Land clearing for new construction opens a wooded lot for a new home, barn or other building: the brush, saplings and small trees across the building envelope, driveway line, septic area and yard are ground into a chip layer where they stand, and the keeper trees you point out are flagged and left standing. We work with a FECON forestry mulcher on a high-flow tracked skid steer, so the lot is ready to stake.
You bought a wooded lot in Oxford, Hartland, Washington Township or Dexter, the builder has a footprint, and between the road and the footprint is thirty years of saplings, brush and grapevine. Before a surveyor can set stakes or an excavator can dig, the lot has to be opened up. That is the job: clear the building envelope, the driveway line, the septic field and the yard, keep the oaks and maples that made you buy the lot, and leave the ground ready for the next trade.
We do it with a high-flow tracked skid steer and a FECON forestry mulcher. The brush, saplings and small trees are ground into a chip layer where they stand, so there is no stump field, no brush pile waiting for a burn day, and no dump trailer running back and forth past the neighbors. The builder shows up to a lot that can be walked, staked and driven on.
Most residential lots are a one- or two-day job. You get one project price after a walk-through or from photos and the site plan, and the price covers everything from the first pass to the last. Read how the machine works on our forestry mulching page, or send the address and the plot plan through the quote form.
Land clearing for new construction works the same way for a barn or a garage: the site plan and a walk-through set the lines, the keepers are flagged, and the builder starts from clear ground. For subdivisions and commercial sites, see the commercial land clearing and site preparation pages.
What we clear for new construction
- The house footprint plus the working room the builder wants around it.
- The driveway line from the road to the house, wide enough for concrete trucks and a delivery.
- The septic field and reserve area, cleared and left as a chip layer for the installer.
- The yard area you want open now, with the woods edge cut to a clean line.
- Sightlines at the road for a safe driveway approach.
- Understory brush under the keeper trees so the lot looks like a park, not a thicket.
What you get
- Every tree you flag, untouched.
- A two- to four-inch chip layer that breaks down into the soil and can be graded.
- No stumps sticking up, no piles, no ruts through the part of the lot you are keeping.
- A site plan marked with what was cleared, if your builder wants it.
How the Job Goes
Send the plot plan and photos
The address, the builder's site plan if you have it, and phone photos of the lot from the road. That is enough for a price on most lots.
Walk it and flag the keepers
We walk the lot with you, tape the trees that stay, and agree on the lines: house, drive, septic, yard.
Clear it in one pass
The mulcher grinds everything inside the lines to a chip layer. Larger trees inside the footprint are planned on site as part of the job.
Hand it to the builder
The lot is walkable and drivable the same day. Stakes go in, the excavator comes next, and nothing has to be hauled first. Our mulching vs excavator clearing guide explains what each machine does on a building lot.
When to do it
Any season. Frozen ground in winter is ideal for wet lots, and a lot cleared in late winter is ready for a spring foundation. If the builder has a dig date, tell us and we schedule backward from it.
How it is priced
Priced by the project after a walk-through or from photos and the plan, with density, terrain and access built in. Our pricing guide explains what moves the number.
The Ground This Work Happens On
Where We Do This Work
Counties and townships where this job comes up most. Every page covers the local ground and the common jobs.
Lot clearing by county: Oakland County · Macomb County · Wayne County · Washtenaw County · Genesee County
Lapeer County home sites: Almont is the township where new houses are going onto acreage splits, and Dryden covers wooded sites on the hills.
Questions About This Work
What is land clearing for new construction?
It is the first step of a build: opening the lot so the surveyor can stake the footprint and the excavator can dig. The building area, driveway line, septic area and yard are cleared to a chip layer, the trees you want to keep are flagged and left standing, and the lot can be walked and driven on the same day.
Will there be stumps left in the building area?
No stumps standing up. Saplings and small trees are ground flush with the soil, and the roots stay put and rot. Where a large tree comes out of the footprint, we plan that with you on site.
Can you clear just the footprint and drive, and leave the rest wooded?
Yes, and that is the usual request. We tape the lines with you and clear inside them. The woods outside the lines are not touched.
How soon before the builder digs should the lot be cleared?
A week or two is plenty. The chip layer can be graded right away, and there is nothing to haul off first. If you want the lot to settle and green up, clear it a season ahead.
Do you work with the builder directly?
Yes. Send us the builder's contact and site plan and we coordinate the lines and the schedule with them. Many builders prefer it because there is no brush pile and no haul-off bill on the job.
Related services
Other jobs we do
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Read the guide →Ready to Get This Done?
Send the address and a few photos through the quote form, or call. You will get one project price for the whole job.