What land clearing covers
Land clearing removes brush, small trees, palmetto and vines so a lot or tract can be used: a new home, a pasture, a fence line, a garden or a view of the lake. Most residential jobs in Polk County are one of three kinds. Forestry mulching grinds everything in place. Traditional clearing pulls trees and stumps and hauls or burns the debris. Selective clearing takes out the underbrush and keeps the trees you want.
Forestry mulching, traditional and selective clearing
- Forestry mulching: a tracked machine with a mulching head grinds brush and small trees where they stand. Nothing is hauled or burned, the ground isn't dug up, and the mulch left behind holds the soil in heavy rain. Stumps are ground to about ground level, not pulled.
- Traditional clearing: an excavator or dozer removes trees, stumps and roots. It's the right choice for a house pad, a driveway or a septic system, which need clean ground, but it disturbs more soil and leaves debris to haul off or burn.
- Selective clearing (underbrushing): the crew removes palmetto, vines and small trees and leaves the oaks, pines and other trees you mark. It's popular on wooded homesites and for opening up sight lines.
Why land clearing is in demand in Polk County
Polk is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida, and much of that growth is on rural and acreage lots outside the cities. New owners clear for a homesite, a driveway, a well and a septic system; ranch and acreage owners clear fence lines, pastures and firebreaks. Invasive plants such as cogongrass and Brazilian pepper are another reason to clear, because they spread fast and crowd out pasture and native trees.
What land clearing costs
Clearing is priced by the acre, by the machine-day or by the job. Published Florida prices run from roughly $500 an acre for light brush and palmetto to $4,000 or more an acre for dense woods with large trees. Small lots often cost more per acre than big tracts because of the trip and setup. Stump removal, hauling, burning, fill dirt and grading add to the price. Get a written quote that says what's removed, what's left, and what happens to the stumps and debris.
Burning debris needs a Florida Forest Service authorization
- Burning piles of land-clearing debris requires an authorization from the Florida Forest Service before the fire is lit, and the debris has to come from the land being cleared.
- Piles more than 8 feet across carry extra conditions, including fire-suppression equipment on hand and setback distances.
- Polk County declares burn bans in dry spells. The 2026 declaration still allows burns the Forest Service has authorized, but check the current status before you burn.
- Forestry mulching avoids burning and hauling altogether.
- Source: Florida Statutes s. 590.125.
Gopher tortoises, wetlands and protected trees
- Gopher tortoises live in sandy uplands across Polk. If clearing will disturb a burrow that may be occupied, you need a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission first. Staying at least 25 feet from every burrow, including burrows on a neighbor's side of the line, avoids that. See FWC gopher tortoise permits.
- Clearing or filling wetlands needs state permits, handled for most of Polk by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. A good contractor stops at the wetland line and tells you.
- Lakeland and other cities have their own tree rules. Ask before removing large trees inside city limits.
Call 811 before any digging
Florida law requires notice to Sunshine 811 at least two full business days before digging, and pulling stumps or grading counts as digging. The call is free, and utilities mark their buried lines. Your contractor normally makes the call, so ask for the ticket number. See Sunshine 811.
Clearing for a new home
If you're building, clearing is usually part of the site work for your building permit. The house pad, driveway, well and septic system each need clean, stump-free ground. Projects that disturb an acre or more of land need a state construction stormwater permit with erosion controls such as silt fence. Ask your builder which clearing is already in their scope before you hire separately.
Stumps and the trees you keep
Mulching leaves stumps at about ground level, which is fine for pasture, trails and yards. Where you'll build, pour or dig, the stumps and roots need to come out. For a handful of stumps in a finished yard, stump grinding is usually cheaper than bringing in heavy equipment. Mark the trees you're keeping, and keep machines off their root zones so they don't decline after the job.
Questions to ask before you hire
- What exactly will be removed, and what will be left standing?
- Will stumps be ground at grade, pulled, or left?
- Where does the debris go: mulched in place, hauled off, or burned under a Forest Service authorization?
- Have you checked for gopher tortoise burrows and wetlands?
- Who calls Sunshine 811, and does my lot need any permit?
- Are you insured for property damage and injuries? Can I see the certificate?
- How will you protect fences, the well, the septic system and the trees I'm keeping?