Landscaping in Nyack, NY
Nyack lots run steep toward the river, and the older Victorians and stone houses on the hill have old retaining walls that are failing. We rebuild walls at 4 feet or under with drainage stone behind them, terrace slopes into usable yards, and fit hardscape to tight side yards and rock.
Working in Nyack
Nyack is a village of about 1.6 square miles on the west bank of the Hudson, and more than half of that area is water. The land rises from the river on hilly terrain, with Hook Mountain to the north. Through the 1800s Nyack was a shipbuilding town and the commercial center of the county, so many houses, stone walls, and stairways here are older than any modern grading standard.
At the 2000 census the village had about 4,270 housing units per square mile, several times the density of the inland hamlets. Yards are small, side yards are narrow, and many backyards are reached by a path or a set of steps. We plan access first: what fits through the gate, where materials can be staged, and which parts of the job get dug by hand.
USDA maps show Wethersfield soils mixed with urban land across the village, on slopes of 2 to 15 percent. That soil sits on dense glacial till, and on a hillside rain runs across the surface and along the top of the till instead of soaking in. It comes out at the base of walls and against the downhill side of foundations, which is why so many old Nyack walls lean and why drainage is part of almost every job we do here.
What we build in Nyack
Rebuilding a leaning wall as terraces
A leaning wall in Nyack usually failed because water built up behind it. We take it down, rebuild the grade as two or more walls of 4 feet or less set more than 5 feet apart, since the village measures walls closer than that as one wall, and put drainage stone and a footing drain behind each one.
Hardscape & LightingCatching runoff on a hillside lot
Water from the lots above cuts across Nyack yards in every heavy rain. We build a shallow swale or a stone trench at the top of the yard to catch it and carry it in pipe around the house to a lawful outlet.
Drainage & ExcavationStone steps and landings
Many Nyack yards have old concrete or stone steps that have shifted and gone uneven. We rebuild them on a compacted base with consistent riser heights and a landing where the slope allows, and add low-voltage step lights, with the transformer connected by a licensed electrician.
Hardscape & LightingFront yard fence under village rules
Nyack caps front yard fences at 3 feet 6 inches, limits them to 60 percent closed surface, and does not allow chain link in front. We design front fences as picket or open styles that meet those limits, and side and rear privacy fences up to 6 feet 6 inches, with the finished side facing the nearest property line as the code requires.
Fencing & PrivacyCleanout of an older house
Attics and basements in older Nyack houses can hold decades of furniture and boxes behind narrow stairs. We carry everything out by hand, protect the floors and railings on the way, and load our own trailer at the curb.
Junk RemovalCleanups to village brush rules
The Nyack DPW collects yard waste only in biodegradable brush bags or bundles no longer than 4 feet. We cut and bag everything to those rules at spring and fall cleanups, or haul it away ourselves when there is more than the curb can hold.
Seasonal & SpecialtyText a few photos of the area or send the form. We come out, walk it with you, and send a written scope and a fixed price.
Before you build in Nyack
Permits and rules in Nyack
Nyack is an incorporated village with its own Building Department, and permits are filed with the village through its online portal. The village lists fences, retaining walls, sidewalk replacement, and tree removal among the work that needs a permit, and contractors must provide a liability insurance certificate naming the village plus workers' compensation and disability coverage. The fee schedule charges fence permits by linear foot and sets a flat fee for retaining walls on one- and two-family lots.
In residential districts, fences, walls, and hedges can be 3 feet 6 inches tall in the front yard and 6 feet 6 inches in the side or rear yard. A fence built on top of a berm or wall is measured from the base of the berm or wall, and any retaining wall within 5 feet of another counts as a single wall. Nyack's Architectural Review Board reviews exterior work visible from the street, and the Planning Board handles tree removal permits, so we check early whether a project goes before either board.
The village also regulates steep slopes. No development is allowed on the parts of a one- to three-family lot with slopes of 25 percent or more, measured from a survey with contours at two-foot intervals, although customary landscaping that does not regrade the ground is exempt. On steep lots we get the survey first and design the terraces and drainage around what the code allows.
When to schedule work in Nyack
Wall and step work in Nyack can run from early spring until the ground freezes, and we avoid excavating a hillside during long stretches of rain, when the soil is heaviest and least stable. Drainage is best built in late summer or fall, then tested in the first heavy storm.
During leaf season the DPW collects on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, not on the Monday and Thursday garbage days. Leaves should be piled on the grass at the curb, kept out of the street and gutter, and free of sticks, rocks, and debris. Bagged leaves are picked up weekly and loose piles can take longer, so on busy streets we bag the leaves from our fall cleanups.
All services in Nyack
Guides for Nyack homeowners
- Retaining wall permits and engineering. In most New York and New Jersey towns, a retaining wall over 4 feet needs an engineered design and a permit, and walls under that limit can still need one if they hold up a driveway or a slope.
- Yard drainage in Rockland County. Most wet yards in Rockland come down to clay soil, a bad grade, and roof water with nowhere to go.
- Downspout drainage options: where roof water should go. Most wet basements and soggy foundation beds we look at in Rockland and Bergen start at a downspout that empties within a foot or two of the wall.
- Hudson Valley seasonal yard checklist. The lower Hudson Valley gets hard winters, wet springs, and a long leaf season, and a yard that is checked at the right times avoids most of the expensive repairs.
Nearby
We also work in Blauvelt, Valley Cottage, West Nyack, Orangeburg, Piermont, Congers, Sparkill, Tappan, and across Rockland County.
Questions
Do I need a permit for a fence in Nyack?
Yes. The village lists fences among the work that needs a building permit, and the fee is based on the length of the fence.
How tall can my front yard fence be in Nyack?
Up to 3 feet 6 inches, with no more than 60 percent closed surface. Chain link is not allowed in front yards.
Can I build two walls to handle a steep grade?
Yes, and that is how we build. The walls have to be more than 5 feet apart, because the village measures retaining walls within 5 feet of each other as one wall, and we keep each one at 4 feet or less.
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Nyack?
Yes. Retaining walls are on the village permit list, and we file the application with the Building Department before work starts.
My lot is very steep. Can I still build a patio?
Nyack does not allow development on the parts of a residential lot sloped at 25 percent or more. We work from a contour survey and place patios and terraces on the parts of the lot the code allows.
Will the village pick up my brush?
Yes, weekly, if it is in biodegradable brush bags or tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet. Plastic bags are not collected.
Can you get equipment into a Nyack backyard?
Often, with compact machines that fit through a narrow gate, and we dig by hand where they will not fit. We check access at the site visit before we give a price.
Which way does the good side of a fence face in Nyack?
The front of the fence has to face the closest property line, and the back faces into your yard.
Something to haul away first? See junk removal in Nyack.
Have a project in Nyack? Tell us about it.
Three quick steps. We call you back to set up a free on-site estimate, usually the same day.
- Call or text(845) 367-4123
- Emailgeneral@landtechenterprise.com
- Based inPomona, NY
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If it is urgent, call or text (845) 367-4123.