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Land Clearing Contractors in Des Moines, Iowa

Find land clearing contractors serving Des Moines for brush clearing, lot clearing, tree and stump removal, forestry mulching and full site clearing. Compare local companies, check which services each one offers, and contact them directly about your project.

Land Clearing Contractors Serving Des Moines

10 land clearing contractors serving Des Moines confirm on their own websites that they offer land clearing (checked October 2026). Each listing links to the page where the company describes the service, so you can check it yourself.

Land Clearing Services in Des Moines

ServiceBest for
Brush clearingOvergrown lots, fence lines, pasture recovery
Forestry mulchingBrush and small trees, with no debris to haul
Lot clearingMaking a residential lot buildable
Full clearing and grubbingRemoving trees, stumps and roots for construction
Selective clearingKeeping chosen trees on a wooded lot

How Much Do Land Clearing Contractors Charge in Des Moines?

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 Des Moines-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.

Des Moines Permits and Local Rules

In Des Moines, a city grading permit is required for non-agricultural earth changes such as excavation or fill over 2,500 square feet, disturbance over 20,000 square feet, or 500 square feet or more within 100 feet of a stream, pond or drainageway, and no grading permit issues until a tree removal and mitigation plan is approved.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Grading permit (Sec. 42-86)A grading permit from the city engineer is required for non-agricultural earth changes including excavation averaging more than two feet deep over 2,500 square feet or more, a disturbed area over 20,000 square feet, fill covering more than 2,500 square feet, disturbing 500 square feet or more within 100 feet of a lake, pond, river, stream or drainageway, or grading that alters stormwater flow onto adjacent property. The city engineer can waive the permit in writing if the work will not cause accelerated erosion, will not interfere with a drainage course, and complies with the tree ordinance.Source
Grading plans, SWPPP and erosion control (Secs. 42-87, 42-121)Grading permit applications need plans including a stormwater runoff control plan, and a SWPPP for sites of one acre or more; small residential in-fill projects under one acre that remove no more than 5 mature trees may be exempted from the plan by the city engineer. Work must follow the approved plans, NPDES General Permit No. 2 and the SWPPP, and erosion control must follow Polk Soil Conservation District rules.Source
Tree removal and mitigation plan (Chapter 42, Article X)A grading permit, site plan or subdivision plat cannot be approved until a tree removal and mitigation plan is approved. Mitigation is one replacement tree per 2,000 square feet of canopy removed (or, under the tree-survey option, also 1:1 to 2:1 or more for mature trees 12 inches DBH and larger), rising to one tree per 700 square feet when canopy is removed in violation of a plan or removed ahead of redevelopment to avoid mitigation.Source
Floodplain development permit (Chapter 50)A floodplain development permit (certificate of compliance) from the City Engineer is required before any development in a floodplain area, and grading, building and site plan approvals cannot be granted without it. Development expressly includes filling, grading and excavation, even small projects, and fill generally requires compensatory storage of at least 1.5 times the displaced volume.Source
Flood Information Center guidanceThe city states that grading and/or filling of land within flood hazard areas counts as development needing a Floodplain Development Permit, applied for alongside any building or grading permit.Source
Call 811 before diggingIowa Code 480.4 requires an excavator to contact the notification center (Iowa One Call, 811 or 1-800-292-8989) before any excavation and wait a forty-eight-hour period; the notice is valid for 25 calendar days after that period ends. The only exception is an emergency, when notice must be given as soon as practical.Source
Construction stormwater permitConstruction activity that disturbs one or more acres, or less than one acre when part of a larger common plan that will disturb more than one acre, must be covered by an NPDES stormwater permit, normally General Permit No. 2, applied for with a Notice of Intent through the DNR’s Stormwater General Permit Database.Source
Burning cleared brushUnder 567 IAC 23.2(3)“d”, landscape waste (trees, branches, stumps, brush) originating on the premises may be burned, but burning of landscape waste from clearing, grubbing and construction must be at least one-quarter mile from any building inhabited by someone other than the landowner or tenant doing the burn, and tires may not be used to ignite it. These exemptions do not apply within certain cities (including Des Moines, West Des Moines, Clive, Windsor Heights, Urbandale, Pleasant Hill, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Council Bluffs and Carter Lake) and apply only unless prohibited by local ordinance.Source

Confirm requirements for your parcel with the city or county before work starts. See land clearing permits for a full checklist.

How to Choose a Land Clearing Contractor in Des Moines

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 before you call, read the land clearing guide, land clearing cost per acre and land clearing permits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do land clearing contractors charge in Des Moines?

Published national figures are the best guide: Angi reports a $3,780 average project and HomeGuide $1,200 to $8,000 per acre. No reliable Des Moines-specific average is published, so compare written quotes for the same scope.

Do I need a permit for land clearing in Des Moines?

Often, yes. Des Moines requires a city grading permit for non-agricultural earth changes such as excavation or fill over 2,500 square feet, disturbance over 20,000 square feet, or 500 square feet or more within 100 feet of a stream or drainageway, and the permit cannot issue until a tree removal and mitigation plan is approved. Sites of one acre or more also need a SWPPP and state General Permit No. 2 coverage, and any grading or filling in a floodplain needs a separate floodplain development permit.

Does land clearing include stump removal?

Not always. Some contractors grind or pull stumps as part of the job, others price them separately, and forestry mulching usually leaves stumps at or near ground level. Make sure the written quote says what happens to stumps.

Can I burn cleared brush in Des Moines?

Under 567 IAC 23.2(3)“d”, landscape waste (trees, branches, stumps, brush) originating on the premises may be burned, but burning of landscape waste from clearing, grubbing and construction must be at least one-quarter mile from any building inhabited by someone other than the landowner or tenant doing the burn, and tires may not be used to ignite it. These exemptions do not apply within certain cities (including Des Moines, West Des Moines, Clive, Windsor Heights, Urbandale, Pleasant Hill, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Council Bluffs and Carter Lake) and apply only unless prohibited by local ordinance.

More Directories

Sources

Listings checked October 2026 against each company’s website. Prices are attributed national estimates, not Des Moines quotes. Permit summaries are a starting point; confirm requirements for your parcel with the city or county.