Last time on the BC Land Dev blog we talked about the various types of excavation out there and this time around we’re going to take a look above ground at land clearing services! You can clear land any number of different ways but, like so many things, each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Here are the four most common types of land clearing services (in alphabetical order):
- Burning
- Clearing and Grubbing
- Hand Clearing
- Mulching
Burning
Doing a prescribed burn can clear the land effectively and fast. BUT there are some SERIOUS considerations you have to consider.
- You can not selectively burn trees or other vegetation. It’s all or nothing.
- Fire is fire. There is a risk that the fire could get out of control, causing unwanted damage.
- Burning clears all the ground cover, which can increase the risk of erosion.
- The fire can heat the ground to the point where it sterilizes it, making the soil inhospitable for growth for some time afterwards.
Burning works! But you have to be careful, it can work too well.
Clearing & Grubbing
Clearing is the removal of surface vegetation and materials on a stretch of land. Grubbing is the removal of larger roots, manually. Clearing land this way can be a fast method, depending how you go about it but it can also leave the ground covered in holes from the removal of the larger roots. Depending on the planned use for the land you may need to go back over it and fill and grade the surface which may outweigh the benefit of getting it done fast in the first place.
Hand Clearing
This is exactly what it sounds like, clearing the land by hand. It might be the least invasive and most careful way of going about it but it is also 100% the most time-consuming. If you’re making a small plot of land ready this can be a fine choice, but for plots much wider or for building more complex structures it may not be the way to go.
Mulching
Mulching is a powerful alternative to grubbing and burning. Using a mulcher to remove trees and underbrush, break it up, and then put it back into the soil. It creates a natural barrier in the soil that will help prevent any regrowth of invasive plant species while putting nutrients back in the soil to help natural vegetation grow. Similar to clearing & grubbing, after using a mulcher to clear the land you’ll need to come back and patch the land to get it back into shape.
Any land clearing service you get you need to consider what the plans for the future are and act accordingly. A failure to plan is a plan to fail, after all, and when it comes to land development failing can cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. So let’s avoid that shall we?
Both excavation and clearing are all about getting the land prepped for development and construction. While we don’t clear the land we can certainly help you understand what your options are and what comes next. You need to partner with a crew who knows it all. You need to reach out to BC Land Dev. We specialize in both residential and commercial land development in Arizona and know the land better than anyone else in the area. Give us a call today at 480-360-9180 and discover what a professional and a fun land development team can do for you.