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Land Clearing Contractors in New York, New York

Find land clearing contractors serving New York 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 New York

22 land clearing contractors serving New York 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 New York

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 New York?

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 New York-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.

New York Permits and Local Rules

In New York City, a project that can drain to a City sewer and disturbs 20,000 sq ft or more of soil (or adds 5,000 sq ft or more of impervious area) needs an NYC DEP Stormwater Permit, and any work on or within 50 feet of a street tree needs an NYC Parks Tree Work Permit.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
NYC DEP Stormwater PermitA DEP Stormwater Permit is required for any public or private development that can drain to a City-owned sewer and disturbs 20,000 sq ft or more of soil or adds 5,000 sq ft or more of new impervious area. Applications, starting with a SWPPP, go through DEP’s Stormwater Permitting and Tracking System; exclusions are in Chapter 19.1 of Title 15 of the NYC Rules.Source
NYC Parks Tree Work PermitNYC Parks requires a Tree Work Permit for work on or within 50 feet of a tree under City jurisdiction, such as a street tree. Construction-related applications are due at least 20 business days before work starts; work on or near parkland needs a separate Parks Construction Permit.Source
Special Natural Area District tree and grading limitsIn Special Natural Area Districts (NA-1 to NA-4), trees of 6-inch caliper or more may be removed only for listed reasons (such as being in a building footprint or driveway, or a hazard) or with City Planning Commission authorization, and must be replaced with trees of at least 3-inch caliper. Grading is generally limited to within 15 feet of a building foundation, and the CPC must approve work before DOB issues a permit.Source
Flood-resistant construction (Appendix G)The NYC Building Code includes Appendix G, Flood-Resistant Construction, which governs construction in flood zones and is administered by the Department of Buildings.Source
Call 811 before diggingExcavators and contractors must contact New York 811 (online ITIC or by calling 811) at least two working days but no more than 10 days before digging, not counting weekends and legal holidays.Source
Construction stormwater permitNYSDEC issues SPDES General Permit GP-0-25-001 for construction stormwater (effective Jan 29, 2025, expires Jan 28, 2030). Coverage is required for soil disturbance of one or more acres; 5,000 sq ft or more in the NYC East of Hudson watershed; and, inside New York City, 20,000 sq ft or more (or 5,000 sq ft or more of new impervious area), including smaller parts of a larger common plan of development.Source
Burning cleared brushStatewide, burning trash, leaves and treated or painted wood is banned. Downed limbs and branches under 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet long may be burned on site only in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents, and never from March 16 through May 14. Open fires of organic agricultural waste are allowed on contiguous farmland over 5 acres. The DEC page does not list land-clearing or construction debris as an allowed exception, so large land-clearing burn piles are not authorized by these rules.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 New York

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 New York?

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 New York-specific average is published, so compare written quotes for the same scope.

Do I need a permit for land clearing in New York?

Often yes. If the site can drain to a City sewer and you disturb 20,000 sq ft or more of soil, you need an NYC DEP Stormwater Permit (and NYSDEC construction stormwater coverage applies at the same 20,000 sq ft level inside the city). Work on or within 50 feet of a street tree needs an NYC Parks Tree Work Permit, and lots in a Special Natural Area District need City Planning approval before trees of 6-inch caliper or more are removed or land is graded.

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 New York?

Statewide, burning trash, leaves and treated or painted wood is banned. Downed limbs and branches under 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet long may be burned on site only in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents, and never from March 16 through May 14. Open fires of organic agricultural waste are allowed on contiguous farmland over 5 acres. The DEC page does not list land-clearing or construction debris as an allowed exception, so large land-clearing burn piles are not authorized by these rules.

More Directories

Sources

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