Kane · about 1.2 miles from Aurora
Landscaping & Outdoor Construction in Aurora, IL
Aurora is home for us, and the only town on this list we do not have to drive to. It is also the second-largest city in Illinois, which means the housing stock swings a long way: 19th-century frame and brick near the river and downtown, and much newer subdivisions out on the far east and far west sides. Those two ends of the city ask different things of a yard, and they hide different surprises under the lawn.
Something that catches people out is that Aurora spans four counties — Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will. The county of record depends on which part of the city a property sits in, and so does part of the review behind a patio, a driveway or a retaining wall. The city also runs its own contractor registration and checks it when permit paperwork is filed.
Working in our own city has a practical benefit for the homeowner: a return visit to check a grade after a heavy rain, or to look at something the first walk-through did not answer, costs us almost nothing in travel. Estimates here are put in writing, and they are free.
Permits & jurisdiction
Who approves work in Aurora
Which county your address sits in
Residential site work inside the city limits goes through the City of Aurora, but because the city crosses Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will county lines, the county of record still matters for some reviews and for anything touching county-maintained right-of-way. Which one applies is established from the parcel before anything is scheduled.
City contractor registration
Aurora maintains a contractor registration process of its own and checks it when a permit application is submitted. That is part of what gets squared away with the city up front, rather than something a homeowner is left to chase.
Before any digging
Illinois law requires a utility locate through JULIE at 811 before excavation, and the locate is free. Footings, wall base, post holes and deep patio excavation all wait on the marks, however small the project looks.
Site conditions
What the ground here does
Two different kinds of ground
On the newer east and west sides, the subsoil is the heavy Fox Valley clay — slow to drain, prone to swelling and shrinking as it takes on and gives up water. Closer to the river and the old city, the lawn often sits over generations of fill, old walk slabs and cinders that only reveal themselves once the ground is open.
Frost is the design load
Between November and April the ground here freezes and thaws repeatedly, and that movement is what lifts pavers out of line and cracks slabs. Base depth, compaction in lifts and somewhere for water to go are what keep a surface flat; footings in this area are generally taken down toward the 42-inch frost depth used in northern Illinois.
Salt in the first winter
De-icing salt is hardest on concrete that is still curing, which makes a new driveway or front walk poured in fall the most vulnerable thing in the yard. We talk through what to put down that first season before the work goes in, not after.
Services
What we build in Aurora
Each service page covers the method, the materials and the northern Illinois conditions that shape the work.
Fences
Wood, vinyl, aluminum and chain link fences for privacy, pets and pools. New installs, replacements and repairs, with post holes set below the frost line.
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Hardscaping
Paver and brick patios, walkways, driveways, retaining and seat walls, fire pits, stone and curbing.
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Concrete
Driveways, heated driveways, walkways, patios, stamped concrete, foundations and slabs.
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Outdoor Kitchens
Built-in grill islands, counters and bar seating on a paver or concrete base, designed to sit alongside your patio and fire pit.
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Porches & Decks
New decks and porches, plus repairs to boards, stairs and railings on the ones you already have.
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Landscaping & Lawn Care
Lawn mowing and maintenance, planting, sod, beds, rock, grading and drainage.
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Snow Removal
Seasonal snow plowing and removal contracts for driveways, walkways and small lots.
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Artificial Turf
Lawn replacement, pet areas and putting surfaces, built on a drainage base that works in clay.
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Tree Services
Trimming, pruning, removals, stump grinding and storm damage work, with the site cleaned up before we leave.
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How it goes
The same four steps here as anywhere
Request
Call, or send the estimate form with the address and a sentence about what you have in mind. Photos of the area help, though they are not required.
On-site walkthrough
We come out and look at the actual ground: where water goes, how steep the grade is, what the soil is doing, and where a truck and a machine can reach. Most of what makes a job go well or badly is decided here.
Written estimate
You get the scope and the price in writing, with the materials named, before anything is ordered or dug. If something changes on site, it gets priced before it is built.
Build and final walkthrough
We lay out, excavate, build and clean up, then walk the finished work with you and go through how to look after it through its first winter.
Nearby
Towns next to Aurora
Montgomery, IL
Kane · about 3.2 miles from Aurora
North Aurora, IL
Kane · about 3.7 miles from Aurora
Oswego, IL
Kendall · about 5.9 miles from Aurora
Everywhere else
Other towns with a page
Free estimate
Book a walkthrough in Aurora
Send the address and a short description of the project. We will arrange a time to come out and look at the ground, then put the scope and the price in writing.