Land clearing means getting rid of unwanted trees and brush from properties in order to allow development and other uses. Properties sitting idle in North Texas quickly fill with dense stands of cedar, mesquite, and other species such as eastern red cedar, hackberry, and privet. In addition to the trees themselves, the land fills in underneath with vine cover, making it impossible to walk, never mind do anything else. Our services range from complete clearing for building sites and fence lines to partial clearing to reclaim pastures.
Some people think of land clearing as a bulldozer running over the top of everything until there’s nothing left standing. Often it isn’t quite like that. Instead, we selectively remove only vegetation that is necessary, and leave valuable mature trees intact wherever possible.
Most projects will involve some brush removal. Brush consists of all the vines and young sapling growth on the lower level. Then there’s mulching, stump grinding, tree removal, or some combination thereof, and depending on how much material is produced, haul-off may also be required.
We discuss each land clearing job individually, since there isn’t always enough information in a quote alone. Once the clearing begins, we walk the site together with you marking out which mature trees remain standing after it is completed. Mature trees add a great deal of value to properties, and replacing trees that aren’t removed correctly could take decades.
For a complete understanding of the services included within land clearing, consider these major steps. You won’t necessarily be doing all of these at once, but your project will contain a few elements from each section.
These services refer to all the vegetation removed directly from the surface, such as vines, small trees, shrubs, and saplings. This vegetation is cleared before larger work is done.
Mulchers grind up all the vegetation on site and turn it back into soil immediately. It’s fast and requires minimal hauling, but produces mulch that may be undesirable.
Any significant-sized trees cannot simply be mulched. Rather, large trees are cut up into manageable pieces and then pulled away.
When a tree is removed, stumps must also be removed so the site can be built upon or used in any way. Stumps are ground down to allow planting and construction.
All material that cannot be mulched will end up hauled off-site, and we manage that aspect for you if you prefer.
Clearing land here presents some particular obstacles worth mentioning. Knowing ahead of time allows preparation.
Heavy, expansive soil. Much of North Texas rests on expansible blackland clay soils, and when those soils get wet they expand dramatically, while dry they crack and become easily damaged by equipment operations. Planning our schedule to coincide with periods of drier weather keeps expensive ruts from developing on-site.
Aggressive cedar regrowth. Cedars grow prolifically across North Texas and re-grow aggressively in areas that have been previously cleared. Follow-up treatments with either mechanical cutting or chemicals will be needed regularly.
Risk of oak wilt infection. Oak wilt infects many of the area’s oak species. Fungal infections spread more readily during fresh cuts in early spring. If your property has valuable oak trees we are conscious of that and will schedule appropriately to minimize risk.
Municipal restrictions on clearing. Some cities throughout the metropolitan area have established tree preservation ordinances, placing restrictions on clearance activities within city limits. City governments will issue permits as necessary based on plans provided. Always contact your municipality prior to starting any clearing project.
Limited availability of controlled burning. Controlled burns of cleared vegetation are not always permitted in North Texas. Debris can be mulched or removed, but piling it on-site and lighting fires isn’t typically allowed.
Clearing projects have a pretty standard process flow. Here is an overview of how projects usually play out.
1. Walkthrough meeting. We visit your site to assess conditions and understand what your goals are.
2. Mapping and protection. All desired trees are marked for preservation, fences, septic systems, and other structures located, and protected with barriers if needed.
3. Utility locating. Underground utilities must always be identified prior to disturbing the earth. Free services exist statewide.
4. Actual clearing operations begin. First, smaller brush is cleared followed by trees and finally stump removal. Depending on acreage this may take several days.
5. Final cleanup and inspection. Upon completion, we review your project with you ensuring satisfaction.
Land clearing quotes can vary greatly according to circumstances, so always request estimates that include detailed specifications of what services will be provided. Quotes are guesses until you know exactly what must be cleared from the land.
Acreage/density of vegetation. Lightly vegetated lands will obviously cost far less to clear than heavily wooded lands.
Vegetation size. More substantial and mature trees will be harder to deal with, requiring extra effort and resources.
Property accessibility. Narrow entrances, steep grades, proximity to waterways, and poor ground conditions reduce productivity.
Desired finish. Hauling away mulched materials tends to be more expensive than leaving the mulch in-place.
Desired tree retention. Grinding of stumps increases costs significantly.
There really isn’t a bad season in North Texas for land clearing. However, fall and winter offer advantages, including sparse foliage, cooler temperatures, fewer venomous critters, and less competition for contractors. Try to coordinate land clearing activities with periods of low rainfall whenever possible.
Contact us today to arrange a site visit and consultation. We’ll help you evaluate your current land condition and plan future improvements.
