Landowners who want to transform a piece of property for a new purpose need to consider DIY vs. professional land clearing. Although it can be tempting to clear the property yourself, it’s dangerous for novices to operate heavy-duty equipment. You might also find that several hidden costs exist when doing the work yourself.
Learn the pros and cons of hiring a contractor for site preparation compared to trying to do the work yourself.
Advantages of Doing DIY Land Clearing
The biggest advantage of clearing a parcel yourself is the money you’ll save. You can complete the work at a time that fits your schedule, rather than scheduling an appointment with the land clearing company.
If you have experience operating construction equipment, you may be able to perform the work safely yourself. Otherwise, using heavy-duty equipment can pose an injury risk for novices.
Reasons To Skip Clearing Property Yourself
Most people will choose to hire a land clearing crew instead of doing the work themselves for several reasons.
Renting the Equipment
Most landowners do not own the type of heavy-duty equipment needed to clear a piece of property safely. This means you’d need to rent the machinery and schedule the work for a time when it’s available.
With rentals, you have a limited time to work before you must return them. If you’re hurrying to try to finish the work before the rental deadline, you might make an error that damages infrastructure or injures someone.
Land clearing can be messy work that leaves mud, plant matter, and other debris on the equipment. You might struggle to clean the gear before returning it, which could result in additional service charges on the final invoice.
Transporting the Machinery
When renting construction equipment, you’ll need to use large trailers. The rental company might charge you more if you don’t own trailers to transport the equipment.
As a novice, you might not be familiar with driving a loaded trailer. Such inexperience could increase the chance of making a dangerous driving mistake.
You’ll also need to have a heavy-duty pickup available to tow the trailer. If you don’t own one, you’ll need to rent a large truck, which will increase the overall cost.
Fuel Costs Can Be High
If the parcel is in a remote area, the fuel costs to transport the equipment could be higher than expected. If the remote property doesn’t have a nearby gas station, you might need to purchase several fuel cans or even rent a fuel truck to supply gas to the equipment while you’re using it on the site. If you run out of fuel while using rental equipment to clear the property, leaving to find fuel will significantly delay the project.
Reasons To Rely on a Professional Property Clearing Service
The best reason to hire a professional company to clear your property is the experience of the crew members. Discuss your project with the experts, and they can provide advice about how much of the land needs to be cleared. They might have ideas that can save you some money on the project.
If you need to compare land-clearing methods, such as forestry mulching versus brush burning, a professional can help. Forestry mulching makes the work go quickly and usually costs less than other techniques. Professionals can advise you on whether your parcel is suitable for forestry mulching.
A land clearing crew will provide you with an accurate cost estimate and timeline for completing the work. The professionals can do the work significantly faster than DIYers, too.
Disadvantages of Hiring Professional Land Clearers
The primary reason you might not want to hire a land clearing services company is that you have a small parcel that needs clearing. The quoted cost to clear a small space for a new garden could seem high. If the property is mostly grass, weeds, and small trees, you can likely clear it yourself, which should save money.
However, more complex jobs or work that will involve a larger area of the property will almost certainly go more smoothly with a professional.
When You Want Help With Your Land Clearing Project, Ask State Contractors for a Free Cost Estimate
If you’re worried about the cost of land clearing, you could consider doing the work yourself. However, you might be surprised at the price of doing DIY work by the time you rent heavy-duty equipment and learn to use it. Instead, the best option for clearing property in Panama City is to hire a professional.
Our crew at State Contractors has the equipment and experience to deliver a successful land clearing project. We offer free price quotes for all our services to help you set an accurate budget for the work. Call us today at (850) 571-5250.
