DIY land clearing can save you a lot of money over hiring a crew to do it for you. If you have the proper tractor equipment and manpower, it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Here are some things to consider when clearing land and preparing it for use.
What to Consider When Clearing Land
Watch out for property lines
Before clearing your land, it is essential to know exactly where your property lines are. Investing in a thorough survey, if you have not done so already, will help you avoid the painful headache and potentially costly legal situation that can arise from accidentally clearing a neighbor’s land. Your due diligence will be appreciated by everyone, and you may even be surprised at where your property lines actually lie.
Plan the land’s use and exactly what will be cleared
One of the most important things to consider when clearing land is land usage. Figure out how you will use the land, whether it’s for pasture for animals, yard for your home, a building site for home or business, etc. In some of these cases, you may benefit from leaving a few trees standing, whether for shade for livestock or as decoration for your soon bare land.
In any case, walking your land ahead of time will help you see potential challenges before they arise, such as patches of rock, stumps to be removed, bee hives to be dealt with, or even plants you may want to preserve. You will also get a feel for the elevations, slopes and potentially best building sites. The more preparation going into a project, the better.
Check for waterlines or other utilities
Underground utilities, such as waterlines and gas pipes, may run through the area you want to clear. If you do not know where your utility lines are running, call the utility companies that service your land so they can either let you know if the lines were marked or send a representative out to the property to show you where they run.
Damaging a waterline or gas line can cause a lot of extra work for you. Once you know where the lines run, be sure to mark the area and stay the recommended distance away from them when digging or plowing.
Get the proper equipment
Without good equipment, clearing land can be strenuous and quite frankly a nightmare. With the proper equipment, you will save a lot of time, and probably also save your back from unneeded strain. There are attachments and tools for almost every possible type of plowing, tilling, post hole digging, baling, mowing, brush hogging, stump grinding, etc. Don’t do by hand what your tractor will do for you. If investing in these tools seems out of reach, check on financing options.
Be ready for anything
In the event that you do hit a gas line or other utility, be sure you know the appropriate phone numbers in your area to call. Having a list of contacts ready to in case of emergency helps you respond and take care of the situation quickly. Be sure to keep this list of things to consider when clearing land.
