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Lot Clearing & Grading for New Builds

Clearing and grading a building lot: clearing by lot size, grading $1,000–$3,300, survey, perc and soil tests, permits by state, and quotes from independent local pros.

  • $1,200–$8,000 per acre, by density (HomeGuide)
  • $3,780 average project (Angi)
  • Call 811 before stump grinding; it's free
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Typical national cost$1,200 – $8,000Cost guide →

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About Lot Clearing & Grading for New Builds

A building lot needs more than cleared trees. Stumps and roots come out, topsoil and grade get set for drainage, and the pad, driveway and septic or utility areas are opened up. HomeGuide prices clearing alone by lot size: ¼ acre $800–$3,000; ½ acre $1,000–$5,000; 1 acre $1,200–$8,000. Angi lists grading and leveling at $1,000–$3,300 and excavation at $1,500–$5,100.

Before the machines show up, most builds also need a land survey ($800–$5,500 per Angi; $500–$1,500 per HomeGuide), a perc test if you're on septic ($750–$1,950) and soil testing ($670–$2,160). Permits depend on where you are. In North Carolina, disturbing more than one acre needs an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan. In Texas, TCEQ's construction stormwater permit applies from one acre. Florida counties like Marion and Lake have tree-protection rules.

Plan view of a wooded building lot beside a road, with five numbered steps. The lot is surveyed and tested first. Silt fence goes in along the downhill edge and a gravel construction entrance at the road. The house pad, driveway and septic area are then cleared and grubbed with stumps and roots out, while trees are kept around the edges and an outer area is only mulched. The pad is graded for drainage, and bare soil is seeded or mulched.
On a building lot only the footprint needs stumps and roots out. Erosion controls go in before the ground is disturbed, and bare soil gets covered as soon as grading is done.

Common Jobs We Route

  • Clear-and-grub for a house pad and driveway
  • Rough grading and leveling for drainage
  • Mobile or manufactured home pad prep
  • Septic-area and utility-trench clearing

What Affects the Price

Providers quote their own work — these are the factors that consistently move the number.

  • Lot size and density
  • Stump and root removal under the footprint
  • Grading needs: small level site $2,000–$5,000; rocky ground up to $50,000+
  • Drainage work: $2,100–$7,100 (Angi)

Cost Guides

Lot Clearing & Grading for New Builds FAQs

How much does it cost to clear and grade a lot for a house?

Add the pieces: clearing by lot size (¼ acre $800–$3,000; 1 acre $1,200–$8,000, HomeGuide) plus grading and leveling ($1,000–$3,300, Angi). Survey, perc and soil tests are extra.

Do I need an erosion control plan?

In North Carolina, yes, if you disturb more than one acre (G.S. 113A-57), filed at least 30 days before work. In Texas, sites of 1 to under 5 acres need a stormwater pollution prevention plan and posted notice under TCEQ's general permit.

Can I use forestry mulching to clear a building lot?

Not by itself. HomeGuide says mulching 'isn't suitable for building sites' because the roots and ground-down stumps stay in the soil. Mulching can handle the parts of the lot you're keeping natural.

Lot Clearing & Grading for New Builds by Area

Lot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Marion County, FLLot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Lake County, FLLot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Johnston County, NCLot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Union County, NCLot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Bell County, TXLot Clearing & Grading for New Builds in Parker County, TX

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