Land clearing is exactly what it sounds like. At the beginning of any project, you’ll have to clear, prep, and clean your space. The same goes for construction. Land-clearing services include any activity that removes obstacles from partially or completely undeveloped land, and it can be done to areas that are simply overgrown.
Some of the most common obstacles that are removed include
Land clearing is most often used as the first step to laying foundations and increasing property value by increasing usable land in agriculture, urban development, and more. It’s almost never included in work focused on maintaining land, as it’s basically the act of overhauling and starting fresh.
Here at Caskin Development, we believe in doing it right the first time, and so that’s what we do. Land clearing and land development services are our bread and butter. We have a reputation for good work, good guys, and even better outcomes. That’s an experience we deliver to each and every one of our clients across the southeast.
We do everything from thinning a small wooded acreage to preparing for large commercial development. Land clearing comes in all shapes and sizes, and we deliver regardless of scale.
Read on for more information.
Like any service, the specifics will be tailored to your exact situation, but there are four different land-clearing processes your contractors can use.
Depending on the size of your property, the nature of the hazards, and the type of project you are looking to complete, it will change which process you use.
Using big machines like bulldozers, excavators, skid steers, and more, you can move through an acreage at a quick pace. For larger properties laden with trees, shrubs, and other items (old cars, old structures, etc.), this is a great option, but it’s not a one-and-done situation.
First, in fragile ecosystems, only using this method is not possible. Heavy machinery can cause significant damage to the land that it passes over. It can also leave sizable holes with a rough, messy finish if no other methods are used to supplement. Sometimes, that can be an acceptable finish, but if you plan on using the land for agricultural purposes, you’ll need to address those holes.
No matter your goal, there are roughly four ways you can use heavy equipment in land clearing
Technically, there will be some amount of labor involved in clearing land no matter what, but it can be used alone. It’s one of the least invasive methods of land clearing. We recommend this option when you have only a small area that needs thinning.
Specifically, clearing with manual labor means using hand tools to remove unwanted vegetation. It’s an inexpensive option, but it is time-consuming and a lot of work. Also, it’s not nearly as effective as other methods for removing large trees and dense vegetation.
While not effective in killing all unwanted vegetation, using herbicides and other chemicals to perform land clearing can be both cost-effective and useful. The obvious downside to this method is the harm it can cause to wildlife, water quality, and land fertility. It’s also not capable of killing all types of plants.
As a common method in forest management, controlled burning can also be used for land clearing. When done properly, burning can be a great way to reduce unwanted vegetation and limit the competition for nutrients for wanted vegetation.
Some considerations with this method include
Not only are land-clearing services useful in cutting down the timeframe of a project, it’s also extremely necessary. By handling hazards and unwanted vegetation in an area, you support the safety of your team and the construction of your project.
But for those not planning to build but simply looking to clear, you’ll enjoy the following benefits.
Can land that’s been cleared be left until the project begins or should the project commence immediately?
The following details and explanations are all based on the order of tasks involved in hiring contractors to perform land-clearing services.
Before any machinery or tools are brought out, your contractor will likely send one or a group of team members to survey the site and determine the best course of action that aligns with your goals and budget. This team will look for large stumps, roots, overgrown structures, trees and the best way to tackle each one.
Also, consider the cost. On average, the cost of land clearing per square foot is $1 - $2, meaning the cost per acre can range $700 - $5,900. To be more specific, light land clearing will usually sit in the range of $600 and $2,100 per acre, whereas dense land clearing will cost between $3,200 and $5,800.
The cost of land clearing depends heavily on the circumstances of your project, which can include but not be limited to the following.
A Note On Cost: One of the biggest factors in the cost of land clearing is the property's accessibility. The same job can cost double if contractors have to create access.
When you reach this step, your first question should be, “Do I need to get clearance?” Our answer, sadly, is that it depends. Your first consideration is the nature of the landscape your property resides in. Is it a wetland?
If yes, you will need clearance, and you will need a lot of it. Read this before you continue. But if you are unsure about that, you can check with your local government or land management agency to determine if permits are required for land clearing.
Generally, permits are only needed to monitor and control the impacts of land clearing on the special plantlife, environment, and wildlife, whether that be erosion, habitat loss, or spread of disease. If you are required to move through the permitting process, you must submit an application with all the following information.
They say the tools make the man, but for this conversation, let’s just say the tools make the job a lot easier. The same goes for land-clearing equipment, of which there are many kinds. There are also different sizes, such as compact or full-size, depending on what you need.
Some of the most common types of equipment used in land clearing include
If access to our property has been non-existent before this project, please do yourself a favor and discuss measures to counteract damage from these machines.
Once the land has been cleared, you’ll either continue on with the project or enjoy your freshly cleaned property. If you are participating in wetland construction or needing erosion control services, you can read more about each at the attached links.
Land clearing is the process of clearing any obstacles to the completion of a project. “Obstacles” can be any material that makes a job site unsafe or unworkable, such as rocks, boulders, old structures, dumped material or trash, trees, and other vegetation. It can be done in a DIY style, but depending on the size of the project, land-clearing services can also be used.
Land clearing services are those that specifically assist in the first few steps of a project, construction or otherwise. They happen when a crew is paid to use one of the four methods of land clearing to prepare an acreage for the next stages of the project, such as pulling trees, pushing vegetation, spraying herbicides and pesticides, and controlled burning.
No matter what type of project you want to complete, there is always a period of prep work. Land clearing is the preparation of a property that holds any hazards or obstacles to the completion of the project. In other words, land clearing can happen anywhere, in any setting, as long as all local, state, and federal laws are followed.
On most projects, there is always some degree of manual labor required, so yes.
No, we do not rent land-clearing equipment of any kind. In our experience, that usually leads to the client or customer needing to get land-clearing services done to clean up the mess made without expertise.
Land clearing services are best used for extreme conditions with multiple hazards or for larger properties. They also tend to complete the project faster due to experience and the use of heavy equipment. DIY land clearing is effective, but it tends to take more time. If you have a small property or you have very specific preferences about which vegetation to keep, DIY land clearing could work for you.
