Whether you own a beautiful piece of land or you’re a construction company, have you ever thought about how you can clear a piece of land on your own? Or have you ever wondered if there are specific regulations that clearing had to abide by? Were there unknown regulations for stormwater distribution and collection, general water runoff, or even waterways and trees that are protected by local laws?
While it may seem like an easy task to clear land, there are special types of equipment that need to be used and there’s possibly also a special place to start. With so many questions buzzing in your mind, we’re sure you’ve also wondered if there were underground utilities that could be damaged in the process as well as possible structures on the surface and subsurface that might need removing.
If you didn’t already know, clearing land requires heavy equipment. Persons involved in these types of jobs also need to have experience dealing with unexpected surprises, planning skills, and even comprehensive knowledge of the permits and laws involved. In essence, raw land is usually graded on a rather precise surveying process and it may need some external services that can only be performed by a skillful landscaping company.
However, land clearing has undergone a complete upgrade and there are several changes to the traditional methods. Not so long ago, prep service companies only needed to bulldoze and burn spaces to clear them. In today’s society, property owners expect companies to be prepared to execute different methods for clearing.
With that said, modern techniques are much safer and offer an alternative solution to traditional methods. Land clearing tools an equipment range from simple handheld tools to very large bulldozers. In the case of larger trees, more powerful commercial tools are needed. So if you’re planning to have land cleared, it’s best to ask the experts which method is best.
When you ask the opinions of the experts, be prepared to receive a range of options. However, the methods suggested usually depend on what is being cleared. So keep in mind that site preparation and land clearing isn’t a job for amateurs and requires a seasoned professional.
Bulldozing
Most commercial and residential property owners usually select prep services based on time and the cost. Larger machines such as bulldozers are not user friendly if you’re not trained. These can easily chip and knock off the bark from trees that you’re saving such as oaks and hardwoods and leave battling oak wilt and other issues.
Hence smaller machinery is recommended such as skid-steer tractors that come fitted with hydraulic shears. Tractors can be driven into trees to cut them off at the ground and they can then be easily carried for burning. So if you’re interested in preserving your hardwoods, tractors are more suited.
Earth Grading
Building sites also need to be freed and graded. This ensures that low growing plants are removed to make way for parking lots, driveways, buildings, lawns, and storm drains. To properly execute this, you’ll need a skid loader and a large backhoe. Rocks can also be filtered and used later on along with dirt for landscaping purposes.
Silt Fencing
These are temporary barriers that are placed in clearing projects to prevent erosion during the prep stage. However, the disadvantage of this is that it requires maintenance and it can be easily destroyed by UV rays. Wildlife and firest laws may also require these to be placed so that construction waste and mud don’t filter onto neighboring properties.
Regional Regulations
Besides giving consideration to these, landowners should check with the state and provincial officials to ensure that they are not missing out on certain rules. Some of these include silt framework, timber permits, burying organics, and mulching. There are some regulations that will allow owners to have trees destroyed by fires while others may suggest that these be destroyed by other methods.
So if you’ve got a new project coming up, call Clean Cut Outdoors today to get the proper advice and help that you need. We’ll transform your project from start to finish.
