Forestry Mulching
We grind palmetto, underbrush and especially the extremely invasive Brazilian Pepper in place, leaving your mature native trees standing and the ground open and walkable.
See Forestry Mulching →
Land Clearing in Sarasota, FL
Complete lot clearing with excavator and root rake, plus fill dirt delivered and compacted for a house pad. No deposit and no long wait.
Sarasota, FL
Land Clearing in Sarasota
Sarasota has two clearing markets and they barely resemble each other. East of the interstate, past Fruitville and out toward the county line, people are clearing raw acreage to put a house, a barn or a driveway on it. West of there, inside the built out grid, it is infill. A lot that sat empty between two houses for thirty years and grew a jungle, or a teardown that has to be stripped before a slab can go down.
Both run into the same thing, which is the Sarasota County tree rules and, inside the city limits, the City of Sarasota code. The county exemption that homeowners lean on only starts once a certificate of occupancy exists for a dwelling on that lot, and it never covers a grand tree, a conservation or preservation area or a canopy road zone. Raw land and teardown rebuilds sit outside it entirely. A protected tree is not something you want to discover after the machine is already parked there, so we identify what is protected, what may qualify as a grand tree, and what the plan actually allows to come out before a single stem is touched.
A standard lot clearing here averages $5,000 to $9,000. We never take money up front on land clearing, so you pay when the work is done and you can stand on it. Scheduling is generally never more than two weeks out. Free estimate with no obligation. Text 941-445-3027.
- Trees, palms, brush and stumps removed, not just cut down
- Excavator and root rake work so roots come out with the stump
- Debris, old fence, concrete and illegal dumping hauled off site
- Fill dirt delivered, spread and compacted for a house pad
- No money up front. You pay when the job is finished
- Free, no obligation estimate before anything starts
Typical pricing: Average $5,000 to $9,000 for a standard lot clearing.. Every property is different, so the estimate is free and it is specific to your site.
Get a Land Clearing Quote
Getting a Sarasota lot ready to build
The order matters. Trees that are staying get identified and protected first. Then the understory comes out, then the stumps and root balls, then the grade. Doing it backwards is how a builder ends up paying for a tree that should never have been touched, and how a homeowner ends up with a lot that ponds water the first summer after the trees are gone.
On the acreage east of I-75 the ground itself is part of the job. Much of that country is flat with a high wet season water table, and the water has to have somewhere to go before a pad goes down on it. We handle the swale and drainage side as well, so the clearing plan and the water plan are one plan instead of two arguments.
- Full lot clearing for homeowners, builders and contractors
- Protected and grand tree identification before anything is cut
- Stump and root ball removal, grade work and haul off
- Selective clearing that keeps the canopy trees worth keeping
- Average $5,000 to $9,000 for a standard lot clearing
- No money up front, payment on completion only
What a Full Lot Clear Includes
A lot clear is not a mow and a haul. Trees come down, stumps come out, and the excavator and root rake work the ground until the organic material is gone. Roots left in the ground rot, and that can turn into soft spots under a slab years later.
Everything we pull gets loaded and hauled off site. What you are left with is open, level ground a surveyor and a foundation crew can work on.
- Trees, palms and undergrowth removed
- Stumps and root balls pulled with a root rake
- Old fence, concrete, trash and dumped material cleared out
- Brush and stumps loaded and hauled off site
- Ground left level and ready to stake
Fill Dirt and House Pads
Plenty of lots around here need to come up before anything gets built on them. We deliver fill dirt, spread it and compact it so the pad is ready when the foundation crew arrives.
Doing the clearing and the pad with one company keeps it on one schedule. There is nobody to point at when a date moves, and nobody waiting on somebody else to finish first.
Permits and the Paperwork
Most people who call us have never cleared a lot before and have no idea what the permit side looks like. That part stalls more projects than the machinery ever does.
Clearing a lot around here usually involves a permit, and the rules change from county to county and city to city. We walk you through what applies to your property, tell you who you need to talk to, and make sure the work is done properly. Ask early. It is much easier to sort out before a machine is sitting on the ground waiting.
Scheduling and How Fast It Goes
Speed is the whole point of hiring us. Getting on the calendar is generally never more than two weeks out.
Customers tell us about contractors who took a deposit and then did not come back for months. That is not how we work. We do not take money up front, and a large portion of our work is repeat business.
Who We Clear For
Some of our customers have held onto a lot for years and are finally building on it. Others are contractors who need a site open on a specific date, or developers taking a larger parcel down in phases. Property that has sat empty and grown over is normal work for us.
- Homeowners building a house, garage, shop or barn
- Builders and contractors who need the site ready on a date
- Developers clearing larger parcels
- Owners cleaning up overgrown or dumped on land
Why ACI
Why People Hire Us for Land Clearing
Two things bring most of these calls in. We are fast, and we do not ask you for money before the work is done.
ACI has been working in this area for 23 years. The crew shows up in uniform, in clean lettered trucks, and the site gets cleaned up before we pull out.
- No deposit. Payment on completion only
- Scheduling is generally never more than two weeks out
- Workers compensation and general liability insurance carried
- ISA Certified Arborist on staff when a tree question comes up
- 4.9 stars from 142 Google reviews
Our Own Work
Land Clearing Photos
Every photo on this page is an ACI job. No stock images.
Straight Answers
Questions We Get Asked
Do I need a permit to clear my lot?
Usually there is a permit involved. The specifics depend on your county, your city, what is growing on the property and what you plan to put on it. Most of our customers have never been through the process. We explain what is involved, point you to the right office, and make sure the clearing is done properly.
How much does land clearing cost?
A standard lot clearing averages $5,000 to $9,000. Lot size, tree cover, access and how much material has to be hauled off all move that number. The estimate is free and there is no obligation.
Do you take a deposit?
No. We never take money up front on land clearing. You pay when the job is complete and you have walked the property.
How soon can you get to my lot?
Land clearing is generally never more than two weeks out. Call or text and we will tell you exactly where the calendar stands that week.
How long does the clearing itself take?
It depends on the lot. Size, tree cover, access and how much material has to come off all change the answer. Larger parcels and heavy tree cover take longer, and we will give you a straight answer on that before you commit to anything.
Can you bring in fill dirt and build the house pad?
Yes. We deliver, spread and compact fill dirt for a house pad, so the clearing and the pad stay on one schedule with one company.
What does clearing a lot in Sarasota cost?
A standard lot clearing averages $5,000 to $9,000. What moves it inside that range is how heavy the growth is, how many stumps come out, whether the material can be mulched on site or has to be hauled, and how much grade work you want once the trees are down. We give you a written number after we walk it.
Do I need a permit before clearing?
On a vacant lot, almost certainly. The residential exemption in the Sarasota County code only begins once a certificate of occupancy has been issued for a dwelling on that lot, so raw land and teardown rebuilds fall outside it, and grand trees fall outside it everywhere. Inside the City of Sarasota you are under the city tree protection code instead, which requires a removal permit for protected trees. We check the lot against the rules that apply to it and tell you what the process looks like before anything gets scheduled.
How far out are you booking land clearing?
Land clearing is generally never more than two weeks out. And we never ask for money before we start. You pay when the lot is finished.
Land Clearing Nearby
We work across Sarasota, Charlotte and Manatee Counties, and travel further for storm work.
One Call Covers It
Related Services
Fill Dirt, House Pads & Driveway Prep
We bring in fill, set the grade and compact it, so your house pad, driveway or parking area sits on ground that drains right and stays put.
See Fill Dirt & Grading → Stump Grinding
One stump or hundreds, any species, ground out clean with our own turbo diesel machine anywhere from Sarasota to Punta Gorda.
See Stump Grinding →Need land clearing in Sarasota?
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