If you have a construction project in the pipeline – whether it’s residential or commercial – you need the services of a land clearing company.
In today’s post, let’s take an in-depth look at what you can expect when hiring a professional land clearing company.
What Is Land Clearing?
Simply put, land clearing, the land clearing process entails removing vegetation, vegetation, trees, stumps, rocks, and other obstacles from the construction site.
Removing these items is done to prepare the land for construction and land improvement or development projects.
There are various reasons for clearing land. It can either be for agricultural, commercial, or residential construction projects. Clearing land may also be needed for environmental purposes such as preventing vegetation issues or farming requirements.
Land clearing may sound like a simple and straightforward process. However, if you hire an inexperienced and unqualified land clearing company, you may end up with a lot of problems.
Aside from experience and expertise doing the work, a professional land clearing contractor will need to have the right equipment to complete the job. Specialized equipment involved in land clearing includes bulldozers, backhoes, chainsaws, and more – depending on the construction project’s needs.
On top of that, a land clearing specialist needs to be exceptionally familiar with your area’s building codes and regulations. They also need to know the proper site clearing techniques. This ensures that zero to minimal damage is caused to your construction site, the surrounding property, and the environment.
Ultimately, land clearing is a complex process best left to the hands of professional contractors.
Clearing the Site
Clearing the site is usually the initial step in any construction or development project. Before any construction work can start, the site needs to be prepared.
What do you need to do to prepare a site for construction? Preparing the site entails hiring contractors to clear and grade it. Read on to learn more about land clearing and lang grading. These processes are typically included on the list of services professional land clearing companies offer.
The Services of a Land Clearing Company
In most construction projects, land clearing generally involves the same processes. However, the amount of time it will take to complete the whole process will vary.
Depending on the construction project’s needs, land clearing may take anywhere for a few hours, a day, or a week.
To determine the extent of the service for the land clearing process, your contractor will need to assess the site first. Before your land clearing specialist does any work, they will need to survey your land. Only then will the land clearing company can begin the job, and your construction project can start.
Land clearing starts with clearing away large rocks and any vegetation on the construction site.
Construction developers see trees, bushes, and rocks as significant obstacles in a construction project.
Even if some trees in your land are not in the way, the roots could eventually pose an issue down the line.
After clearing the site, a land clearing company grades the property. Again, the extent of the land grading service will depend on the specific needs of the construction project.
Two of the fundamental reasons why land grading is needed are:
- Drainage system control
- Erosion prevention
These are necessary to ensure that the construction site and structure will hold up for many years.
On top of that, the construction site’s size and other physical characteristics will also dictate how much land grading is needed.
Depending on the construction project, installing septic systems and tanks may also be added to the land grading process.
Other land grading processes include:
- Demolishing existing buildings and structures on the site that are needed
- Building a basement
- Digging a foundation pad
- Constructing access roads
The land grading process can be delayed due to the need to comply with specific local codes. Your land clearing company or construction project manager may need to secure necessary construction or building permits before starting the land grading process.
Securing permits may also add to the fees you have to pay for the overall building site preparation expense.
Hiring a Land Clearing Company
Before you can start construction, hiring a land clearing company is vital.
If you’ve never hired this type of contractor before – let alone embark on a construction project, it might get overwhelming.
Where do you find a reputable land clearing company? What questions do you need to ask them? What can you expect when you hire their services?
Read below for a list of helpful questions you can ask a prospective contractor to help you decide if they are suitable for your project.
What Certifications Do You Have?
Ensuring that a contractor has the professional qualifications to carry out the land clearing task is essential. Thus, his should be the first question on your list for land clearing companies.
Unfortunately, many land clearing contractors will claim to be qualified for the task.
However, unless you see actual paperwork and documentation for their claims, you should take their statements with a grain of salt.
Start the conversation with a prospective land clearing company by asking to see their certifications.
A legitimate contractor will not hesitate to show you these documents. Aside from professional credentials, it would also help to see proof of business license, permit to operate, business license, and insurance.
Make sure to check if the paperwork and documents are all up to date before you decide to hire them. You should also check their process in securing permits with local authorities before starting the land clearing project.
What Safety Measures Do You Employ in Land Clearing Projects?
As you know, construction projects involve risky and dangerous tasks. Thus, one of the most important reasons for hiring a professional land clearing company is ensuring safety.
When you hire a legitimate contractor, you can be sure that they follow important safety guidelines when carrying out the task. Professional land clearing contractors will know to employ safe and efficient techniques from properly handling equipment malfunction to correcting surprise disruptions on the job.
Ask them about the equipment they use – whether they own or rent it. It doesn’t necessarily matter if they have ownership of the equipment they use or not. What’s more important is their familiarity and qualifications in using such land clearing equipment.
Most importantly, they need to let you know what safety guidelines they use when operating clearing equipment.
For instance, you need to know the following:
- Injury or accident policies
- Supervision they provide on the construction site
- OSHA approval
- And more
How Much Land Clearing Experience Do You Have?
The land clearing contractor you want to hire might have been in operation for several years.
However, every land clearing project will pose specific complexities. The number of years a land clearing company has in the field will not matter as much if they haven’t had the chance to work on a project similar to yours.
Therefore, it’s essential to ask a prospective contractor if they’ve ever handled a project similar to or close to what yours is.
The success of the land clearing task will depend on the expertise of the contractor and what clearing strategies they will utilize.
Based on the requirements and specifications of your construction project, your land clearing contractor will need to present you with a clear and concise plan of action.