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Lot Clearing in Oakland County, Michigan
Wooded building lots, lake lots, splits and infill teardowns, opened up for the surveyor and the builder from Oxford to Royal Oak.
Oakland County has the widest range of lots we clear. Up north, the gravel hills of Oxford, Addison, Brandon, Springfield, Holly and Highland carry wooded building lots on dirt roads, and the lake lots in Orion, Independence, White Lake and Commerce sit behind a wall of buckthorn and grapevine. Splits come off larger parcels in Rose, Milford and Groveland. In the south end the lots are infill and teardown sites in Troy, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak and Birmingham, where the back corner has filled in over the years.
Every one of these needs the same first step: open the ground so the stakes can go in. The tracked mulching head grinds the saplings and brush in the building envelope, the drive line and the yard to a chip layer, and the oaks you bought the lot for stay standing. Stumps inside the footprint come out with the foundation dig. The mulching vs excavator clearing guide compares this pass with a dozer, and the forestry mulching in Oakland County page covers Oakland County parcels where the clearing is for acreage rather than for a house.
Oakland County is 20 to 50 minutes from Royal Oak, where we are based, and the travel is folded into one written project price. Send the address and the plot plan or a few photos through the quote form, or call. Calls are answered 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week, and every form and text gets a reply within one business day.
What we clear
- Wooded building lots on the northern dirt roads, from the road to the footprint.
- The run between a lake-side house site and the water, with the shade trees flagged.
- The long drive back to a lot that was split off a larger parcel.
- Teardown and infill lots where the old fence lines and the back corner have filled in.
- Rolling, gravelly ground where the lot drops toward a wet pocket.
- Scrub pine and pasture growth on lots cut from old tree-farm and horse parcels.
What you get
- Stakes in the ground the same day, because the lot can be walked from end to end.
- Your oaks, hickories and maples left standing, with the understory cleaned up beneath them.
- A chip layer typically 2-4 inches deep that keeps a lake bank or a slope from washing.
- One written price for the lot, with the travel included.
Where Lot Clearing Comes Up in Oakland County
Lot types we see across the county, from the north end to the south end.
Wooded building lots in Oxford, Brandon, Springfield and Holly
Houses and pole barns are still going up on dirt roads here, and a lot comes grown up in oak sprouts, cherry and grapevine between the road and the footprint. We open the envelope, the drive line and the septic area, and leave the keeper oaks. New home site clearing →
Lake lots in Orion, Independence, White Lake and Commerce
The brush wall between the house site and the water comes down to a chip layer that holds the bank, and the shade trees you choose stay. We walk the route to the shore first, so the lawn stays smooth on the way in and out. Lakefront clearing →
Splits and rolling lots in Addison, Rose, Highland and Milford
Old pasture parcels are cut into lots, and each new lot starts as autumn olive, multiflora rose and sumac. The ground rolls and drops into wet pockets, so we plan the machine's route before the first pass. Site preparation →
Infill and teardown lots in the south end
In Troy, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak and Farmington Hills a lot is often a quarter-acre with neighbors on every side. We bring the machine in along the narrowest path and take down the overgrown back corner and the old fence line. Vacant lot cleanup →
How the Job Goes
Send the plan and photos of the access
The address, the plot plan and a few photos of the access and the growth are enough for most lots. Lake lots and large parcels we walk with you.
Plan the way in
On a lake lot, a slope or a narrow infill lot the route matters as much as the cut. We walk it and pick the path that leaves the lawn and the neighbors' side alone.
Grind inside the lines
Brush, saplings and small trees inside the taped lines are mulched in one pass. Larger trees come down in pieces.
Stakes, then the dig
The surveyor sets stakes on a lot that can be walked. Whatever stump the footprint still holds comes out with the foundation dig.
When to do it
The north end is sandy hills with wet pockets between them, so low ground is best done on frozen ground or in a dry spell in late summer. Hillside and lake lots can go most of the year. If the builder has a start date for the foundation, we work back from it.
How it is priced
Each lot is priced as one project: its size, how thick the growth is, how steep or wet the ground runs, and how hard the access is. You get one written price with the travel included, from photos or a walk-through. See the pricing guide for what goes into a quote.
The Ground This Work Happens On
Northern Oakland County ground: lake shore, rolling hills and the woods that building lots are cut from.
Lot Clearing by Township in Oakland County
Each page covers the local ground and the jobs that come up there.
Lot Clearing Questions We Hear in Oakland County
Can you clear a lake lot and leave the bank in one piece?
Yes. The tracks are wide and the chip layer stays on the slope, so the bank holds while grass comes back. We pick the shade trees to keep when we walk the shoreline with you.
Do you clear lots on steep or rolling ground?
Yes. We plan the passes around the slope and any wet pockets before starting, and the tracks give the machine good grip on gravel hills. Send photos of the low corners and the grade.
Can you work on a tight infill lot with neighbors close on every side?
Yes. A quarter-acre lot is a job for the machine just as a large parcel is. We come in along the narrowest path, mulch what needs to go and keep the work inside the lot lines.
Should the lot be cleared before the builder is hired or after?
Either order works. Many owners clear first so the surveyor and builder can see the real ground. If a builder is already lined up, send their contact and the plan and we match the lines and the schedule to theirs.
How soon after clearing can the surveyor stake the lot?
The same day. Clearing leaves nothing to haul or burn first. If you want the lot to green up before the dig, open it the season before.
Ready to Clear Your Oakland County Lot?
Send the address and the plot plan or a few photos through the quote form, or call. From Oxford to Royal Oak the drive is 20 to 50 minutes, and the travel is in the one price.