AntoineAsphalt.caHamilton Landscape Securities: How Release Works on Site Plan Projects
- In Hamilton, Money the City holds to make sure the approved landscape plan gets built. are held until the City is satisfied the approved landscape works are built and established. Your site plan agreement sets the timing.
- Release timing and conditions, such as inspections, sign-off and any partial reductions, are set by your site plan agreement. Confirm them with the City.
- Build exactly what the approved plan shows, and get every substitution approved in writing first.
- Dead plants and open deficiencies are common reasons money stays held.
This page is for general planning only. It is not legal or engineering advice. Check current rules with the regulation, your municipality and your consultants.
What landscape securities are and why they're held
When a Hamilton site plan is approved, the landscape works shown on the approved landscape plan become part of the site plan agreement. The City holds landscape securities to make sure those works get built.
The City holds landscape securities until it's satisfied the approved landscape works are built and the planting has established. Release timing and conditions, such as inspections, sign-off and any partial reductions, are set by your site plan agreement. Confirm them with the City.
For an owner or developer, the goal is simple: build what was approved, document it and close out cleanly.
Who prepares the plans
Grading and landscape plans for site plan approval usually need a stamp from an architect, engineer or landscape architect. Minor projects can be exempt. In Hamilton, landscape plans are prepared by an Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) landscape architect.
The landscape contractor builds to those stamped drawings. Changes go back through the consultant rather than being decided in the field.
How release works
The City holds landscape securities until it's satisfied the approved landscape works are built and the planting has established. Release timing and conditions, such as inspections, sign-off and any partial reductions, are set by your site plan agreement. Confirm them with the City.
- Hamilton’s standard landscape notes require landscaping to be installed "prior to the end of the first growing season following the occupancy".
- On Hamilton-reviewed plans, contractors give a minimum one-year warranty from acceptance.
- 25% of a tree protection deposit is held for a two-year maintenance period.
Common reasons securities stay held
Most delays trace back to differences between what was approved and what is on the ground, or to paperwork that was never completed.
- Off-plan planting — locations, quantities or layouts that don't match the approved plan
- Unapproved substitutions of species, sizes or materials
- Dead or missing plant material after the first season
- Incomplete deficiencies from the consultant's inspection
- Missing sign-off required by the agreement
Close-out checklist
Before asking for a reduction or release, walk the site against the approved plan.
- As-planted layout matches the approved landscape plan
- Every substitution approved in writing before installation
- Plant material alive and healthy after the first growing season; replacements installed
- Consultant's deficiency list cleared
- Sign-off required by your agreement
How a landscape contractor fits in
We build the approved plan as drawn. We flag substitutions before ordering, record what was installed and clear deficiencies for inspection and sign-off. The design and agreement terms stay with the consultant, the owner and the City.
Frequently asked questions
When are Hamilton landscape securities released?
The City holds landscape securities until it's satisfied the approved landscape works are built and the planting has established. Release timing and conditions, such as inspections, sign-off and any partial reductions, are set by your site plan agreement. Confirm them with the City.
Who certifies the landscape work?
It depends on your agreement. Your site plan agreement sets who inspects and signs off on the landscape work. That often involves the project's landscape architect. Confirm with the City and your consultant.
Can landscape securities be reduced partway through?
It depends on your agreement. Release conditions are set by your site plan agreement. Confirm what's possible with the City and your consultant.
Do plant substitutions need approval?
Yes. Get every substitution approved in writing through your consultant before planting. Unapproved swaps are a common reason money stays held.
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Send drawings, site details and a tender reference if you have one. Or call (647) 459-7775.