Project guide
Opening the cottage
The opening weekend is one trip, and everything you forget is a two-hour round trip to get it. Plan it as a haul, a wash and a power question, in that order.
TYPICAL 900 SQ FT · 2 DAYS · WASHER 1 DAY · ONE TRIP UP
The sequence
How the job actually runs
In order, with the tool each stage needs. Skip a stage and it comes back as the stage after it.
- 01
Load once
Everything that wintered in the garage goes up dry, in one trip. An enclosed trailer is the difference between packing and tarping.
- 02
Power first
If the hydro is not on, nothing else on this list happens. A generator sorts the pump, the tools and the washer for the weekend.
- 03
Water on, and watch it
Prime the pump, then walk every line and every fitting before you leave the pump running unattended.
- 04
Wash the deck and the dock
Flow, not force. A winter of grey comes off at moderate pressure, and full pressure at close range costs you the boards.
- 05
Dock and shoreline
Cribs, brackets and the sections that moved with the ice. Do this while somebody is still holding the other end.
- 06
Load out
The trailer goes back down with whatever came out of the cottage. One trip each way.
How big, how long
The three sizes people ask for.
Day counts are for one or two people working at a homeowner’s pace, not a crew’s. Book the longer number.
Typical jobs
| Cabin and dock | 500 sq ft | 2 days |
|---|---|---|
| Cottage, deck and dock | 900 sq ft | 2 days |
| Family place with a bunkie | 1,500 sq ft | 3 days |
Tools this job uses
Anything marked “ask us” is a machine in the yard that is not on the rate card yet. Send the request with your dates and we will tell you what it costs before you commit to anything.
The planner
Your numbers, not an average
Tell it the size and it works out the material, the days and which machines you actually need — including the ones you do not.
Tell it about the job
Square feet. Length times width, near enough.
What that takes
900 sq ft cottage opening · two of you
- SURFACE
- 900 sq ft
- WASHER
- 1 day
- POWER
- —
- BOOK
- 2 days
Deck, dock, walks, siding and the boat, at one pass each.
If the hydro is not on yet, the washer and the tools both need a generator. Tell us in the notes and it goes on the same float.
One day up, one day back, and the weekend in between is yours.
Estimates from average jobs — ground, grade and weather vary. When in doubt, book the extra day: it is cheaper than a second delivery. And order your stone before you book the machines.
The tools, and the ones you can skip
| Tool | Verdict | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Gas washerDocks, decks and siding. The gas machine, because a cottage outlet is not a certainty. | Needed | 1 |
| GeneratorFor the weekend the hydro has not been turned on yet, or the pump needs 240 to prime. | Worth it | 2 |
| 4x6 trailerEverything that spent the winter in the garage, dry the whole way up. | Worth it | 2 |
From experience
What people get wrong
Two trips because the load would not fit.
Measure the load, not the enthusiasm. A 4 × 6 enclosed trailer swallows most of an opening weekend.
Assuming the hydro is on.
Check the week before. If it is not, a generator turns a wasted weekend into a working one.
Full pressure on a dock.
Back off. Furred dock boards give splinters all summer.
Towing a loaded trailer up a soft spring road.
Check the road first. A soft shoulder and a loaded trailer is a long afternoon.
Leaving the pump running while you unload.
Walk the lines first. A split fitting fills a crawlspace fast.
Before you dig
The parts that are not optional
One sentence and one link each. We rent machines — we do not read by-laws for you, and none of this is legal or engineering advice.
Check the road before you commit to a trailer.
Spring shoulders in cottage country are soft, and a loaded trailer finds every soft spot. If you are not sure, ask about the float instead of finding out at the end of a lane.
A generator is not an extension cord.
Run it outside, well away from windows and doors, and never in a shed or under a deck. Carbon monoxide is the risk that does not announce itself.
Be clear about this
What we do not supply
The machines move material around your site. They do not haul it to the curb and they do not bring it in. Sort this out before you book anything.
- FuelGas machines go out full and come back full, or we refuel at cost.
- A tow vehicle and a hitchIf you are towing the trailer yourself, that is your truck, your hitch and your rating.
- Plumbing partsBring the fittings you always need. The hardware store is not close.
- Dock hardwareBrackets, pins and whatever the ice took.
- Anything electrical past plugging inThat is an electrician, and up there it is a booked appointment.
Questions
The ones we get asked
Can I tow the trailer myself?
Yes, if your vehicle and hitch are rated for it. The 4 × 6 enclosed trailer is car-towable. If the lane is soft or the road is questionable, ask about the float instead.
What if the hydro is not on yet?
A 240-volt generator covers the pump, the tools and the pressure washer for the weekend. Mention it in the notes and it goes on the same trip.
How far north do you deliver?
Barrie and Innisfil are the flat-rate core; Orillia, Midland and Collingwood are quoted flat by distance when we confirm. Tell us the address and we will give you the number before you commit.
How long does an opening weekend take?
Two days for a typical cottage, deck and dock, with two people. Three if there is a bunkie and a long dock. Booking the extra day is cheaper than a second trip up.
Showing our work
Where these numbers come from.
Anything marked [VERIFY] is trade convention we have not yet put in front of a supplier. It is good enough to plan against and we would rather say so than dress it up.
- Ontario One Call — locate requests for homeowners
- Landscape Ontario — provincial law requires locates before digging
- Government of Ontario — silica on construction projects: legal requirements (O. Reg. 833)
- City of Barrie — retaining walls information sheet
- Bobcat — Toolcat 5600 published specifications
- Normal-weight concrete, about 2,400 kg per cubic metre — the standard value
- [VERIFY] Trade convention — not yet confirmed against a supplier or a published standard
Next
Related guides, and where we work
The spring wash-down
Winter leaves salt, sand and a grey film on everything, and one weekend takes it off. The number that decides how long it takes is not pressure — it is gallons a minute. Read the guide
Running a drainage trench
A drain is a slope with a pipe in it. Get the fall right and the rest is shovelling; get it wrong and you have buried a very expensive puddle. Read the guide
Renting in Orillia
About 35 minutes from the Barrie yard, quoted flat by distance. Equipment in Orillia
Renting in Midland
About 50 minutes from the Barrie yard, quoted flat by distance. Equipment in Midland
Tell us the dates. We will confirm by text.
Pick the machines, send the request, and we will handle the hauling.
kempenfeltrental@gmail.com · 7am–7pm, 7 days