Serving the Great Lakes Bay Region · based in Bay City, MI
Licensed and Insured · Free Estimates (501) 520-1783
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Our Services

Land Clearing in Bay City, MI

Land Clearing · Bay City, MI

We clear the brush and open the ground back up

Land clearing turns an overgrown lot into ground you can use. Brush, undergrowth and small trees take over fast in this part of Michigan. Autumn olive, buckthorn, multiflora rose and shrub honeysuckle fill in old pasture and fence rows. We handle brush removal and lot clearing on properties across Bay County and the wider region.

Every job starts with a free estimate and a plan for what the land is for. A building site, a driveway, pasture or hunting land each get a different finish. If an old barn or shed sits in the way, we handle the demolition first. We are licensed and insured, based in Bay City, and we cover the counties around Saginaw Bay.

What We Handle

  • Brush and undergrowth clearing on lots, acreage and fence rows
  • Forestry mulching that grinds standing brush and small trees into mulch in place
  • Conventional clearing where the material is pushed up and hauled off the site
  • Selective clearing that opens the ground up and leaves the trees you want to keep
  • Small tree removal and dead standing timber taken out along with the brush
  • Stump removal as part of clearing, so the ground can be compacted and built on
  • Rough grading and cleanup of the cleared area once the growth is off
  • Driveway and access lane clearing into back lots, hunting land and farm property

Free Land Clearing Quote

Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.

Forestry mulching or conventional land clearing

Our land clearing services run two ways. Forestry mulching uses one machine with a spinning drum of steel teeth. It cuts standing brush and small trees and grinds them into chips in one pass. The chips drop where they stood and settle into a mulch layer over the soil.

The mulch layer holds the dirt in place while grass comes back. Conventional clearing is the other route. The growth gets pushed up, piled and hauled off the site, and the stumps come out with it. That is usually the pick when the lot is going to be built on.

Which one fits depends on what you want the ground to do. Mulching leaves the material on site and keeps the topsoil in place. Hauling gives you bare dirt to grade on. If the lot is headed for a new home or detached garage, stumps and root balls have to come out.

Lot clearing on heavy clay and wet ground

Bay City sits on the old Saginaw lake plain. The ground here is flat, with heavy clay soils laid down by a glacial lake. Water sits on top of that clay instead of soaking through. Much of the farm ground around us runs on tile and county drains for that reason.

Wet clay changes how a clearing job runs. Heavy machines rut soft ground and pack the soil down hard. Frozen ground in late fall and winter carries equipment much better. The leaves are down then too, so you can see the whole lot.

Spring thaw is the hardest window, roughly late March into early May. Saturated ground ruts badly and the ruts stay. We schedule around that when the timing is yours to pick.

What land clearing contractors have to check first

Michigan law requires a MISS DIG 811 notice before any ground gets disturbed. That means at least three full business days of notice, whatever the job size. Buried gas, power and fiber lines run through plenty of the lots we clear. We file the notice and wait for the locates before the stumps come out.

Some jobs also need a soil erosion permit. In Bay County the Drain Commissioner's office handles those. One is typically required when the work disturbs an acre or more of ground. It also applies within 500 feet of a lake, a stream or a county drain.

Wetlands are the other check on low ground. Michigan typically regulates wetlands that sit near an inland lake, pond, river or stream, and permits come through EGLE. We flag it when a lot may qualify and get an answer before clearing. The county and the state make the final call on all of it.

Compact track loader running a forestry mulcher head through bare hardwoods Large evergreen fallen across the roof of a house with snow on the ground

Ready to get started?

Free, no-obligation estimates across the Great Lakes Bay Region.

(501) 520-1783
How We Work

How a Job With Contracting Pros Runs

From the first call or text to the final walkthrough of the finished work, here is how it goes.

1

Call or text

Tell us what needs to come down and where the property sits. Call or text (501) 520-1783 and we will set a time to look.

2

Site visit and estimate

We look at the structure, the access and what sits around it. Then you get a free estimate for the demolition.

3

Permits and prep

Utilities get shut off and capped, and a MISS DIG 811 dig notice typically goes in. We pull the demolition permit and the historic district approval where Bay City calls for one. An asbestos survey and state notification get ordered when the rules cover the building.

4

The teardown

The structure comes down with our equipment, in pieces where the site is tight. Debris gets loaded out as the work goes.

5

Cleanup and walkthrough

The hole gets filled, compacted and topped with soil and seed. Then we go over the finished site with you before we leave.

FAQ

Land Clearing Questions, Answered

Common questions about land clearing across the Great Lakes Bay Region. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.

Call (501) 520-1783

How much does land clearing cost?
Price comes down to what is on the ground and how much there is. Acreage and how thick the brush is move the number most. Tree size, stumps and site access matter too. Estimates are free, so call or text (501) 520-1783 and we will price your lot.
What is forestry mulching and how is it different from regular clearing?
Forestry mulching grinds standing brush and small trees into chips in one pass. The chips stay on the ground as a mulch layer over the soil. Conventional clearing pushes the growth up and hauls it off the property. Mulching suits pasture and trails, while hauling suits a building site.
Do you burn the brush?
Open burning takes a permit around here. Bay, Midland and Isabella counties fall in the DNR burn permit zone, along with everything north. Forestry mulching leaves the material on site as mulch instead. On a haul-off job the brush and stumps leave the property.
When is the best time of year to clear land in Michigan?
Late fall and winter are the best window on this ground. Frozen soil carries the machines, and the leaves are off so you can see the lot. We work year round, and we will say if waiting a few weeks gets a better result.
Do you take out big trees too?
We take small trees out as part of clearing a lot. One large dead or leaning tree over a house is a different job. That falls under our hazardous tree removal. Dead standing ash is common in this area and comes down the same way.
Do you call MISS DIG before you start?
Yes. Michigan law requires a MISS DIG 811 notice before any digging, whatever the job size. It goes in at least three full business days ahead so utilities can mark their lines. Estimates are free, so call or text (501) 520-1783 or use our contact page.
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Why Choose Contracting Pros

Built Tough. Built Right. Built to Work.

Licensed and insured

Contracting Pros is licensed and insured for the work we take on. The paperwork is available before a job starts.

Residential and commercial

We tear down houses, garages, barns and sheds for homeowners. We also handle small commercial buildings and interior demo for businesses.

Demolition through rebuild

One demolition contractor takes the structure down and puts the new one up. That keeps the schedule and the site under a single plan.

Free estimates across the region

Estimates are free anywhere in our working radius around Bay City. That covers the Great Lakes Bay Region and the counties around it.

Guides and Resources

Land Clearing Guides

Free Estimates

Get In Touch With Contracting Pros

Tell us what needs to come down and where the property is. Call or text (501) 520-1783, or send the details through the form and we will get back to you.

Get a Free Quote

Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.