You can buy armour stone near Midland from landscape supply yards such as SC The Depot, from regional yards in Barrie, Orillia and Collingwood, or direct from a quarry in full truckloads. Prices depend on stone type, piece size and trucking, so call for a current quote. Order the granular base, clear stone and filter fabric in the same delivery, or have a contractor like Forty Five Scapes source and install it.
Key takeaways
Where to Buy Armour Stone in Midland: 2026 Buyer's Guide & Installation Insights
You can buy armour stone in the Midland area from landscape supply yards such as SC The Depot, from regional yards in Barrie, Orillia and Collingwood, or straight from a quarry, and you can skip the buying altogether by having a contractor like Forty Five Scapes source and install it. The search for Local Sources for Armour Stone in Midland can still turn into a string of phone calls, so this guide lists the suppliers, what to ask them, how armour stone is priced and what to order with it.
Prices and stock change through the season. Treat the figures below as a starting point and confirm them with the yard before you order. Updated November 2026.
1. Why Buy Armour Stone Locally?
- Support regional quarries & jobs: Buying through Midland-area yards keeps the money in Simcoe County and supports local yards and trucking.
- Cut freight & handling costs: Armour stone is sold by the ton and moved by the truckload, so a shorter haul usually means a smaller trucking charge.
- Easier returns & colour matching: Need an extra capstone? A nearby yard is more likely to have stone from the same source, and can get it to you sooner.
2. How to Evaluate a Stone Supplier
- Stone quality: Ask where the stone was quarried and whether it is limestone or granite, and look over the pieces for cracks, seams and crumbling edges before they are loaded.
- Yard equipment: Armour stone pieces can weigh a tonne or more, so the yard should load with a machine sized for it, not tip stones off a tailgate.
- Delivery radius: Ask how far the boom truck can reach from where it can park, whether it can place stone or only drop it, and what the yard charges for longer hauls.
3. Quick-Scan Comparison Table
Quick-Scan Comparison Table
| Supplier | Approx. Price/ton (CAD, confirm with yard) | Delivery Range | Unique Perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC The Depot (Midland) | $135 – $185 | 50 km | Lists armour stone in its natural stone range; boom-truck delivery of skidded product; serves Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay |
| Morden Construction (Midland) | Quote-based | 80 km | Supply-and-install service; decades of local shoreline projects |
| Georgian Bay Outdoors (Collingwood) | $140 – $190 | 70 km | Unilock & Banas Stone dealer; expanded peak-season stock |
| CAST-n-STONE (Barrie) | $130 – $175 | 90 km | Natural-stone focus; 15 years in business |
| Norscape (Orillia) | $125 – $170 | 100 km | One-stop pond + landscape depot; Yard-in-a-Bag option |
4. Supplier Profiles
4.1 SC The Depot Landscape Supply
SC The Depot is a Midland landscape supply yard that lists armour stone among its natural stone and serves Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay. Its delivery fleet includes a boom truck for skidded product along with 5-ton, tandem and tri-axle trucks. Hours change with the season (fall 2026 hours were Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and delivery is quoted by phone, so call ahead to check sizes in stock and the delivery price.
4.2 Morden Construction
More than a supplier, Morden delivers and installs armour stone from Tiny Township to Muskoka. A fit for homeowners who want a single point of contact for shoreline walls or tiered gardens.
4.3 Forty Five Scapes—Design, Source & Install
If you would rather not manage the buying and trucking, Forty Five Scapes sources stone from local yards and quarries, arranges delivery and machine placement, handles any permits and builds the wall, backed by a 5-year workmanship warranty. See our armour stone retaining wall installation page for how a project runs.
4.4 Georgian Bay Outdoors
Based in Collingwood and delivering to the Midland area, Georgian Bay Outdoors carries Banas granite armour stone for bold, pink-gray colour palettes.
4.5 CAST-n-STONE Inc.
Barrie's hardscape hub: 96 Ferndale Dr N. Call for seasonal hours. Stock includes limestone, sandstone, and granite armour stone plus matching steps.
4.6 Norscape Landscape Depot
Orillia supplier with 15 years' experience. Yard-in-a-Bag program lets DIYers receive 1-ton parcels on compact pallets—handy for tight mid-town lots.
5. Typical 2026 Pricing & Lead-Times
- Midland yards: $135–$185 per ton for limestone; expect $145–$205 for granite.
- Delivery: Most yards quote trucking separately, based on distance, truck size and whether a boom truck has to place the stone.
- Lead-time: Stock items can often go out quickly; special-order sizes or colours take longer, so ask when you get the quote.
Buying direct from a quarry is usually cheaper per ton but comes in full truckloads of larger pieces. One Ontario quarry, Quest Stone, lists non-split pieces of 1 to 2 tons at $65.50 per ton, 2 to 4 tons at $56.50, pieces of 500 to 1,900 lb at $111 and small weathered landscape pieces on skids at $199 to $250, with taxes and trucking extra (queststone.ca). Retail yards charge more but sell smaller quantities and are closer to Midland. For installed costs, see our guide to armour stone landscaping costs.
What to order with the stone
The stone is only part of the order. An armour stone wall sits on a compacted Granular A pad, with clear stone behind and between the joints so water drains instead of building up pressure, and non-woven filter fabric where the drainage stone meets native soil. Ordering these in the same delivery saves a truck trip. Do not substitute clear stone for the base; it has no fines and will not compact into a firm pad.
Field drawing 02 · Materials
Which aggregate goes where
Six materials do most of the work under a landscape. Mixing them up is the most common base failure.
Swipe to see the full drawing →
- Granular A. Dense-graded crushed stone (OPSS 1010). The compacted base under patios, walkways and driveways.
- Granular B. Coarser dense-graded material (OPSS 1010). Used as subbase under Granular A where loads or soft soils call for it.
- Clear stone. Washed, with no fines, so water moves through it. Use behind retaining walls and in French drains, never as a paver base.
- Bedding layer. About 25 mm of bedding under pavers, screeded flat. ICPI calls for a nominal 1 in (25 mm).
- Topsoil. Screened and stone-free. Municipal sod specs call for 150 mm or more over loosened subsoil.
- Armour stone. Quarried blocks set on a compacted granular base, used for gravity walls, steps and shoreline toes.
Wall-size pieces are heavy. A block about 600 × 600 × 1200 mm weighs roughly a tonne, so a short garden wall can still add up to many tons. To estimate, multiply the wall's length, height and depth in metres and allow about 2.6 tonnes per cubic metre of solid stone, then ask the yard to check your numbers against the sizes it has.
Installation follows the same order on most jobs: dig out soft ground, compact the granular pad, embed the first course partly below grade, step each course back into the slope, and drain the base to daylight.
Field drawing 10 · Armour stone
Armour stone walls hold by weight and setback
Each course leans back into the slope and sits on the one below. Drainage still matters.
Swipe to see the full drawing →
- Compacted granular pad. Granular A, compacted, wider than the base stone. Soft ground gets dug out first.
- Embed the base stone. The first course sits partly below grade so it can't kick out at the toe.
- Step each course back. The batter puts each stone's weight behind the one below. Set stones on their flattest faces.
- Clear stone behind. Free-draining stone in the joints and behind the wall relieves water pressure.
- Drain to daylight. A perforated pipe at the base, outletting where water can't undercut the wall.
- Fabric against the soil. Non-woven fabric between drainage stone and native soil. Walls over 1 m next to public areas need a permit and an engineer.
Walls over 1 m in exposed height next to public property, a building entrance or property open to the public are designated structures under the Ontario Building Code and need a building permit and an engineered design. Most garden walls are lower than that, but tiered and shoreline walls can cross the line.
6. Permits, Conservation Rules & Shoreline Work
Building a new shoreline retaining wall on Georgian Bay can need an MNRF work permit for work on the shore lands, and in-water work may need review by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay are not part of a conservation authority, so those agencies and the township are the ones to check with before any excavation. The Township of Tiny also regulates work near the 178 m shoreline contour; confirm its current rules before you plan. Forty Five Scapes handles the permit paperwork and brings in an engineer where a wall needs one. Our guide to shoreline landscaping regulations in Ontario covers the approvals in more detail.
7. Forty Five Scapes: Armour Stone Projects from Design to Build
- Design: 3-D renderings to visualise walls, steps, or water features.
- Source: Stone sourced from local yards and quarries, matched to the wall design.
- Build: Certified operators, laser-level installs, and geotextile back-drains for longevity.
- Guarantee: 5-year workmanship warranty.
8. Seven Cost-Saving Tips When Buying Locally
- Combine loads with neighbours to split trucking fees.
- Order in February-March and ask whether the yard offers early-season pricing.
- Mix heights strategically (24 ″ base + 12 ″ upper) to reduce tonnage.
- Ask suppliers to "flip" stones so the best faces show and less attractive faces are buried or turned into the slope.
- Bundle fill materials (¾ clear, filter fabric) in the same delivery.
- Phase long walls across seasons to spread cashflow.
- Leverage Forty Five Scapes' bulk-buy rates—we buy stone regularly and can source it for you.
Planning a 2027 armour stone project in Midland
If you want an armour stone wall, steps or shoreline work built in 2027, use the winter to settle the design and the stone. Decide on limestone or granite, the wall heights and the sizes you need, then get quotes while yards and contractors have time to answer. Yards restock for spring, and the most popular sizes go first once the season opens. Machines can usually start digging when the frost leaves the ground, which in Simcoe County is typically late April or May, so book installation over the winter if you want a spring start.
Line up approvals before then. A wall over 1 m in exposed height near public areas or a building entrance needs an engineered design and a building permit, and shoreline work can need MNRF, DFO or township sign-off, which can take longer than the build itself.
- Measure the wall and estimate tonnage over the winter.
- Get written quotes from at least two yards or installers.
- Order base gravel, clear stone and fabric with the stone.
- Start shoreline and building permit applications before spring.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is there a minimum order size?
It depends on the yard. Some sell individual stones, while quarries and many larger yards sell by the truckload, so ask before you plan a small order.
Q2. Do local suppliers colour-match existing stone?
Yes—bring a photo and measurements for best results.
Q3. How soon can Forty Five Scapes start after stone arrives?
Typically within one week; we schedule crews once quarry shipment is confirmed.
Q4. Can I DIY the install and still buy through Forty Five Scapes?
Yes. We offer "Supply-Only" packages with crane placement if needed.
Q5. What payment terms do Midland yards offer?
Terms vary. Ask whether the yard wants payment up front for delivered orders; some quarries require full payment when you order.
Q6. Are shoreline walls eligible for home-equity financing?
Possibly. Financing depends on your lender, so ask them directly before you sign a contract.
Q7. How much does armour stone cost per ton near Midland?
The approximate yard prices in the table above run from about $125 to $190 per ton depending on stone type and size, plus delivery; confirm current prices with the yard. Quarry-direct prices can be much lower for full loads of large pieces; one Ontario quarry lists $56.50 to $111 per ton before trucking.
Q8. Do I need a permit for an armour stone wall?
Not for most low garden walls. A wall over 1 m in exposed height next to public property, a building entrance or property open to the public needs a building permit and engineered design, and shoreline work on Georgian Bay can need an MNRF work permit.
10. Next Steps
Finding reliable Local Sources for Armour Stone in Midland is mostly a matter of calling ahead. Visit or call any of the suppliers above, or let Forty Five Scapes manage the heavy lifting from estimate to final sweep-up.
Ready for a no-obligation on-site quote? Book your free estimate with Forty Five Scapes today
Planning a project this season?
We’ll walk the site, scope it properly and give you a straight price.
Forty-Five Scapes did a fantastic job replacing the broken concrete retaining wall at the end of our driveway with beautiful armour stone. They were punctual, worked long/hard days and finished the job extremely quickly. We couldn't have asked for better service!
Frequently asked questions
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