6 min read
Rock swale with check dams along a driveway: how we build it and when it fits
Heavy runoff along a sloped driveway? Here's how we build a rock swale with check dams, when it fits, and the rules in Mission, BC.
Oct 7, 2026
Hardscaping & ExcavationWE TRANSFORM
WE TRANSFORM
YOUR PROPERTY.
Retaining walls, paver patios and driveways, and stacked stone. Land clearing, yard grading, and drainage — across BC's Lower Mainland. From your first site visit to the final walkthrough, we manage the whole job.
Active — Fraser Valley IMBL
What We Do
Our Services
Allan Block Retaining Walls
Allan Block and segmental retaining wall systems — garden walls to fully engineered slopes, terraced yards, failing wall replacements, and natural stone rockery walls.
Paver Installation
Interlocking paver systems for patios, walkways, and driveways — installed on a properly compacted base.
Yard Grading, Leveling & Excavation
Yard and lot grading, leveling, and small excavation — an excavator with operator, a skid steer, or hand grading where no machine fits — sized at a free on-site consultation.
Yard Drainage & French Drains
French drains, perimeter drains, and weeping tile — perforated pipe and drain rock installed to stop standing water and soggy lawns.
Paver Reset & Repair
Re-level sunken pavers, re-sand joints with polymeric sand, and restore shifting patios and driveways.
Hardscaping & Backyard Renovation
Complete backyard transformations combining walls, pavers, turf, and rock features in one build.
The Process
How It Works
01
Free Consultation
Tell us about your project and we will call you to set a time. We walk the site with you, take measurements, and tell you straight what your ground needs — where the problem is, how we would get in, and what you are comfortable investing. Nothing is priced at the visit.
02
Planning & Design
A small design fee starts it. We research the bylaws and permits, call BC 1 Call for utility locates, measure the site properly and take off the materials — then price the work by phase, so you can see what each stage costs before anything is built.
03
Materials & Ordering
You finalise materials and colours, and we place the order. Once payment is confirmed we schedule a date to begin, and your materials are on site before the crew is.
04
Professional Build
Materials on site before we start. Proper base prep, the drainage that goes in before anything shows, and updates through the week while we are there. If the scope changes, you get a change order to sign before that work starts — never after.
Where We Work
Service Areas
IMBL licensed across BC's Lower Mainland — from Vancouver to Chilliwack.
Service Areas
Metro West
North Shore
Tri-Cities
Fraser Valley
New information
All resources →Worth knowing before you build
7 min read
Rebuilding a sloped gravel driveway: the base under every drainage option
Potholes on a sloped gravel driveway are a water problem. Here's how we rebuild the surface, what decides the details on your property, and which Mission rules apply.
Oct 7, 2026
10 min read
How to Build an Allan Block Retaining Wall (BC Homeowner's Guide)
The same process our crews follow: trench dimensions, base material, compaction in lifts, wall rock, and drainage — plus the tool list and the height where DIY legally ends in your city.
Jul 17, 2026
No Obligation
Book Your Site Visit
Tell us about your project and we'll call you to set a time to walk the site. We find the problem areas, how we'd get in, and what you're comfortable investing — no pressure. Your phased price comes out of Planning & Design, before anything is built. We service the entire Lower Mainland.
Walkthrough first, then Planning & Design
Licensed in Vancouver, Maple Ridge & the Fraser Valley
Common Questions