# Clearing Underbrush ???



## Rockfish (May 21, 2004)

I just purchased 5 acres off of 1488 and I'm looking to get the underbrush cleared off. How much should it cost to have someone clear it out per acre. I want to get the underbrush cleared off first and then dig a pond and finish the grading of the land.

I got a quote for clearing the underbrush only and a quote for clearing and burning and bury the ash. 

Has any one ever had this done and what did it cost? Is there anything that I should look out for or any suggestions?

Thanks for the any information.


Eddie


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

"Underbrush" is a pretty broad term: there's different means to really do an effective job depending on just what kind of plants you're dealing with...you may be throwing good money after bad if you use the wrong method: just clearing it may not be your best option...


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## Hal01 (Jul 18, 2005)

.......


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## 2blue (Apr 16, 2007)

I cleared 4.5 acres in Spring and ended up killing some beautiful old oaks with the dozer running over the roots. Didn't even get within 30 feet of the tree. If I had it to do over I think I would have got it done with a brush grinder, then trim out whatever trees were left that I didn't want.


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## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

Rockfish said:


> I just purchased 5 acres off of 1488 and I'm looking to get the underbrush cleared off. How much should it cost to have someone clear it out per acre. I want to get the underbrush cleared off first and then dig a pond and finish the grading of the land.
> 
> I got a quote for clearing the underbrush only and a quote for clearing and burning and bury the ash.
> 
> ...


Hit Bluewaterbound1 up! He's in that area, can answer any questions.


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## Highflier (Jun 22, 2006)

2blue said:


> I cleared 4.5 acres in Spring and ended up killing some beautiful old oaks with the dozer running over the roots. Didn't even get within 30 feet of the tree. If I had it to do over I think I would have got it done with a brush grinder, then trim out whatever trees were left that I didn't want.


x2

Some of the guys that do clearing won't be around when the trees they damage start dying.

Prices can vary widely and I would think this is a buyers market. 
Two years ago I had bids to clear 3 ac underbrush range from $5500 to $12,000. 
The $12k bid wanted to dozer everything and burn it in place, I had to get rid of what didn't burn! 
Funny enough the wife asked about the roots of the big oaks and he said they were "too deep" to be hurt buy his dozer.

We decided to do it ourselves over time to protect the good stuff.


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## hsif (Dec 16, 2008)

I do this on my own land and my advice is to buy a sprayer that mounts on a four wheeler and some Eraser (or other type of brush killer) and go crazy this spring. Bush-hogged brush comes back. Dozered brush comes back from the roots, although not as badly as bush-hogged brush does. Best to kill it first, then remove it. 

Bushes with a trunk diameter of less than two inches can be bush-hogged down. Leaves lots of tire damagers sticking up. But is the cheaper way to go, rather than a dozer. 

If you can afford it, dozer, they spray what re-appears, burn the piles.
Less expensive, spray, chainsaw the big, shred the rest. Pile and burn.
cheapest, chainsaw, pile, burn, spray what re-appears.

The more you spend, the less YOU work. But the more you spend!


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## deebo (May 22, 2004)

i would strongly recommend having someone with with a skid steer and shears come in and do it. as others have said, you don't want a dozer compacting the soil on your good trees, and i don't like the mess a mulcher leaves. too much extra to clean up. a skid steer with shears will clip it clean and leave no mess. you can also spray it when cut if need be depending on the brush you are clearing. On smaller acreage, it is by far the only way to go. good luck with it.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

fence and some goats is the cheapest


depending on how much underbrush you are talking about and how you want it done. Most effective way is to pile with dozer and burn with mist sprayer. Bury ash. Just make sure you have them rake it also.

I usually charge 12k an acre for clearing. But that is complete removable all trees, stumps,grading,etc.. and we very seldom can burn in place. I am expensive compared to joe blow, because of the insurance we have to carry. If there is anything around that they can damage when clearing, better make sure they have insurance.

lot of factors come into play when a contractor is giving you a price. You will get a lot of difference in prices.


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## jrcjr (Aug 9, 2005)

2blue said:


> I cleared 4.5 acres in Spring and ended up killing some beautiful old oaks with the dozer running over the roots. Didn't even get within 30 feet of the tree. If I had it to do over I think I would have got it done with a brush grinder, then trim out whatever trees were left that I didn't want.


I got mine cleared for $750/ac back in May. 2blue, how long after getting it cleared did the oaks start dieing off?

Thanks


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

The skid steer with a grinder is the way to go, then use a selective herbicide like Tordon or 2-4 D in the spring, just beware poison ivy is never really dormant when it is freshly shredded. rs


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## whopper (Mar 13, 2005)

I cleared the front 100 acres of my place about 10 years ago with a 550 John Deere dozer I rented for about 1K per week. I burned off all the piles of mesquite, each pile was around 20 feet high. Since I've spent around 3k per year on either shredding or poison. I spray Remedy mixed with reclaim and surfactant. It took me about 3 years of spraying to figure out when to do it. Look on A&M's website for the optimum time and soil temp to spay and you will save a fortune. If you want advice PM me and I would be happy to tell you how not to do it. Whopper


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## thatdoggJake (Dec 31, 2007)

whopper said:


> I cleared the front 100 acres of my place about 10 years ago with a 550 John Deere dozer I rented for about 1K per week. I burned off all the piles of mesquite, each pile was around 20 feet high. Since I've spent around 3k per year on either shredding or poison. I spray Remedy mixed with reclaim and surfactant. It took me about 3 years of spraying to figure out when to do it. Look on A&M's website for the optimum time and soil temp to spay and you will save a fortune. If you want advice PM me and *I would be happy to tell you how not to do it*. Whopper


lol, 2funny


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## srward (Oct 21, 2005)

A couple of things:

1. Make *sure* you are not in the floodplain. If you start to grade in the floodplain you can get yourself in a mess with the County. You can check on www.tsarp.org.

2. Make sure you tag the trees you want to keep very well and distinguish what caliper and less can go.

3. Make sure your clearing quote includes root raking. Some contractors will leave behind a lot of roots and limbs in the soil and it can wreak havoc on your truck, equipment, just walking around, etc.

4. Figure out what kind of seed/planting you want to put down after you've cleared. If you can manage it, make sure your contract has a provision to provide you a standing growth, not to just spray it and leave.

5. Try to keep retainage (money back) on the job until you are satisfied.

I have the name of a clearing contractor out of Simonton that we use on our projects. Let me know if you're interested and I'll PM you his contact information. He's doing a project for us now in Tomball and the owner of that project would give him a good reference.


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## Bluewaterbound (Aug 3, 2006)

Rockfish said:


> I just purchased 5 acres off of 1488 and I'm looking to get the underbrush cleared off. How much should it cost to have someone clear it out per acre. I want to get the underbrush cleared off first and then dig a pond and finish the grading of the land.
> 
> I got a quote for clearing the underbrush only and a quote for clearing and burning and bury the ash.
> 
> ...


Eddie,

I own and operate a land clearing company here in Magnolia and will be glad to help you any way I can.

As mentioned before, there are several methods of clearing and each has it's own positives and negatives.

We have both the Hydraulically driven hydro-axe equipment as well as conventional dozers and excavators.

My personal recommendation is to do the underbrushing with the mulching equipment and than follow with the dozer and excavator to clear only the driveway and pad site for the barn / house. Here is a picture of the mulcher at work :



















I can also give you a quote or information regarding a pond as well.

You can check out our web-site at www.tex-clear.com for further information.

I will pm you my cell #. Be glad to help you in any way.


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## Bluewaterbound (Aug 3, 2006)

2blue said:


> I cleared 4.5 acres in Spring and ended up killing some beautiful old oaks with the dozer running over the roots. Didn't even get within 30 feet of the tree. If I had it to do over I think I would have got it done with a brush grinder, then trim out whatever trees were left that I didn't want.


Your absolutely correct. I tell my clients we can clear the underbrush out using a dozer with a rake rather than the mulching equipment, BUT , be prepared to possibly loose 30% of your tree's. The rake and the steel dozer tracks will knick and cut several roots of the good tree's you want left.

Unless you stay out of the drip line of the tree, you risk harming it.


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