Truth be told, anyone can do land clearing without the aid of professionals. But we are reminded of the old adage “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.”
We are J & A Excavation, and we handle the big excavating jobs so you don’t have to. For land clearing in the Alvarado area, call us today. We have the equipment and the experience to do the job properly.
What is land clearing?
The most basic definition of land clearing is the removal of impediments on a piece of property so that some sort of construction task can be done. This may be as simple as building a backyard pond, or as complicated as preparing the land for a housing project. Whatever the task may be, the land must be cleared, first, of all trees, shrub, large rocks, old structures, etc., and then the land must be prepped for the upcoming project.
What equipment do you need for land clearing?
If this were 1850, all you would need is a pair of oxen and a chain; thankfully, we have evolved since then. For proper land clearing you will most likely need a tractor and/or bulldozer, probably a backhoe, and a dump truck. If the job is small enough, you might be able to complete it using shovels and a pickup truck, but that would be last-resort and involve a ton of work.
Any other considerations for an excavating job like this?
Anytime we are talking about a big job, we are talking about heavy equipment, and that means the expertise to operate that equipment. Talk to anyone who has ever worked in the emergency room of a hospital about accidents which happen when people use equipment they are not trained to use.
Before any job like this begins, the proper permits must be obtained from the local governing board. Yes, we all know a friend who built a backyard shed without permits, and he might get away with it in the long run, but to be safer than sorry, get the permits and have the city/county sign off on the project.
Finally, after the land clearing, you need to know the soil and then prepare the soil for construction. Different types of soil drain better than others. Different types of soil are better load-bearers than others. If the soil does not drain well, a drainage system will need to be installed and/or different soil will need to be brought in. And then the site will need to be staked out so the exact area of digging can occur.
As you can tell from this article, land clearing is not nearly as simple as pulling out some trees. Can you do it yourself? Probably, yes! Should you? Probably, no!
A final word about J & A Excavating.
J & A Excavating is locally owned and operated. We handle the big jobs, from building pads for construction projects to pond excavation for farms to driveway excavation for housing projects. Call us when the job is too large for you to handle and you want it done professionally.