Buying land for your future home or business is exciting, but you must clear the land before moving in. The land clearing process can take a while, so it’s best to get an estimation of the clearing time from a trusted professional. For reliable information in Tuscaloosa, AL, contact Sawtooth Land Development.
Clearing delays can be frustrating. They make your project more expensive and keep you from starting construction. We know how important it is to set a realistic timeline and stick to it.
Before building anything, you’ll need to remove any obstacles and grade and level the site. This process can take a few days to weeks, and every site is different. A professional developer will give you a straightforward schedule for your site preparation.
What Determines How Long Land Clearing Will Take?
There are a few things that affect how long it’ll take to clear your new land. You must prepare the site before construction begins because it gets more expensive and challenging to work around existing structures later.
Intended Purpose
First, landowners should consider the final goal of their site. Not every development project needs a completely flattened landscape. For example, when homesteading or building recreational sites, it’s often a good idea to leave some wooded areas.
Vegetation Density and Debris
An initial survey will determine what kind of environment you’re dealing with. Areas with thick vegetation and mature trees with deep root systems will take longer to clear than a flat grassy space. Low-cut tree stump removal is more challenging than removing raised stumps or whole trees.
The previous use of the land also affects clearing time. For instance, a well-maintained pasture will have fewer obstacles than a rocky or forested site. You must remove any debris or existing structures before grading and leveling.
Machinery and Manpower
The development company you contract will affect the site preparation time. Small teams or DIY approaches often don’t use tools such as backhoes, bulldozers, and front loaders. Heavy machinery and plenty of labor make land clearing easier.
Clearing a larger site requires more labor, so invest in a large professional team, especially if tackling more than one acre.
Average Time To Clear One Acre
There’s no concrete rule for how long clearing one acre will take. Depending on the factors discussed, landowners can expect the process to take a few days to weeks.
Lightly wooded land can be prepared in a matter of hours with a large enough crew, while large boulders or mature trees can take hours to remove individually. Contact your local development professionals to get an accurate estimate. Avoid scheduling construction until you have a reliable clearing time estimate.
How To Save Time
There aren’t many shortcuts to speed up your site clearing once you’ve purchased land. However, you can be selective in the plot you buy to shorten the construction timeline as much as possible. Consider the clearing process when viewing land if your desired location is somewhat flexible.
For commercial projects, avoid dense vegetation and large obstacles like boulders or existing structures. Search for flat farmland that grazing animals used. For home building, you can get away with more vegetation if you plan to leave certain areas wooded for aesthetics and privacy.
Avoid trying to speed up your land clearing project by removing trees yourself. This can be dangerous, and you may make your developers’ jobs harder if you cut the stumps too short or leave behind debris.
DIY clearing generally takes much longer and is more complicated without specialized equipment. The results also tend not to be as pristine as they could be with a certified developer.
Choose a knowledgeable, professional team with developing experience in your area. You’ll get the job done fastest with large labor forces and heavy machinery usage.
Find Local Experts To Clear Your Land
For locals of Tuscaloosa, AL, choose Sawtooth Land Development to get your project started. Our team knows the demands of the Alabama landscape and has experience grading and leveling across a range of terrains. With our skills and specialized equipment, we’ll get the job done fast.
As the area’s premier clearing providers, we’ve built our reputation by exceeding client expectations in every project. We’re experts on local regulations and will keep your land clearing moving forward by avoiding unexpected delays.
Our team offers clearing for commercial and residential development and maintenance services to keep your site in top shape. We can also provide right-of-way clearing to keep roads and structures accessible. We can handle everything from limb removal to road widening.
It’s important to us to foster lasting relationships with our clients. We prioritize reliability, meaning we show up on time and take pride in our work. Call (205) 523-3506 to get started today and watch your project come to life as soon as possible.