McGuire Landscape Company

06/10/2026

Biostabilization vs Seawalls: Wisconsin Freeze-Thaw Performance

Envirolok, Flexamat, ESP, traditional seawalls. Every manufacturer brochure claims their system outperforms the others.

What the brochures do not always address is how these systems behave under the specific load Wisconsin lakes apply: 30 to 60 freeze-thaw cycles a year, lateral ice push from sheet ice, saturated bank soils in spring with rapidly fluctuating lake levels. That is the only performance data that matters.

The honest comparison, system by system ⬇

Envirolok, Flexamat, ESP, and traditional seawalls — how each performs through Wisconsin freeze-thaw cycles, ice push, and high-water years on inland lakes.

06/08/2026

Port Washington Lake Michigan Transformation

A historic Port Washington cottage with a Lake Michigan view, going through a full architectural remodel. The grounds had not kept up with the house.

We used Lannon stone outcropping walls in a 6 to 7 inch profile rather than the heavier 12 inch slabs we usually run, to keep the look layered and modern. Reclaimed Lannon flagstone from the original site became the backyard fire pit patio. A sunken hot tub on the side of the house keeps the lake view uninterrupted from the back.

🔗 to the full build in the first comment ⬇

06/03/2026

Homeowner's Guide to the DNR Waterway Permit

If you own lakefront property in southeastern Wisconsin and you are planning anything that touches the shore (riprap, seawall replacement, beach restoration, boat ramp, dredging), there is a strong chance the project triggers a Wisconsin DNR waterway permit.

The application form most homeowners encounter is Form 3500-161. The DNR is rarely the bottleneck on approval. The bottleneck is usually a homeowner submitting a partial application or proposing work that the local shoreland ordinance prohibits regardless of state approval.

Full walkthrough of what triggers it, what to submit, and where applications get delayed in this post!

A plain-language walkthrough of Wisconsin DNR form 3500-161 — what triggers a waterway permit, what to submit, and how long approval takes for shoreline work.

06/01/2026

Allenton Multi-Level Entertainment Oasis

When Tim and Jackie moved into their new home in Allenton, they knew the property had potential. The slope from the driveway to the backyard ruled out a single-level patio.

We terraced the space with Thermal Beaver Creek steps and lannon stone outcropping walls. We engineered a buried drainage system to handle runoff from the road and driveway. A torrential downpour hit a day after we finished seeding. The site held.

Check the first comment ⬇ for the full case study, including the drainage work that made the patio survive its first week!

05/27/2026

GP26 Riprap Permit Checklist for Wisconsin Lakefront Owners

Riprap is the workhorse of Wisconsin shoreline protection. Done correctly, it absorbs wave energy, holds the toe of the bank, and outlasts almost every other shoreline treatment.

Done outside DNR specifications, it gets cited, has to come out, and costs the homeowner twice. The fastest, most predictable approval path is the GP26 General Permit.

Check out the field checklist a DNR reviewer will run against your application here!

What it takes to qualify for the GP26 General Permit for riprap in Wisconsin — stone size, slope, length, and the field conditions reviewers actually check.

05/25/2026

Natural Stone & Modern Luxury: A Lake Country Retreat

Five-foot Beaver Creek steps instead of the standard three. Man-In-Stone outcropping walls wrapping the back of the property. Color-changing lighting tuned to whatever the evening calls for.

The Peterson project was a new custom build on a wooded Lake Country lot. The architecture was already there. The landscape had to match the scale of it, not sit alongside as an afterthought. Every material choice on this build was about that!

Full project on the site in the first comment 👇🏼

05/20/2026

Building on 30-45° Slopes

The most challenging lakefront properties in southeastern Wisconsin are not the ones with bad access. They are the ones with steep, restricted access.

A 30 to 45 degree drop from the home to the water rules out almost every standard construction sequence. The wrong machine destroys the bank. The wrong sequence buries the access path before the project finishes. The wrong structural system slides downhill in the first wet spring.

How we build safe, durable lakeside access on 30–45 degree Wisconsin slopes — phased sequencing, restricted-access machinery, and structural systems that hold.

05/18/2026

What a Failed Paver Patio Really Costs

Three to five inches. That is how far the pavers had settled at the far corner of a Lake Country patio before we got the call.

The homeowner had watched it get worse for several seasons. Water pooling where it used to run off. A corner that started catching toes. The kind of damage that looks cosmetic until it starts changing how you actually use the space.

Three mistakes from the original installer made the failure inevitable. Check the first comment ⬇ for the full breakdown including what the restoration actually cost and why we now only install clear stone bases.

05/15/2026

Three names worth knowing before your next site visit with McGuire:

Matt — Owner and Project Lead

The one walking shorelines with municipal reviewers, sequencing the structural work, and making sure the install matches what was approved. If your project involves a permit or a retaining system, Matt is the one figuring out how it actually gets built.

Andy — Lead Designer

Thirty-plus years and more than a thousand designs across southeastern Wisconsin. The one drawing the patio that finally works with the slope, the lake access that finally makes sense, and the budget tier that finally fits what you actually want.

Alex — Field Operations

The one on site before the crew arrives, confirming elevations, checking grades, and making sure the drainage and pitch are right before a single stone goes down. The reason McGuire jobs hold up is mostly because Alex set them up to.

That's the current team. Three people, one standard, every project.

Have a great weekend out there!

04/27/2026

Built for a homeowner who wanted a backyard he could actually use for golf practice. Lannon stone outcroppings terrace the slope, paver landings break up the stair flights, a synthetic putting green anchors the lower tier, and a Brio smokeless fire pit finishes it off.

For those considering a build that goes beyond the standard patio, full project details here.

Discover how McGuire Landscape Company transformed a tiered Wisconsin backyard into a golfer's paradise using natural Landon stone, smokeless fire features, and custom lighting.