Landscaping and construction in Mattawa

The short version

Mattawa vs North Bay: what changes on a Mattawa build

Edwards Landscape & Construction builds the same five services in both places. These are the parts that are not the same.

The ground here is documented better than anywhere else

Most communities in this service area have no published subsurface data. Mattawa does, because a provincial geotechnical investigation was carried out for highway work through the town, and the numbers are specific.

Boreholes drilled downtown found about 0.8 metres of pavement structure, then sand, then silty sand. Pinkish grey gneiss bedrock was hit at 2.9 metres and 4.3 metres, and augering refused on boulders or bedrock as shallow as 2.3 metres. The groundwater table sat 1.4 metres below the road surface. Boulders are noted near the shore of the Ottawa River.

The wider description is just as useful: overburden in the area is generally shallow over Precambrian rock with frequent outcrops, and its thickness can vary over short distances. Where there is cover, it is glaciofluvial outwash sand and gravel, or a glacial till with a silty sand matrix and a high stone content. In plain terms: expect rock, expect it to arrive at an inconsistent depth, and expect water not far down.

Mattawa sits in a rift valley

The town is on the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, a place where the earth's crust dropped roughly a kilometre between two faults, and the rift splits near Mattawa. The Mattawa River runs through a rock-walled canyon up to 150 metres deep between Lake Talon and the town, and the fault is old enough and live enough to still produce minor earthquakes.

There is more recent history in the ground too. Glacial Lake Algonquin flooded the region for around a thousand years, and roughly 10,500 years ago the Mattawa valley became a major drainage outlet for several early Great Lakes systems. Evidence of that enormous prehistoric river is widespread in the valley, which is why the sand and gravel outwash is where it is.

Mattawa publishes a minimum footing depth

Almost no municipality in this service area publishes a frost depth figure, which is why quoting one is usually guesswork. Mattawa is the exception. The town states that foundations for decks shall be constructed to reach a minimum 1.2 metre depth of bury.

Permits are also required for decks over 0.6 metres high or larger than 10 square metres, sheds over 10 square metres, and pools and hot tubs. Having a published number to build to is genuinely useful, and it is the kind of detail worth confirming with the building department for any specific project rather than assuming it transfers to a house footing.

Flooding is current, not historical

Mattawa sits at the confluence of two rivers and the flood record is recent and specific. The town declared a state of emergency on 6 May 2019, when the Ottawa River rose 4.25 metres between 17 April and 11 May to the fourth highest level recorded since 1918.

It is not over. In May 2026 the water level at Mattawa peaked six centimetres above the major flood threshold of 154.8 metres, and the Mattawa Island conservation area was closed. March precipitation that year ran at 200 percent of normal and April at 253 percent.

For anyone planning excavation, drainage or a foundation near the rivers, that is a scheduling and design reality rather than background colour. Grading that moves water away from a building matters more here than almost anywhere else on this list.

Servicing and approvals

Mattawa has municipal water, drawn entirely from two drilled wells, and municipal sanitary sewer within the town. Town lots are serviced. Properties outside the boundary are on private wells and septic systems, with septic permits issued by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority, of which Mattawa is a member municipality with a plan review agreement.

The town is small and dense: 1,881 people on 3.67 square kilometres, with a median age of 53.6 and a population that fell 5.6 percent at the last census. Roughly 929 dwellings, 857 of them occupied year-round.

How much does landscaping cost in Mattawa in 2026

Edwards Landscape & Construction projects run between $2,000 and $50,000 depending on scope. In Mattawa the swing factor is rock and water. Bedrock arriving anywhere between 2.3 and 4.3 metres changes excavation from digging to breaking, and a water table at 1.4 metres near the rivers can mean dewatering. Both get flagged before a number is given. Every quote is fixed and in writing after an on-site visit, with site conditions flagged before the number is given. Edwards Landscape & Construction holds a 5.0 rating across 20 Google reviews and backs every build with a 3-year workmanship warranty.

Where to find a landscaping and construction contractor near you in Mattawa

Edwards Landscape & Construction covers Mattawa and the Ottawa and Mattawa river corridors east of North Bay, roughly 45 minutes out on Highway 17.

A name to keep straight: the Town of Mattawa and the Municipality of Mattawan are different places. Mattawan is a much larger, much less populated municipality next door, and Antoine Mountain is physically in Mattawan rather than Mattawa.

• The town core, Main Street, Water Street and the confluence at Explorer's Point.
• The Ottawa River shoreline, east and west of town along Highway 17.
• The Mattawa River corridor, a Canadian Heritage River, toward Lake Talon.
• Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, and the properties along Highway 17 east.
• Rural Mattawan and Calvin, on private well and septic.

What Edwards builds in Mattawa

All five services, adapted to what Mattawa ground and Mattawa approvals require.

• Landscaping: grading, sod and seed, garden beds, planting, and property restoration.
• Hardscaping: interlock driveways, paver patios, walkways, steps, and retaining walls built for freeze-thaw.
• Excavation and drainage: site prep, foundations, French drains, and grading that moves water away from the building.
• Home renovations: interior and exterior work, decks, and additions.
• Construction: full builds and structural work, with permits and trades coordinated by one contractor.

Mattawa is one of nine areas on the full Edwards service area list, which sets out what changes from one community to the next.

Mattawa FAQ

Mattawa questions, answered