Land Clearing Contractors in Illinois
Find land clearing contractors serving Illinois properties for brush clearing, lot clearing, tree and stump removal, forestry mulching and full site clearing. We list 8 land clearing contractors across 1 Illinois metro, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.
Browse Illinois Land Clearing Contractors by City
- Chicago land clearing contractors: 8 verified
Illinois Land Clearing Contractors at a Glance
| City | Contractors | Also forestry mulching | Also stump grinding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 8 | 1 | 2 |
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 Illinois?
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 Illinois-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.
Illinois Rules That Affect Your Project
| Rule | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Call 811 before digging | Under the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act, anyone excavating or demolishing must notify utility owners through JULIE not less than 2 days and no more than 10 days before starting work. | Source |
| Construction stormwater permit | Illinois EPA issues the General NPDES Permit for Construction Site Activities (ILR10). It covers construction that disturbs 1 acre or more, including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development. A Notice of Intent is filed electronically through EPA’s CDX system. The permit was renewed September 22, 2023. | Source |
| Burning cleared brush | State rules allow open burning of landscape waste (trees, branches, stumps, brush) only on the property where it was generated, when the air will disperse the smoke, and with no visibility hazard to roads, railroads or airfields. It is banned in municipalities over 2,500 people, in municipalities next to them, in all municipalities wholly within 40 air miles of Meigs Field in Chicago, and in rural areas within 1,000 feet of a municipality where it is banned. Local rules can be stricter. | Source |
Local rules vary by city:
- Chicago: Disturbing 15,000 square feet or more of land in Chicago makes the project a Regulated Development under the city’s Stormwater Ordinance, which needs stormwater review before building or sewer permits are issued.
How to Choose a Contractor in Illinois
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
- Illinois: 811 requirement (220 ILCS 50/4, as amended by P.A. 103-614, eff. Jan. 1, 2025)
- Illinois: Construction stormwater permit (permit renewed Sept. 22, 2023 (page undated))
- Illinois: Open burning rules (no date)
- 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.