If you are getting ready to begin a land clearing project on your property, you are probably already looking into ways that you can save money.
Land clearing can be expensive, it’s true. But here are some different options that you have to be able to reduce at least some of your cost.
Use a state consulting forester
One way to save money on land clearing is to sell off the timber that you’re clearing.
You may be able to save money by working with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division to have a consultant come in to determine how much your timber is worth (as opposed to hiring a fee-based independent consultant). It’s worth your time to go through the state’s directory to contact their recommended consulting foresters, not only because they’ve been vetted by the state, but because they may also save you a bit of money.
Have a flexible timeline
There are many factors that can impact the cost of having your land cleared, including the topography of the area to be cleared, the demand at the time, and your timeline.
Topography isn’t something that’s easily changed. And if you need to have your land cleared either due to or during the aftermath of a storm, it’s likely your quote will be higher.
But … if you have some flexibility in your timeline, you may find some cost savings. This allows companies like ours to be able to balance the times of high demand if your project isn’t super time-sensitive.
Leave tree stumps … for now
Removing tree stumps can be an expensive process because of the work required to not only remove the stump, but to protect the soil in the area to allow for future vegetation growth. So, one option for cost savings would be to consider leaving tree stumps in place if it is not necessary to remove them.
If full clearing is necessary, you may find some temporary cost relief in stretching out the process and having your area cleared, then waiting to have the stumps removed down the road. I would love to take a look at your land and send you a free quote.
Mulching
If the area you’re looking to clear is primarily small trees and underbrush, you may find cost savings in mulching the area.
Mulching is a single-machine process that essentially shreds all of the vegetation in one step. These are the machines that you sometimes see along highways in construction areas as mulching is very common in right-of-way situations.
Mulching has some obvious benefits in that the soil is not highly disturbed in the process and the machine has the capability in working in difficult topography and weather circumstances.
According to Forests and Rangelands , which is a “cooperative effort between the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and their land management agencies,” a vertical shaft mulcher can really only safely handle trees 6-to-8 inches in diameter. Horizontal shaft mulchers can handle larger diameter trees, but mulching trees of that size isn’t recommended for the safety of the operator. In addition, rocky soil can cause issues with mulching as well.
If none of these feel like a good fit for the land you are trying to clear, please contact us. We can talk through options that are specific to your project that may be able to save you money.
The post How to Save Money and Clear Land appeared first on Nothing But Chips.