Land Clearing in Novi, MI

What does land clearing involve?

Land clearing removes brush, invasive shrubs, saplings, and small trees from part or all of a property. On most residential lots here that means cutting out buckthorn, honeysuckle, box elder, and volunteer cottonwood, chipping the material, and dealing with the stumps. Clearing can be selective, where we leave good oaks and maples standing, or complete, where the ground is opened up for construction. We walk the area with you first and mark every tree you want to keep.

When do you need land cleared?

Property owners usually call us for clearing when they want to:

• Build a pole barn, garage, addition, or pool on a wooded part of the lot.
• Put in a fence along a property line that has grown into a thicket.
• Take back a back acre that buckthorn has made impossible to walk through.
• Open up a view or let sunlight reach a lawn or garden again.
• Prepare a lot for sale so buyers can see how much usable space it has.

Why do lots get overgrown so quickly?

Common buckthorn is the main reason. It's an invasive shrub that leafs out early, holds its leaves late, and shades out almost everything beneath it. Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds, so one fruiting buckthorn can fill a wooded lot within a few years. In the wetter, low spots common on Novi's clay, cottonwood and willow sprout thick and grow several feet a year. Once that growth takes over, native trees struggle to regenerate.

What affects the cost of land clearing?

Clearing is priced after we walk the property. The main factors are:

• Area. The square footage or acreage being cleared.
• Density. A solid wall of buckthorn takes longer than scattered saplings.
• Tree size. Larger trees need standard removal work, not just brush cutting.
• Ground conditions. Wet clay limits which equipment can be used and when.
• Stumps. Leaving stumps, cutting them flush, or grinding them all changes the price.
• Debris. Chipping on site costs less than hauling everything away.

Should you clear selectively or clear everything?

For most homeowners, selective clearing is the better choice. Removing buckthorn and weak volunteer trees while keeping mature oaks, hickories, and sugar maples gives you usable space and keeps the shade and privacy. Full clearing only makes sense where something will be built. If the job is really one or two trees, like a single dead ash near the house, regular removal is the better fit. On a lot with many small stumps left behind, we can grind the stumps flush so the ground can be seeded.

Land clearing questions

Do I need a permit to clear land in Novi?

It depends on where the land sits. The City of Novi regulates mapped woodlands and wetlands, and clearing inside those areas can require a permit. Clearing buckthorn and brush in an ordinary yard usually doesn't. We check the city maps for your property before we give you a price.

What is the best time of year to clear land?

Late fall through winter is usually best. The leaves are down so you can see what you're keeping, and frozen ground lets equipment work without rutting wet clay. Winter clearing also avoids the nesting season for birds. Dry late summer is the next best window.

Will buckthorn grow back after clearing?

Buckthorn resprouts hard from cut stumps if nothing else is done. Treating the fresh cut stumps or grinding them out stops most regrowth, and seeds in the soil will still sprout for a few years. Pulling or mowing the seedlings each season keeps a cleared area open.

What happens to all the brush and wood?

Brush and small trees go through the chipper, and the chips can be spread on site as a path or mulch layer or hauled away. Larger logs can be cut to firewood length and stacked if you want them. We'll price both options so you can choose.