5 Guidelines for Hiring Land Clearing Companies

You look out of your window at your eye-sore of a yard and realize that you need a change. Perhaps you’d like to install a swimming pool. Maybe you’d like a rose garden. You might even fancy paving it all over to make room for your extensive collection of motorbikes.

Before you do all this, though, there is one barrier: your garden is completely over-run with all types of unruly foliage. All manner of foliage is running riot across the place. So what should you do? You need to get on the phone and start calling around to land clearing companies to get yourself a quote.

What Is Land Clearing?

Land clearing involves removing tree stumps, foliage, and undergrowth from a site so that it can be developed. Expert land clearing companies have years of experience in navigating the potential pitfalls of doing this. The process usually begins by clearing large rocks and vegetation from the land and is often finished with leveling the ground so that building work can be carried out.

 

Why Should I Not Do Land Clearing By Myself?

While you might feel that this is a task that you could take on yourself, or perhaps rope a couple of friends into, and get it polished off in an afternoon, land clearing is can a dangerous task that requires specialized equipment. Land clearing companies often have to make use of chainsaws, bulldozers, backhoes, and stump grinders so that they can get the job done quickly, effectively, and safely.

Using equipment such as these without having the right experience and training can get you or someone else injured in the process. You could also cause do more damage to your property than good. Our advice is to leave it to the professionals so that you have peace of mind and can save yourself some potentially big problems.

But how do you sort the weeds when from the flowers when it comes to land clearing companies? Keep reading to find out.

1. Do They Have References?

Top of the list when looking for land clearing companies should always be checking out if they have references. They might look the part, they might sound the part, they might tell you that they are the best in the business, but unless they have a few previous clients to back them up and tell you that they can pull it off, you might want to stay away.

There are unfortunately more than a few dishonest operations in the land clearing business that will promise you the world but be unable to deliver. So this is a time to do your due diligence. Speak with friends and see if they have used this company in the past. If none have, ask the company for a few references who are not friends and family of the company. Chances are, if a few people can vouch for them, they probably know what they’re doing.

2. How Much Experience Do They Have?

It can be nice giving the new kids on the block a try, but if you have a job that you need doing well the first time around, it pays to go with the seasoned professionals. Different projects have their own complications, and it is only by being in the business for a while that a professional gains the skills to tackle every eventuality.

3. How Much Do They Cost?

For most homeowners, this is a big part of deciding which land clearing company to go for. It can be tempting to go for the absolute cheapest company to save yourself a few bucks, but do you really want to employ a firm that can’t do a proper job? This might lead to you having to get them to come back and finish what they started or needing to hire a second company to fix what the first did or didn’t do.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to go with the most expensive either. Try calling around to different companies to get an estimate of how much the job will cost. From there, see which companies impress you the most. If the price they offer you is around what the rest are quoting you, you might have a winner.

4. Are They Certified?

This one is so important. Whether a company is certified or not should be an absolute deal-breaker for anyone who hires a land clearing company.

You must see evidence that all certification is in order. This includes licenses and all permits that are required to complete the job. If they don’t have these, it’s time to walk away. Companies that don’t meet the proper requirements often attempt to cut corners in other ways, and it’s simply not worth the risk.

Land clearing also usually requires that employees are all OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certified. This ensures that both you and the workers are kept as safe as possible while the land clearing work is ongoing.

5. Do They Have Insurance?

A company that isn’t properly insured might be able to head over and get the work completed, but if someone is injured while they’re doing it, then you, as the homeowner, might end up with a legal case on your hands. Hiring a firm without insurance can lead to you having to pay for damage to your property or injuries to workers or bystanders. Make sure that you see proof of insurance before any work begins.

While land clearing sounds like a pretty simple concept, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Hiring a land clearing company that has years in the business, knows what they are doing, is reasonably priced, and has the necessary licenses and insurance can be the difference between an easy experience and a land clearing nightmare.

At Mr. Tree, we pride ourselves on being the best in the business. We will make sure that your land clearing goes off without a hitch, leaving you to think about what you will do with the finished environment. If you have been dreaming of that new pool or perhaps just a tidier garden, contact us today for an estimate. We’d love to hear from you.