After a wind storm or an ice storm, a wooded lot in Oakland or Livingston County is a tangle: tops on the ground, limbs hung up in the canopy, saplings bent flat, and a trail or a fence line you cannot get down anymore. Piling it by hand takes weeks, and the pile then sits in the yard for a year. A forestry mulcher takes the tangle down to a chip layer in a day or two and there is nothing left to burn or haul.
We grind downed limbs, broken tops, blowdown and the brush that came down with them where they lie, reopen the trails and the drive, and clear the fence line so it can be fixed. Standing trees that made it through the storm stay. Anything heavy or hung up is planned on site as part of the job. The finished ground is walkable, mowable and safe to let the kids back into.
Storm work is priced by the project after a walk-through or from photos, the same as any other clearing. If the whole neighborhood took the same hit, we schedule the lots together so the machine moves door to door.
What we clear
- Downed limbs, broken tops and blowdown across wooded lots.
- Brush and saplings flattened by ice or wind.
- Trails, two-tracks and driveways blocked by debris.
- Fence lines buried under fallen limbs, cleared so the fence can be repaired.
- Pond banks and creek edges choked with storm debris.
- The leftover pile from a cleanup someone started and could not finish.
What you get
- Ground you can walk and mow again.
- Trails, drives and fence lines open.
- A chip layer instead of a brush pile.
- The standing trees that survived, untouched.
How the Job Goes
Send photos
A few phone photos of the worst of it and the access. Storm jobs are priced fast.
Walk it and plan the heavy pieces
Hangers and large trunks are planned on site so the work is safe and the order is right.
Grind the tangle
Limbs, tops and brush are ground to a chip layer where they lie.
Open the lines
Trails, the drive and the fence line come back last, so you can get to the back of the property again.
When to do it
As soon as the ground will carry the machine. Frozen ground after an ice storm is ideal; after a summer wind storm we wait for the mud to firm up so the lawn is not rutted.
How it is priced
By the project after a walk-through or from photos. Neighboring lots hit by the same storm can be scheduled together. See the pricing guide for how projects are priced.
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
Do you take the big trunks too?
Anything heavy or hung up is planned on site as part of the job so the order of work is safe. Limbs, tops and brush are ground where they lie.
Can you get to us quickly after a storm?
We work storm calls in the order they come in and schedule neighboring lots together. Send photos the day it happens and we will give you a date.
What about the pile I already started?
It goes through the mulcher like everything else. A brush pile is one of the easiest things for the machine to take down.
Will the lawn be rutted?
We wait for the ground to firm up or freeze, and the machine is on tracks with low ground pressure. The route in and out is planned to stay off the soft spots.
Other jobs we do
Related Guides
Ice Storm Tree Damage: What to Clear First in Michigan
Half an inch of ice brings down a woodlot. What to clear first (access, then the hung-up and split trees), the rule of thumb for which damaged trees recover, why hardwoods get judged in June, what to do with the brush, and how we sequence a storm cleanup on acreage.
Read the guide →
Signs of a Rotten Tree: Conks, Hollows, Cracks and Leans
Shelf fungus, mushrooms at the base, a hollow you can see into, a crack, a fork with bark pinched in it, a lean that was not there last year. What each sign means, which ones matter, and the target rule that decides whether a rotten tree on acreage stays or goes.
Read the guide →
Brush Piles After Land Clearing: Mulch, Pile, Chip or Haul
The brush has to go somewhere. How forestry mulching leaves no pile at all, when a wildlife pile is the better answer, what chipping and hauling cost you in time and mess, and how long a pile takes to rot.
Read the guide →
Fall and Winter Land Clearing in Michigan: Why the Cold Months Are the Best Time to Mulch
Why Southeast Michigan land clearing often goes best from October to March: frozen ground on wet lots, leaf-off visibility, and what to do before the snow.
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 Choose a Land Clearing Company in Metro Detroit: Nine Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Nine questions that sort out land clearing contractors in Metro Detroit: machine, project price or day rate, debris, insurance and a written scope.
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.