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 mulching head. 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.
What we clear
- 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 or built over.
- 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.
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.
Questions About This Work
Will there be stumps left in the building area?
No stumps standing up. Saplings and small trees are ground flush with the ground, 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.
Other jobs we do
Related Guides
Clearing a Lot for a New House in Michigan: What to Clear, What to Keep, and When
How lot clearing for a new home works in Southeast Michigan: what gets cleared, which trees to keep, mulching versus dozing, timing and...
Read the guide →
How Forestry Mulching Is Priced in Southeast Michigan: What Drives Your Quote (and Why There Is No Per-Acre Rate)
What drives a forestry mulching quote in Southeast Michigan: acreage, density, terrain, access and finish.
Read the guide →
How to Clear Your Land in Michigan: The Complete Homeowner's Guide
Searching "clear my land"? Forestry mulching, brush hogging, tree services and dozers compared for Southeast Michigan lots, and how to...
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.