What Lot Clearing Involves
Lot clearing gets a raw or overgrown lot ready for what comes next: a new house, an ADU, a shop, a sale, or simply usable ground. It usually means taking down the trees in the building area, clearing brush and blackberry, pulling stumps, and hauling the material away so the excavation can start.
The order matters. Trees come down before the dig, stumps come out whole rather than ground, and topsoil is stripped and stockpiled before the foundation is excavated. Get the sequence wrong and you pay to handle the same ground twice.
DirtRaptor clears lots with one arborist-led crew that also runs the excavators and trucks. That means the trees, stumps, debris and the start of site prep happen on one schedule instead of three, and the lot is left ready for the foundation crew.
Worth Knowing
Clearing limits, tree retention rules and critical-area buffers vary by city and county, and clearing more than allowed can bring fines and replanting requirements. Confirm what can be cleared before any tree comes down.
The Process
How a Lot Clearing Job Runs
From standing timber to a lot ready for the excavator.
Site Walk & Limits
We walk the lot, mark the clearing limits, trees to keep and any buffers, and confirm the permit picture.
Trees & Brush Down
Trees are felled and bucked, brush and blackberry cleared, and usable wood set aside if you want it.
Stumps & Topsoil
Stumps are pulled whole, holes filled, and topsoil stripped and stockpiled where the plan needs it.
Haul-Off & Rough Grade
Logs, brush and debris leave on our own trucks, and the lot is rough-graded ready for excavation.
Scope
What Lot Clearing Covers
Scope is set by the lot and what is being built.
Building Footprint Clearing
Trees and brush cleared from the house, driveway and utility areas.
Selective Tree Removal
Taking out the trees in the way while protecting the ones that stay.
Stump Pulling
Stumps and root balls pulled whole so nothing rots under the new build.
Topsoil Stripping
Topsoil removed and stockpiled before excavation, ready for finish grading later.
Debris Haul-Off
Logs, brush and debris hauled on our own trucks the same week.
Rough Grading
The cleared lot shaped and leveled so the foundation crew can start.
Why Us
Why DirtRaptor for Lot Clearing
Owner On The Machine
You talk to the person doing the work, not a salesperson who has never seen your site.
Arborist-Led Tree Work
Trees and dirt work handled by one company on one mobilisation — rare in this trade.
Our Own Trucks
Haul-off is not a marked-up subcontractor line. It is a truck we own and a schedule we control.
Since 2019
Years of Pacific Northwest ground, wet seasons, and county permit desks.
Honest Exclusions
Rock, groundwater and buried debris are excluded in writing, not discovered as a surprise invoice.
Free On-Site Quotes
A real number from a real site walk, not a range guessed over the phone.
Pricing
What Drives Lot Clearing Cost
Lot clearing is priced on what is on the lot, not just its size.
Tree Size & Density
A lot of brush and small alder clears fast. Mature fir and cedar take far more time and create far more material.
Stumps & Soil
Number and size of stumps, and whether topsoil is stripped and stockpiled, change the machine time.
Haul-Off & Disposal
Keeping wood on site is cheaper than hauling it. Disposal volume is one of the biggest cost drivers.
The fastest route to an accurate number is a site walk. Quotes are free and there is no obligation.
Get My Free QuoteQuestions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to clear a lot?
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It depends on tree size and density, stumps, slope and how much material is hauled away. Two lots of the same size can differ by several times in cost. A free site walk is the only way to an accurate number.
Do I need a permit to clear my lot?
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Often. Clearing limits and tree rules vary by city and county, and work near streams, wetlands or steep slopes adds review. We confirm what applies before clearing.
Should stumps be ground or pulled on a building lot?
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Pulled. Roots left in the ground rot and settle under foundations, driveways and slabs, so on a building lot stumps should come out whole.
What happens to the trees you cut?
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Your choice. Logs can be hauled away, bucked into firewood rounds or left stacked on site. Brush is chipped or hauled.
Can you also dig the foundation?
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Yes. Because we also run excavation, the same crew can go straight from clearing to foundation excavation and utility trenching.
Do you clear lots in King County?
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Yes, across north King County including Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish and Bellevue, within each city's tree and clearing rules.
Can you clear a lot with a creek or wetland on it?
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Up to the buffer, not into it. We mark the buffer line before clearing and build the plan around it.
Question not answered here? Send us the details and we will come back to you.
Often Booked Together
Related Services
Combining scopes on one mobilisation is almost always cheaper than booking them separately.
Land Clearing
Raw and wooded lots made buildable. Brush, thinning, stumps and access handled by one crew instead of three.
Stump Grinding & Removal
Stumps ground below grade or pulled out whole with the excavator, then the hole filled and graded so the ground is usable again.
Excavation Contractor
Foundation pits, footings, trenching, utilities, construction roads and building pads — dug to spec, inspected, and signed off.
Across the Region
Lot Clearing Across the Region
Lot clearing demand is strongest where new homes are going up: Marysville, Lake Stevens, Arlington, Snohomish and the north end of Bothell, plus infill and ADU lots in Lynnwood, Everett and Shoreline. Most of those lots carry second-growth Douglas fir, cedar and alder over a layer of brush.
What changes most from city to city is what you are allowed to clear. Stream and wetland buffers, shoreline rules and tree retention codes all shape the clearing plan, especially in King County cities with strict tree rules.
Where we do lot clearing
In Snohomish County: Everett, Lynnwood, Bothell, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Marysville, Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Arlington, Brier, plus Stanwood, Granite Falls, Sultan, Gold Bar, Woodway.
In King County: Woodinville, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Sammamish, Duvall, Seattle, plus Issaquah, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Carnation, Renton, Newcastle, Mercer Island.
In Skagit County: Mount Vernon, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes.
In Pierce County: Tacoma, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor.
Lot Clearing Across Four Counties
Serving Snohomish, King, Skagit and Pierce County, Washington. Send photos and a rough scope and we will come back with a real number.
