Lot Clearing & Brush Removal in Roanoke, Virginia

Clearing ranges from thinning a wooded acre to open a view, to taking a building lot down to bare ground for construction. The right approach depends on what you want the land to be afterward.

Selective clearing

Removing undergrowth, invasive species, dead trees and poorly formed trees while keeping the best specimens. It is popular on wooded residential lots and on hillside property where existing trees help hold soil. Mark the trees you want kept with ribbon, and walk the property with the crew.

Full clearing for construction

Building sites, driveways, and utility corridors usually need trees, stumps and roots removed. Coordinate with your builder on what the site plan requires, and on which trees will be protected during construction. Root zones of trees you keep should be protected from grading, trenching and heavy equipment, which can kill a tree years later.

Permits and plans

Clearing tied to construction often falls under development review. In the City of Roanoke, the zoning code's tree canopy and landscaping provisions apply when a lot goes through a basic or comprehensive development plan, and the city code calls for a basic development plan for new or expanded one- and two-family dwellings "including associated grading and clearing." Roanoke County, Salem, Vinton and Botetourt County have their own rules. Land disturbance above certain thresholds can also trigger erosion and sediment control requirements. Ask the locality before you start; we do not want you to clear first and ask later.

Steep ground and erosion

Much of the land around the valley is sloped. Removing vegetation and roots from a slope can lead to erosion and runoff onto neighbors or into streams. Plan for stabilization, such as seeding, mulch, silt fencing or leaving buffer strips, as part of the job.

What happens to the material

Options include chipping on site and spreading chips, hauling everything off, leaving logs for firewood, or, for larger tracts with good timber, consulting a forester about whether a timber sale makes sense before clearing.

Pasture, fence lines and trails

Overgrown fence rows and pasture edges are a common Botetourt and Roanoke County request. Clearing a strip along a fence line makes fence maintenance possible and keeps falling limbs off the wire.

Planning a clearing project

Start with a walk-through and flags. Mark property lines, trees to keep, the building envelope, the driveway route and any septic area, well or utility lines. Decide what happens to the material: chipped and spread, hauled away, logs left for firewood or sold, or brush piled for wildlife. Each option changes the price. Ask whether stumps will be ground, pulled or left, since that affects grading. If the clearing is part of a construction project, check with your locality about any land-disturbance or erosion control requirements before work starts.

Protecting the trees you keep

Keep equipment out of the root zones of trees you plan to save. Compaction and root cuts during construction are a leading cause of tree decline years later, as described on our Daleville and Cave Spring pages.

Call (540) 904-1819 with the acreage, the goal, and access details for a site visit.

Selective clearing vs. clear-cutting a lot

Many owners want to keep their best trees: a mature oak for shade, a screen along the property line. Selective clearing removes undergrowth, invasive species, dead trees and only the trees in the building footprint. Mark keepers with ribbon and fence their root zones before machines arrive, since compaction under the drip line can kill a tree slowly.

Permits and erosion control

In the City of Roanoke, grading and clearing tied to development go through the development plan process (City Code Section 36.2-552). Land disturbance may also trigger erosion and sediment control requirements; check with the city or county before clearing a building lot. At Smith Mountain Lake, vegetation removal inside the project boundary needs a permit.

What to do with the debris

Options include chipping on site for mulch, hauling everything away, grinding stumps in place, or leaving logs for firewood. Each changes the price, so get the debris plan in writing.

Invasive plants in valley lots

Overgrown lots often hide invasive shrubs and vines that regrow quickly from roots after cutting. Plan follow-up treatment or mowing after clearing, or the lot can be overgrown again within a season or two.

Clearing methods compared

Planning a clearing project

1. Survey or mark property lines and the building footprint.
2. Flag trees to keep and fence their root zones.
3. Confirm permits for land disturbance with the locality.
4. Have Virginia 811 mark utilities.
5. Agree on debris handling and stump treatment in writing.

Who clearing is for

Typical clients include owners preparing to build, people reclaiming overgrown pasture or views, and property managers keeping lots tidy. Each has a different finish target; say what you need.

Protecting soil and water

Bare ground erodes quickly in heavy rain, sending sediment into creeks. Keep a buffer near streams, stabilize disturbed ground quickly with seed and straw or mulch, and follow any erosion and sediment control plan the locality requires.

Costs to expect

Clearing is priced by the area, vegetation density, slope, stump plan and debris handling. Because these vary so much, a site visit is the only reliable way to price it; we have not found a reliable published range for the Roanoke area.

Common questions