Land Clearing Contractors in California
Find land clearing contractors serving California properties for brush clearing, lot clearing, tree and stump removal, forestry mulching and full site clearing. We list 53 land clearing contractors across 6 California metros, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.
Browse California Land Clearing Contractors by City
- Fresno land clearing contractors: 6 verified
- Los Angeles land clearing contractors: 19 verified
- Sacramento land clearing contractors: 4 verified
- San Diego land clearing contractors: 7 verified
- San Francisco land clearing contractors: 8 verified
- San Jose land clearing contractors: 9 verified
California Land Clearing Contractors at a Glance
| City | Contractors | Also forestry mulching | Also stump grinding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Los Angeles | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| Sacramento | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| San Diego | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| San Francisco | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| San Jose | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Total listings | 53 | 3 | 11 |
Counts come from the listings on each city page. The Contractors column is the number of land clearing companies listed; each confirms land clearing on its own website. The other columns count companies whose sites also confirm that service, so one company can appear in more than one column.
How Much Do Land Clearing Contractors Charge in California?
Angi reports an average land clearing project cost of $3,780 in 2026, and HomeGuide estimates $1,200 to $8,000 per acre. These measure different things: one is per project, the other per acre. Stump removal, debris haul-off and grading are often priced separately. No published source gives a reliable California-specific average, so use these as national planning figures and get local quotes. See land clearing cost per acre for prices by vegetation, lot size and method.
California Rules That Affect Your Project
| Rule | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Call 811 before digging | Under the Government Code, anyone planning to excavate must contact the appropriate regional notification center (811) at least two working days, and not more than 14 calendar days, before beginning to excavate. USA North 811 adds that each person or company doing the excavation must submit its own ticket; a subcontractor cannot work under another contractor’s ticket, and the day you notify does not count toward the two working days. | Source |
| Construction stormwater permit | Projects that disturb one or more acres of soil, or less than one acre if part of a larger common plan of development that disturbs one or more acres, must obtain coverage under the statewide Construction Stormwater General Permit (Order 2022-0057-DWQ, effective September 1, 2023). Projects in the Lake Tahoe Hydrologic Unit apply to the Lahontan Regional Water Board instead. | Source |
| Burning cleared brush | A statewide Air Resources Board control measure (effective January 1, 2004) bans outdoor burning of household trash and burn barrels at residences, but dry natural vegetation grown on the property may still be burned in open piles unless prohibited by local controls, and only on days authorized by the local air district. Open burning of land-clearing debris is therefore controlled by the local air district, which may ban it entirely or require permits. | Source |
Local rules vary by city:
- Fresno: Under San Joaquin Valley Air District Rule 8021, clearing that disturbs more than 1 acre needs a Construction Notification at least 48 hours ahead, and larger projects (5+ acres non-residential, 10+ acres residential, or 2,500+ cubic yards moved on three days) need an approved Dust Control Plan first.
- Los Angeles: Native oaks, Southern California black walnut, western sycamore, California bay, Mexican elderberry and toyon with a cumulative trunk diameter of 4 inches or more are protected, and removing them requires a permit from the Board of Public Works through StreetsLA’s Urban Forestry Division.
- Sacramento: Native oaks, California sycamore and buckeye of 12 inches DSH or larger, and other large trees (32 inches on home lots, 24 inches on undeveloped or commercial land) are Private Protected Trees and need a City permit before removal.
- San Diego: If any part of a lot contains Environmentally Sensitive Lands (sensitive biological resources, steep hillsides, coastal bluffs or beaches, or special flood hazard areas), development or grading that encroaches on them needs a Neighborhood or Site Development Permit before work starts.
- San Francisco: Trees on private property within 10 feet of the public right-of-way that are 20 feet tall, 15 feet in canopy width or 12 inches in trunk diameter are ‘significant trees’ and need a Public Works permit before removal.
- San Jose: San José requires a grading permit or a notice of exemption for any excavating or filling, and only small jobs (no more than 150 cubic yards, 2-foot cuts and 3-foot fills) can be exempted; removing any tree 38 inches or more in circumference on a home lot also needs a Tree Removal Permit.
How to Choose a Contractor in California
Walk the property with each bidder or send the same marked site plan. Ask what happens to stumps and roots, whether debris is hauled, burned or mulched, who checks tree, grading and stormwater permits, and what condition the site will be in when the crew leaves. Compare written quotes for the same scope, not headline prices.
For background, read the land clearing guide, land clearing cost per acre and land clearing permits.
Sources
- California: 811 requirement (no date)
- California: Construction stormwater permit (Page last updated 11/17/2025)
- California: Open burning rules (no date (measure effective January 1, 2004))
- Angi: How Much Does It Cost to Clear Land? (updated September 28, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does It Cost to Clear Land? (written November 20, 2025)
Reviewed October 16, 2026. Confirm permit requirements for your parcel with the city or county.