Starting a new project on your land brings a lot of excitement and potential. Whether you’re planning to build a home, expand your property, or begin a commercial development, every project depends on one important step at the beginning: land clearing.
If that first step is handled the wrong way, it causes delays, surprise costs, and long-term frustration.
In this blog, we’ll cover five questions you should ask a land clearing company before hiring them for the job.
1. What Projects Have You Completed That Match Mine?
Not every land clearing project is the same, and your property deserves a contractor who understands what makes it different. Residential land clearing projects in Tennessee and large commercial jobs both require different approaches, depending on the scope, scale, and terrain.
Ask if the company has cleared land similar to yours and how they approached it. A one-acre lot for a new home requires a very different plan than a twenty-acre commercial clearing.
It’s also important that they understand Tennessee’s landscape, including how to deal with aggressive invasive plants. Kudzu grows quickly and smothers trees, privet forms dense walls that take over native space, and honeysuckle wraps around and strangles anything in its path.
The right contractor knows how to identify and remove these threats the right way. Real experience on Tennessee soil helps protect your land and keeps your project on track.
2. Do You Have the Proper Licenses and Insurance?
Before anyone starts work on your land, make sure they’re legally and professionally qualified to be there. Any contractor you’re considering should have the proper licenses and full insurance coverage, and they should be ready to show you both.
Licensing proves they follow Tennessee’s rules and regulations. Insurance protects you if a worker gets hurt or if something on your property is damaged during the job.
Don’t take their word for it. Ask for physical copies and check that everything’s current. A contractor who hesitates or brushes this off isn’t someone you should trust.
Choosing land clearing service providers with licenses and insurance shows they take your project seriously and are ready to protect you, your property, and their own crew from the start.
3. What Equipment Will You Use for This Job?
Land clearing takes the right equipment, especially when you’re dealing with Tennessee’s rocky soil, steep slopes, and thick brush. Before you start hiring a land clearing contractor, ask what kind of machinery they’ll bring to the job.
Find out if they own their equipment or depend on rentals. A reliable crew from one of the local land clearing companies should have everything they need ready to go. That includes machines built to handle trees, roots, heavy brush, and rough grading.
They should also match their tools and techniques to your land’s specific conditions. What works for one property might waste time or damage another.
If a company shows up with outdated or undersized equipment, it slows everything down and costs you more in the long run.
4. How Do You Handle Safety for Workers and Property?
Land clearing involves real risk, which is why you need to hire a land-clearing contractor who takes safety seriously.
Ask them to walk you through their safety plan before the work starts. Make sure they train every crew member, prep the site properly and explain exactly how they handle emergencies.
They should use the right safety gear, inspect their equipment before every job, and follow a clear process that protects everyone on your property.
If a contractor avoids the topic or struggles to explain their safety steps, don’t hire them.
5. Can I See a Breakdown of the Estimated Costs?
Before you agree to anything, ask for a full breakdown of the estimated costs. You need to know exactly what you’re paying for and how the contractor calculated that number.
Ask them to explain the cost of labor, equipment, debris removal, and any extra services. If the numbers look vague or don’t match the scope of your project, press for answers.
Make sure they put everything in writing — a detailed estimate leaves no room for surprises later.
Choose a Company That Knows Tennessee Land Like the Back of Their Hand
Choosing the right land clearing company affects everything that happens next on your property. A crew with the right experience, equipment, safety plan, and pricing keeps your project on track and your investment protected. Asking these five questions gives you the confidence to move forward without second-guessing your decision.
If you’re planning residential or commercial land clearing in Tennessee, Burley Construction is ready to help. We know the land, bring the right tools, and can answer all your TN, land clearing questions.
Call Burley Construction today at (931)-414-1243 for the best residential land clearing in Tennessee.
