Lot Clearing for New Construction

Whether you've bought a wooded lot in a Licking County subdivision, a raw acreage parcel outside Zanesville, or a rural property in Knox County where you're planning to build, the first job is always the same — getting the lot cleared down to a workable surface so your builder can start grading and laying footers.

We use tracked forestry mulching equipment to clear lots from a quarter acre to 20+ acres. The mulching approach leaves the soil structure intact, which matters when your excavator is coming in a few weeks to dig the foundation. You're not dealing with ruts, pushed-over stumps, or debris piles in the corner that the builder has to work around.

For lots with large trees — anything over about 8 inches diameter — we can coordinate felling and removal before the mulching pass. Most Central Ohio residential lots don't have many trees that size, but it comes up on older wooded parcels.

Cleared residential lot in Central Ohio suburban neighborhood ready for foundation work

What We Clear

  • Wooded residential lots in new and existing subdivisions
  • Raw acreage parcels for custom home construction
  • Infill lots in established neighborhoods
  • Agricultural parcels being converted to residential use
  • Commercial development sites
  • Lots with mixed brush, scrub trees, and invasive vegetation
  • Parcels with partial clearing already done

Working With Builders and Excavators

We work alongside builders and excavators regularly. The standard request is to have the lot cleared, stumps mulched to ground level, and the surface ready for grading equipment to come in without obstacles. That's exactly what forestry mulching delivers.

If your builder has specific requirements — leave the tree line on the south side, clear to within 10 feet of the setback, keep a particular tree — we work to those specs. We've done enough lot clearing to know that construction timelines are tight and the worst thing we can do is leave a problem for the next trade to deal with.

"We cleared a 0.8-acre wooded lot in a Pataskala development last spring — the builder was breaking ground two weeks after us. It was dense with young maples and a solid honeysuckle understory. We had it done in a day and a half, clean to the survey stakes. The builder called us for the next three lots in the same development."

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does lot clearing cost?

$1,500 to $4,500 per acre using forestry mulching in Central Ohio. Smaller lots under an acre are typically flat-rated. Dense wooded lots cost more per acre than brushy or lightly treed lots. Written quote provided after on-site visit.

How long does it take?

A half-acre to one-acre residential lot is typically one to two days. Heavily wooded lots take longer. We don't pad timelines — we give you the realistic estimate at the walkthrough.

Do you leave the lot graded?

Forestry mulching leaves the soil surface undisturbed with a mulch layer on top — it's not a grading service. For finish grading before construction, your excavator handles that step. We clear the vegetation; they grade the dirt.

Can you work around survey stakes?

Yes. We ask you to flag or mark anything you want preserved before we start. We work to property lines and respect survey stakes, setback markers, and any features you want kept.