An overgrown lot hides a lot. Under the palmettos and vines you might find old fence posts, a buried slab, or a pile of tires someone left years ago. Darrell’s Lawn & Tree Services clears land for homeowners, builders and property owners across Tampa and Hillsborough County. We’ve been doing it since 2010. We bring our own excavator, skid steer, stump grinder, chipper truck and dump trucks, so one licensed and insured crew can take a parcel from jungle to bare ground.
What Our Land Clearing Covers
- Brush and underbrush: palmetto, vines, Brazilian pepper, grapevine and weed trees.
- Tree removal: single trees or whole stands, cut and chipped on site.
- Stumps and roots: ground down or dug out, depending on what comes next.
- Debris haul-off: logs, brush, old concrete and junk loaded into our dump trucks.
- Selective clearing: keep the shade trees you like and lose the rest.
- Fence lines and access paths: open a route for a fence, driveway or utility run.
How a Land Clearing Job Runs
1. Request an estimate
Send us the address and a quick note on what you want: a homesite, a pole barn pad, a cleaned-up back lot. Photos help.
2. On-site assessment
We walk the property with you. We look at tree size, brush density, wet spots, slopes and how our machines will get in and out. This is also when we talk about which trees stay.
3. Utility locates
Florida law requires excavators to notify the one-call system at least 2 full business days before digging on land, under Florida Statute 556.105. Sunshine 811 notifies member utilities so they can mark their lines, and the service is free. Pulling stumps and roots counts as digging, so locates come first.
4. Clearing and haul-off
The excavator and skid steer knock down and stack the brush and small trees. Bigger trees are cut in sections. Brush goes through the chipper, and logs, stumps and debris go into the dump trucks.
5. Final walkthrough
We walk the cleared ground with you, check the edges and make sure it matches what we agreed on.
Tampa Land Clearing for Builders and Commercial Sites
Builders, developers and commercial owners need a lot cleared on schedule so the next trade can start. We work with general contractors, custom home builders, property managers, HOAs and retail center owners. Common commercial jobs include:
- Clearing infill lots before a new home or duplex
- Pad prep for storage buildings, warehouses and retail outparcels
- Cutting back overgrown retention pond banks and common areas for HOAs
- Cleaning up vacant parcels after code complaints
- Opening access for surveyors, soil testing and utility crews
We can coordinate directly with your site super or project manager and work around inspections and deliveries.
Residential Land Clearing
Homeowners call us for smaller, more careful work. You might want to reclaim a back half-acre that’s gone wild, make room for a pool or a detached garage, or clear a path for a new fence. On these jobs we keep the footprint tight, protect the lawn you already have and leave healthy shade trees standing when you ask. Afterward, many owners add sod or mulch, and our lawn crew can help with that too.
Hillsborough County Land Clearing Permits
Clearing land is regulated here. On its natural resources permit page, Hillsborough County defines land alteration to include grubbing, tree removal and clearing, and says a natural resources permit is needed for those activities. The county’s tree removal permit page adds that land alteration tied to a building permit can be requested in HillsGovHub, and that clearing without building uses the Land alteration without construction permit.
Those rules cover unincorporated areas. Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City have their own processes. Rules can change, so confirm what applies to your parcel before the machines show up. We’re glad to talk through it during the assessment.
Where We Clear Land Around Tampa Bay
A lot of our clearing work happens where the county is still growing. We’ve cleared lots off Big Bend Road in Riverview, along US 301, and in older parts of Brandon and Seffner where big parcels have gone wild. East of town, Plant City and Dover have acreage and fence lines that need opening up. Inside Tampa, we clear infill lots in East Tampa and Sulphur Springs before new homes go in.
North of the county line, we work the growing areas around Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills, and we head up to Spring Hill in Hernando County too.
Book a Land Clearing Estimate
Ready to see what’s under all that brush? Request a free estimate or call 813-680-3844. We’re available 24/7, and we’ll walk the lot with you before quoting the job.
Land Clearing FAQs
Do I need a permit to clear land in Hillsborough County?
In unincorporated Hillsborough County, land alteration such as grubbing, tree removal and clearing generally needs a natural resources permit. If the clearing is part of a building permit, the county says you can request it in HillsGovHub when you apply. If you are clearing without building, the county points to its Land alteration without construction permit. Properties inside Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City follow city rules.
What equipment do you use for land clearing?
Our crews run an excavator, skid steer, stump grinder, chipper truck and dump trucks. The mix depends on the lot, how thick the brush is and how much needs to be hauled off.
Can you clear just part of my property?
Yes. Many jobs are selective. We can clear brush and small trees from a back acre, open a path for a fence line, or clean out a strip for a driveway while leaving the trees you want to keep.
Do you remove stumps and roots?
Yes. We grind stumps and dig out root balls when the ground needs to be ready for a slab, driveway or pad. Let us know your plans for the site so we clear it to the right condition.
Do you haul away concrete and junk found on the lot?
Yes. Old slabs, broken concrete, fencing, tires and dumped junk turn up on a lot of overgrown parcels. We can load it into our dump trucks along with the brush.
Do you clear land outside Tampa?
Yes. We work across Hillsborough County, including Brandon, Riverview, Seffner and Plant City, and we also travel to Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Zephyrhills and Spring Hill.
