When you have plans for a piece of untamed property, you need to clear and prepare it. Removing trees and brush safely while managing grading and soil erosion can be a time-intensive process. Learn more about the factors that affect land clearing costs in Florida.
Factors That Determine Cost
When you call our team to receive a free cost estimate for your project, we take several factors into consideration.
Thickness and Type of Vegetation
A key factor in determining the job’s price is the condition of the vegetation. Thick vegetation takes more time and equipment to clear than sparse vegetation. We usually divide vegetation into three categories, including:
- Light: Small trees, small shrubs, and mostly grass
- Moderate: Thick brush, medium-sized trees, and less grass
- Heavy: Large trees, stumps, thick brush, and minimal grass
The size of the land plays a role, too. If you are clearing an acre or less of heavy vegetation, the overall cost may be lower than a site where several acres of light vegetation exist.
Terrain of the Site
A piece of property that has steep hills and rocky areas may need pricier, specialized equipment compared to a flat area.
Accessibility to Your Property
If the piece of land that needs work is in the middle of untamed property without roads, it costs more to move our equipment into place. If you have roads and some infrastructure already in place, it takes less time and effort to reach the site and do the land clearing, which reduces cost.
Whether You Need Permits
If you need permits, this process can cost up to $500 beyond the price of the actual work. The price of permits — and whether you need them — will depend on your local governmental and regulatory bodies. The types of trees or wildlife you have will also play a role in whether permitting is necessary.
Failing to obtain the necessary permits could delay your project. You could receive fines or criminal charges for doing certain kinds of work without permits.
Cost of an Average Land Clearing Project
Because so many factors go into preparing a piece of property for your project, it’s difficult to determine an average cost. What you pay to remove vegetation and trees from your property may be quite a bit different than what a neighbor pays.
That said, we find that the average price to clear a parcel generally ranges from $1,500 to $3,000 per acre. If you have particular needs at your property that will take more time, the cost could be even higher.
If you need specific soil grading techniques after we clear vegetation, you might pay another $1,000 per acre. Some reclamation projects must follow local regulations to prevent erosion, requiring specific bulldozing techniques.
It can be difficult for you as a property owner to try to estimate the price yourself. Our professionals know the key factors that affect price which is why we offer a free price estimate with no obligation on your part.
How to Save Money on a Land Clearing Project
The best way to save money when preparing a lot is to allow us to do forestry mulching. With this technique, we mulch the brush and trees as we remove them.
We can then leave the mulch on the soil, enriching it. Our team could create piles of mulch, allowing you to use it as part of your landscaping project.
Creating mulch and leaving it on-site saves you money compared to hauling trees and brush away. Doing logging with debris disposal and hauling involves more vehicles, extra fuel, and additional labor hours, driving up the cost.
Large rock removal also increases the price. To save money, you could have our team move the rocks to a particular location on the property and then create a landscape design around them.
Trust WR Land Development for Help with Land Preparation
At WR Land Development, we help your land clearing project comply with all local regulations. Our team delivers competitive, fair pricing for clearing your property and commits to following safety precautions and environmental stewardship practices.
Our professionals serve the New Smyrna, Florida, region, including the Daytona Beach and Orlando areas. To receive a free quote or to discuss your plans, call us today at (407) 993-1439.
