Need to get a .9 acre lot grubbed/cleared..how would you go about it (with photo)

[AlpineBG]

Good afternoon everyone. I'm a new member to the site, having arrived here by googling the word "grubbing" and researching how to clear/grub a lot I may purchase for development and the construction of a building. What makes this rectangular property unique is that a creek runs through it, cutting it diagonally from the bottom left to the top right corner. This creek has scared away many potential buyers/developers, but given the nature of my business, I am pursuing ways to maintain/conserve it and give my building/business a unique identity. Since it's a year-round water source, the current owner of the land has let it get a good bit out of control over the past few years. I'm looking for any and all thoughts on the following: ways in which should go about it clearing/grubbing it myself (equipment to use, etc.), or general ballpark prices some of you would charge to do so in your neck of the woods. In the past couple weeks I've gotten back there with a Stihl FS-110 trimmer with saw blade attachment and an HS-81 hedgetrimmer to clear a walking path along the creek bank (for the surveyor) and a few other paths to the parcel boundaries. To say this work was intense would be an understatement. I live in the South, so it's a cool 95 degrees here right now and I was looked like I'd just jumped in a lake after about an hour of slinging the brushcutter around.

First, an aerial (birds eye) photo of what the property looked like approx. 3-4 years ago soon after the current landowner rented a bobcat (he things, wasn't sure) and a billy goat walk-behind mower and did his best to cut everything down...something he determined that he was too old to do again!
View attachment 191256

Second, a more current aerial view of the property...notice you can barely make out the outline of the creek it's so thick and overgrown now:
View attachment 191257

Third and fourth, two photos I took with my phone from "deep inside the bush"...in both you can see the path that I cut on the left.
View attachment 191258View attachment 191259

The area I need to focus on is of course the thickest part...if you're looking at the first two photos above, it's the area on the right side of the creek. The area to the left of the creek is mostly kudzu and should be a little easier to clear (famous last words, I know).

Any and all thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc. are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time and I'm looking forward to being a member of this forum. Thanks!

 

[jamied]

a billy goat walk-behind mower

I used something like this. Not sure of the brand, but it was pretty tough, went through up to around 2" saplings. I'd look for one of the self propelled brush clearer type of machines.

Jamie

 

[ponyexpress976]

Renting a skid steer with a flail mower is probably the best way to get started.

 

[hanniedog]

Skid loader on tracks with a good mower should clean that up pretty quick.

 

[D&B Mack]

I too vote for tracked skid steer and an ambusher.

 

[r&r]

‪Lot Scapes Supertrack 140‬‏ - YouTube

This thing would make short work of it.

 

[Youngbuck20]

Did a job last week almost identical to this. Used a weed wacker with a metal blade attachment and someone else made piles of it, wrapped it in a sling then skidded it up the hill into the chipper. Most definitely is an easier way if you have machinery though.

 

[Frank Boyer]

A flail mower would have trouble with that. The bobcat/crawler with a mulcher head is the way to go. A crawler loader could clear it, but the slash piles would be large. How much regulation do you have about using equipment? Can you burn the slash? A couple of guys with chain saws and brush cutters could do it. Figure a tractor about half a day and 2 guys a couple of days.

 

[AlpineBG]

A flail mower would have trouble with that. The bobcat/crawler with a mulcher head is the way to go. A crawler loader could clear it, but the slash piles would be large. How much regulation do you have about using equipment? Can you burn the slash? A couple of guys with chain saws and brush cutters could do it. Figure a tractor about half a day and 2 guys a couple of days.

Thanks for everyone's advice. As to the above about 2 guys with saws/brushcutters...trust me, i wish i could go that route. But a saw won't get the roots up on the larger stuff, so I'm tempted to hire some guys with a bobcat that can really get under the surface a couple inches and yank a lot of those roots out from the first foot of soil.

So I guess my revised question is: I know I can hire manual labor to clear the thick brush out, but the end game here is a pad ready site. So before the GC takes over and can justify expenses to hire out to subcontractors, I want to try to get all of the stuff above ground out of there of course, but also the small root balls and systems right under the surface...i.e. so the GC doesn't take over with a ton of stumps he has to deal with (and thus cost me more $$) if I can hire that out myself and/or rent a piece of equipment and a pro for a day and help out with whatever the pro needs (clearing/hauling of piles, etc.).

Any follow-up thoughts now that I've clarified? Thanks everyone, this site prep/work phase of the project is what will make or break the deal. I can budget for the land cost, the building cost, etc., but it's always the site work that determines whether or not it's feasible.

 

[Frank Boyer]

A crawler loader, dozer with a root rake, or an excavator is what you are looking for. Once it is cleared you can shoot grades, and develope a plot plan. What is your water source? Is it septic or sewer? What are the set backs from the property lines and stream. Does the stream flood? Find out the local regulations before you start spending money. GOOD LUCK

 

[slowp]

You actually can work in riparian (creeks) areas there? It might be wise to check it out. Here, you have to have a 50 foot buffer when building near one, and if logging, even wider. The reason? To keep silt out of the water and also to keep the water shaded and cool, and provide future wood for falling in the creek. The latter makes pools.

 

[lxt]

You actually can work in riparian (creeks) areas there? It might be wise to check it out. Here, you have to have a 50 foot buffer when building near one, and if logging, even wider. The reason? To keep silt out of the water and also to keep the water shaded and cool, and provide future wood for falling in the creek. The latter makes pools.

I was just going to ask that! I would indeed check with someone on what you`re permitted to do! Honestly the bobcat/skid steer machines are nice for level ground & a pile of mulch, gravel, etc.. or for back fill purposes, A tracked skid steer "rubber tracks" are useless in that kinda terrain...........you`ll cut, knick the hell outta rubber tracks on all those pungee stick stubs that`ll be created!

Hire someone or rent a steel track crawler to clear that & get a burn permit, not too mention if you`re gonna build.........you`ll already have the equipment there do do the excavation, whats the soil conditions? sand, rock, clay, etc,,, this will mean alot too!

good luck!



LXT................

 

[beastmaster]

You could rent a big walk behind brush hog, and work along side a guy with a chain saw and do it fairly quickly. Getting it all piled up is going to be a #####. You could rent a big chipper and grind it up on site, the chips would make good mulch. I would be concerned also about watershed issues.
Grubbing all the roots out would be a nightmare unless you had a Cat or a backho with a root ripper. I'm no builder but I would think about doing any building on a raised foundation and pillers, then you wouldn't have to clear out below grade, except where you sunk your foundations. Beastmaster

 

[jefflovstrom]

D9
Jeff :msp_mellow:

 

[mattfr12]

sometimes is cheaper to hire a land clearing company around here i would probably bid that a little under 6k. and im usually on the high side for land clearing because i rent a dozer. 5500. an acre is common here ive even seen it in the 4k range. 6k for us usually consists of clearing minor grading and reseeding.

we use
t320 with forestry mower on it
rented dozer
rotochopper mp-2
and a kobelco excavator

sometimes when you look at the cost of renting all the crap its cheaper just to hire someone.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

sometimes when you look at the cost of renting all the crap its cheaper just to hire someone.

and easier