Trimming, Watering, and Beyond

FAQs About Clearing A Lot Prior To Building

If you purchased a piece of wooded land with plans to build on it, you will first need to have the land cleared. This is a rather common endeavor, and in most areas, you can find at least one or two different land clearing companies willing to do the work for you. However, you may still have a few questions about land clearing prior to building. With any luck, you'll find them answered below.

Will the company remove the brush or just the trees?

It depends on what you ask them to do. You can usually hire a land clearing company to just remove the trees and stumps if that's what you'd prefer. Or, for an extra charge, most will also use brush hogs to remove the brush. Unless you have a brush hog and plan on doing this part yourself, the simplest approach is usually to hire a land clearing company to do the whole thing. That way, when they're done, you'll be ready to start digging and building.

Can you ask them to leave certain trees?

Yes. If you want the land clearing company to leave some trees behind, you'll want to ask them for a service called "selective clearing." You can then point out specific trees you want them to leave. Or, you can ask them to leave all of a particular type of tree. For instance, you could ask them to clear everything but the maple trees on the land. 

What do they do with the brush and wood?

Most land clearing companies turn the brush into compost and the wood into mulch. They may bring machines to do this on-site, or they might haul it away. If you want them to leave any of the felled trees for you, just ask. Most will leave a couple of the trees behind for you to turn into firewood, fencing, or whatever else you might need. You can also ask them to leave the mulch behind. Sometimes, leaving a layer of mulch over recently cleared land helps protect it from erosion. Just keep in mind that what you ask the land clearing company to leave behind may affect how much they charge you.

With these questions answered, you should be better prepared to have your land cleared. Before long, you will be looking at a clear piece of land and making plans for the structure you'll soon build.

Contact a land clearing company to learn more.