Do It Yourself: Land Clearing

Land clearing can be a difficult task. Once you've bought a plot of land, it is often necessary to clear the land before you can begin any building. In some cases, clearing land can be simple and nearly cost-free, especially if you have the right tools. In other cases, you may need to invest a lot of time and money to clear your chosen plot of land.

Depending on the size of your land and the amount of trees, brush, plants and other debris on the land, you will need a variety of tools to complete the task. If your plot of land is small or only has a few saplings and bushes, then you may be able to clear the land in a single weekend with basic hand tools, such as a shovel and a hand saw.

In the event that your plot of land has several large trees or a denser population of trees, you may need to break out some larger, more aggressive tools. This can include chain saws, bulldozers, backhoes and other large scale equipment. It's important to use the right equipment in order to save time and do an efficient job.

Before you begin any land clearing, you should check with your local government regarding any necessary permits that you may need. Some local governments require permits for land clearing as well as regulations on how to properly dispose of the timber. Many governments have regulations as to what can and cannot be done in regard to composting, tree removal and so forth. If you're building anything, you will also need various building permits and so forth. Land clearing is considered to be damaging to the environmental issue and there can be serious fines and fees for disregarding local laws and regulations.

If you have potentially useable timber on your land, you may want to consider saving as much of the lumber as possible. It is likely that you can reuse the lumber on your project, or you can sell it. There are even companies who will come and take down the lumber for you and pay you a small portion of the money for the timber.

When you begin tearing down trees, consider what technique you're going to use in order to remove the trees and their roots. One common technique involves trimming large trees down to a small three-foot stump and then "pushing" the stump out of the ground with a bulldozer. This is important because removing the roots can help prevent any further growth from occurring. Root removal can be particularly important if the tree is located within the area of your project.