Landscaping in Valley Cottage, NY
Valley Cottage yards back up to Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain, with rock ledge near the surface on many lots. We plan excavation around the rock, use it in wall and step design, and manage the runoff that comes off the ledge.
Working in Valley Cottage
Valley Cottage is a hamlet of about 4.4 square miles in the Town of Clarkstown, with Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain on its east side. Hook Mountain State Park protects 676 acres of the Palisades ridge along the Hudson, and many backyards on that side of the hamlet climb toward the woods. Those lots are steeper, rockier, and more shaded than a typical Rockland yard.
USDA soil maps show most of the hamlet as Wethersfield gravelly silt loam, a soil formed over dense glacial till, with Holyoke rock outcrop complex on the ridge side. Holyoke soil is shallow, with hard bedrock roughly 10 to 20 inches down. On one Valley Cottage lot a post hole can go 4 feet in one corner and stop on ledge in the next.
The rock and till also control the water. The dense till slows it down a couple of feet below the surface, and the thin soil over the rock sheds it fast, so runoff from the high side of a lot reaches the low side all at once in a heavy rain. We find the rock and plan where the water goes before we lay out a patio, wall, or fence.
What we build in Valley Cottage
Excavation planned around ledge
Projects in Valley Cottage often stop when the digging reaches ledge a foot or two down. We probe with a bar and dig test holes at the estimate, then set trench depths, footings, and pipe runs around the rock. Where a small amount of rock has to come out, we break it with a hammer attachment on our mini excavator.
Drainage & ExcavationTerraced walls on a sloped yard
Yards that rise toward Hook Mountain need walls to make flat ground. We keep every wall at 4 feet or under and split a larger grade change into two or three terraces, each with a compacted stone footing, drainage stone, and perforated pipe behind it. Where the ledge is exposed, we set the base course directly on the rock.
Hardscape & LightingStone steps with path lighting
Steep lots here often have a worn dirt path from the driveway to the back door. We build bluestone or paver steps with even risers on a compacted base and add low-voltage LED lights along the run so the steps are safe at night. A licensed electrician installs the transformer.
Hardscape & LightingDeer fence on the wooded sides
Yards that back onto the state park woods get steady deer traffic. We run deer fencing on the wooded sides and a wood or vinyl fence where the yard faces a neighbor, with posts drilled or set into the rock where the soil is thin. Clarkstown limits fences on a lot line to 6 feet, so we lay out taller deer fence set back from the line.
Fencing & PrivacyCleanups under the oak canopy
The woods on the ridge are mostly oak and hickory, and they drop heavy leaf loads on the yards below. We do spring and fall cleanups, cut back the brush along the woods line, edge and mulch the beds, and pile the leaves on the lawn at the curb for the town's loose leaf crews.
Seasonal & SpecialtyStorm debris removal
After a windstorm, wooded lots end up with piles of branches, broken fence sections, and yard debris too large for Clarkstown's curbside bundles of 5 feet and 50 pounds. We load it into our dump trailer and haul it away in one visit, and we can take out an old playset or hot tub on the same trip.
Junk RemovalText 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 Valley Cottage
Permits and rules in Valley Cottage
Valley Cottage is a hamlet of Clarkstown, so the Clarkstown Building Department handles its permits. The town states that it does not require fence permits, but fences are regulated by Section 290-21B(5) of the zoning code. A solid fence or wall can be no more than 4 1/2 feet along a lot line, a fence of any type can be no more than 6 feet on the line, and anything taller has to be set back from the line by two thirds of its height. Fences at street intersections must also meet Town Code Section 250-6.
Drainage and driveway work can need permits. Clarkstown's permit guidance lists installing a storm drainage line as work that needs a permit, and any cut into a town road, curb, or sidewalk, including a driveway connection, needs a road opening permit from the Superintendent of Highways with a deposit of at least $1,000. The zoning code also has separate development limits for steep slopes and rock outcrops.
Tree removal is not our work, but it can come up on a project. Clarkstown requires a tree removal permit for trees on the DEC protected native plant list and for trees 8 inches or more in diameter in the town historic district. We keep every wall at 4 feet or under, check your lot against these rules at the estimate, and file what our part of the job needs.
When to schedule work in Valley Cottage
Rock work, drainage, and wall building go best from late spring through fall, once a slope is dry enough to carry the mini excavator without rutting. Patios and steps follow in the same window. Fence work can continue most of the year, except when the ground is frozen.
Clarkstown collects curbside yard waste from March through October, with brush tied in bundles no longer than 5 feet and no heavier than 50 pounds. Loose leaf pickup starts in early November and runs route by route in two rounds, and brush pickup is suspended until April during that time. We schedule fall cleanups so the leaves are on the lawn at the curb before your route comes up, never in the street or over a storm drain.
All services in Valley Cottage
Guides for Valley Cottage 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fall cleanup and town leaf pickup in Rockland and Bergen. A fall cleanup clears leaves and debris, puts beds to rest for winter, and sets the lawn up for spring.
Nearby
We also work in Congers, Nyack, West Nyack, New City, Blauvelt, Nanuet, Orangeburg, Pearl River, and across Rockland County.
Questions
How do you find the rock before the job starts?
We probe with a steel bar and dig test holes at the estimate on larger jobs. That shows us where the ledge is close enough to plan the layout and include the rock work in the written price.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Valley Cottage?
No. Clarkstown does not require fence permits, but its zoning code still limits height: 4 1/2 feet for a solid fence on a lot line and 6 feet for any fence on the line.
How tall can a deer fence be at my property line?
Six feet on the line. A taller fence has to be set back by two thirds of its height, so a 7 1/2 foot deer fence sits 5 feet in from the line.
Can you build a wall taller than 4 feet on my slope?
No. We keep every wall at 4 feet or under and terrace a steep yard into two or three levels with planting space between them.
Why does water pour into my yard from the lot above?
The soil over the rock is thin and the till below it is dense, so rain runs off instead of soaking in. We catch it at the top of your yard with a swale or French drain and carry it around the house.
Can my drains connect to the street?
Sometimes. Any cut into a Clarkstown road or curb needs a road opening permit from the Superintendent of Highways, and storm drain lines are permit work, so we confirm the tie-in before we design around it.
When do leaves need to be out for Clarkstown pickup?
Loose leaf pickup starts in early November by route, and the town posts an interactive map with estimated dates. Leaves go on the lawn at the curb, not in the street.
Something to haul away first? See junk removal in Valley Cottage.
Have a project in Valley Cottage? 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.