slope. Note that the steps on this on are only 4 inches high so required less fill and about half the lumber as the other example above. This one came in on the lower side of our wood steps/pathway pricing even with added cost for removing and disposing of the old construction.
PRICE: $5,105(14 step pathway 4 inch high steps) ≈ $365/step
Very Simple Wood border replacement
Here's quite a straight forward job pulling out an old wall (dump fees are included in the price) and replacing it with a new stylish looking border that holds in more mulch and helps the garden stand out. The total length of the garden border replaced was 112 feet and it was 2 rows high. The cuts were easier enough although due to shape followed there were more cuts needed than a straight line garden bed.
PRICE: $3,450( 112 ft 2 rows) ≈ $22/ft/row for the base row + $7/ft/2nd row (materials included)