How to Choose a Land Clearing Contractor
LandClearly is not a contractor and does not operate a nationwide contractor network. Local quote-request functionality is being developed and rolled out gradually, so availability depends on your area. Nothing on this page implies we have a company ready to call in every county.
What to compare, line by line
| Item | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Scope | A written description of what will and will not be cleared |
| Clearing method | Mulching, dozer work, combination or site preparation — named explicitly |
| Stumps and roots | Left, cut flush, ground, or extracted — and for which areas |
| Debris handling | Mulched in place, piled, burned, chipped or hauled, and who pays disposal |
| Finish | The condition the ground will be in when the crew leaves |
| Mobilization | Whether getting equipment to and from your site is inside the price |
| Exclusions | Permits, rock, wet-weather delays, grading, fencing, utilities |
| Schedule | Working days on site, and what happens if conditions stop work |
| Credentials | Business registration, liability insurance, workers' compensation where applicable |
Make sure contractors are quoting the same job
A wide spread between bids can reflect a scope difference, not just a pricing difference. A contractor who mulches standing brush and leaves the mulch is selling one thing. A contractor who pushes everything into piles, grubs the roots and hauls the material away is selling a substantially larger job. Both are legitimate. Only one may match your intention.
- Does each bid name the same clearing method?
- Does each bid treat stumps and roots the same way?
- Does each bid send the debris to the same place?
- Does each bid leave the ground in the same condition?
- Is equipment transport treated the same way in each?
If the answer to any of those is no, the prices are not comparable and should not be ranked against each other until the scope is aligned.
Reasonable due diligence
- Confirm the business is properly registered and carries liability insurance.
- Confirm workers' compensation coverage where your state requires it.
- Ask what happens to any damage to fences, gates, drives or utilities.
- Ask who is responsible for locating underground utilities before work starts.
- Get the scope, the exclusions and the payment schedule in writing.
- Be cautious about large deposits before any equipment arrives.
Arrive with the job already defined
The single most useful thing you can do before contacting anyone is to describe your property consistently. Working through the clearing methods tells you which job you are likely buying, and the cost calculator turns your property details into a planning range and a written scope you can reuse with every contractor. If mulching looks likely, read what forestry mulching actually does first.