Fortress Retaining Walls and Landscapes Ltd.

Our 30+ year old property had a long wood retaining wall spanning the entire back yard. From the first time Chris came to look at the project, he was helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating! Three adjoining properties also required that their walls be replaced and the project ended up spanning 4 yards. Chris and his entire crew did an amazing job and were always available to answer any questions or accommodate any additional requests that arose throughout the time of the project. The on-site crew led by Kevin were very easy to have around and worked hard to not cause any unnecessary disruption as they worked. I would not hesitate to use Chris and his Fortress team for any projects in the future and highly recommend them to anyone needing the services that Fortress provides!

Chris and his team replaced a retaining wall spanning 4 properties and did a great job. It required a lot of coordination and communication and they did a great job. In addition, they took out all the old landscaping in my backyard and replaced it with paving stones. They did a beautiful job and the crew were friendly and respectful. I would have no problem hiring them again or recommending them.

We bought a new Noort home build with drive way pavers completed by Chris and his team at Fortress. 2 years into owning we noticed the pavers starting to wobble as the jointing polymeric sand had basically eroded away leaving empty gaps between the pavers. A few more months went by and they got worse so I reached out to Chris many times and his first response was to blame me for pressure washing the pavers which I absolutely did not do. Finally, after 3-4 months or reaching out he came by to take a look and had no explanation saying he's never seen his before. He said he would talk to the builder and get back to me but never did. After following up several more times over the last month, no response.

I've had two other companies give me quotes for repair up to $15-$20k. Both said that it's quite obvious that the pavers laid and polymeric sand applied at the wrong time, likely when too wet. It appears that the polymeric sand cured to the pavers at the surface level (or only falling into the cracks 1-2 cm) due to moisture as it likely didn't fall fully into the cracks between the pavers, creating a hollow space under the cured polymeric sand. Once the rains came, the jointing sand crumbled and washed away.

The pavers are now a tripping hazard and are now damaging each other as they wobble and grind. I understand the warranty is only 1 year but both companies that quoted the repair said well laid pavers with polymeric sand should last decades. He offered to potentially repair it at his cost, but since then haven't heard from him to even follow through on that offer.

I understand mistakes happen but what is more frustrating is the lack of accountability and communication. It's how a company/person deals with mistakes that shows their integrity. From my experience with him I do not believe he stands by his work. Buyer beware.

We first hired Chris and his team in 2019 to deal with some rotting window wells. He did a beautiful job restructuring them with block retaining walls rather than wood, and tied them in wonderfully with our existing pavers. We were so impressed that we had him rebuild our deteriorating fence the following year. When a collapsing retaining wall was uncovered by the fence removal, he quickly gave us a new estimate for wall replacement (again with blocks) and integrated it into the fence plan. This year we had him rip off our wooden deck and he gave us a new, beautiful deck which we are eager to use next year. His estimates are always accurate and the quality of his work is fabulous. He is a professional and a real joy to deal with.

I had a small retaining wall project beside my driveway that had to be replaced. I got Fortress’s name from a local building supply company. I dealt with Chris from Fortress and was very pleased with their work. Chris explained what had to be done and was available if I had any questions. His crew was great, here on time each day, worked very hard and always cleaned up at the end of the day. The job was well organized and completed in a timely manner. I have another retaining wall that will have to be replaced at some point and will use Fortress again for that job. I would highly recommend Fortress.

We had our retaining wall done with Fortress. We had 4 quotes and not only was Fortress competitively priced, but the quality of work was amazing. Everyday the crew arrived on time and they took the time to explain to me what was going on and answered any questions I had. I would highly recommend them.

I cannot recommend Chris with Fortress enough!! My project was a bit too small for a civil contractor but a relatively large job for a landscaper. It was also engineered and city permitted, I wanted everything above board and done by the book. I had the nightmare job and I am the high needs perfectionist client. Chris saved me thousands of dollars (approx $13-18,000) by being meticulous and well prepared. He dealt closely with city engineers, Fortis BC and my engineers to ensure the job was done correctly. We had a road block at every corner, every step had an issue with many delays from the City and Fortis. Chris was very professional, extremely patient, has clearly mastered time management skills, gives undivided attention when dealing with a client (never answered his phone when with me and never put me on hold to deal with someone else). I interviewed 7 contractors for my project, due to time lines I originally went with My 2nd choice who was a competitor to Fortress **I was so wrong and paid dearly for it**. My original contractor realized my project was out of his scope after tearing up my yard. He abandoned the project and left my yard a raw site. I contacted Chris and begged if he could complete the work, he was able to squeeze me in within 3 weeks (very hard to get) I work in trades so I have some idea of things but this is not my area of expertise. I Relied heavily on Chris from Fortress to ensure quality work. I had many questions that he addressed. I received my full deposit back from the city so there was no additional cleaning that needed to be done as they kept the site in great shape. The job was completed within budget. They did many things that were above and beyond as I live alone and they worked around the needs I had to support my dog still having space. The obstacles are too many to list but Chris met them all and got us past them. He dealt with everything on my behalf so I didn’t need to leave work. I could go on and on but what I will say is I trust him fully, he does quality work, stays on budget and is fairly priced. I recommend him to any and everyone.

We went through a number of lanscaping companies, designs and quotations before deciding to go with Fortis. Their team was professional, on time and on budget.

It was refreshing to see a company like this after so many problems with other parts of our project.

They exceeded expectations and made extra efforts on the finishing touches which made the project a success.

Their Scope:
Allan Block Retaining Wall and Stairs
3 Cedar Hedges
1 Yew Hedge
Cedar Fencing
Two Planting Areas
Concrete Driveway, Walkway and Back Patio
Front and Back Laws
Storm Drainage System
Lots of other bits

We recently used Fortress for our backyard reno. We had three quotes from three different companies and were most impressed with both the price tag and the Knowledge/communication with Chris from Fortress. He was very clear at explaining the process of how the reno would be completed and answered all our questions very thoroughly. He really took the time to make sure that we had a clear understanding of the work that was to be completed and what the end product would be. He also offered different options (materials and price points) for the work that we were having done. We had our back yard extended, a new fence and retaining wall installed, two pads built for a shed and an above ground pool and river rock brought in. We found the crew to be friendly, efficient and respectful and they did a great job cleaning up and the end of each day. We have already recommended Fortress to several friends and anticipate using them again for future projects. Call them for a quote...you won't be disappointed!

I used Chris and his team at Fortress for a total make over of my outdated 1980s style yard. Living on the side of a mountain is a challenge as the yard has several tiers on a fairly steep slope. While I had an idea as to what I wanted to do, Chris was really helpful in providing ideas and directing the project to create a whole new updated look at a fraction of the cost other landscapers were quoting. Being mindful of water run off and safety Chris ensured that we would not have any water ingress problems and that the work would last a lifetime. Our project was inclusive of driveway retainer, three massive tiers and new stairs on one side and a great outdoor kitchen/bbq area with more retainers on the other. Blocks and pavers look great! His team were diligent, polite hard workers who through rain, sleet and snow completed the project in an efficient and professional way. In an industry where contractors are not always known to be reliable or even reasonable, I would state that Chris and his team at Fortress are the exception. Special mention and shout out to Brian our foreman and taskmaster who kept things moving and ensured all was on track and done to our exacting preferences! I would not hesitate to recommend Fortress to anyone planning a landscaping project. My neighbours are so jealous, they too are planning to hire Fortress for their total yard makeovers!