Services
Land Clearing Services in Alachua, FL
A wooded acre in north-central Florida rarely looks like a building lot. It looks like pine, oak, sweetgum and saw palmetto knitted together with vines so tightly that you cannot walk the property line, let alone stake a driveway. North Florida Land Improvements LLC provides land clearing from our home base in Alachua, whether your parcel sits near San Felasco Hammock, along US-441 toward High Springs, or at the end of a sand road in Union County. We take out what needs to go, protect what you want to keep, deal with the debris in the way that suits the project, and leave the ground ready for its next job. Call us at (352) 756-0010 for a free estimate, and we will walk the property with you before anything is quoted.
The scope
What Land Clearing Actually Involves
Land clearing is the removal of trees, brush, vines and debris from a parcel so it can be built on, fenced, farmed or simply used again. It starts with a site walk to mark boundaries, the trees worth keeping and anything that limits how machines can work, such as wet ground, wells, septic areas and gopher tortoise burrows: where burrows sit within 25 feet of the work, the tortoises must be relocated under a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission permit before clearing begins. From there the method depends on the ground. A forestry mulcher grinds standing brush and small trees into ground cover where the land will stay open. A dozer and excavator push, pull and pile everything on building sites, where stumps must come out entirely. The excavator's thumb pulls stumps, and a root rake pass strips the roots and buried wood that would otherwise rot and settle under a slab or driveway. Debris is mulched in place, piled and hauled, or burned only under a Florida Forest Service authorization. Before, you have a tangle you cannot walk through. After, you have open, drivable ground, your good trees standing, and a lot the surveyor, builder or septic contractor can finally get onto.
Why us
Why Alachua Property Owners Choose North Florida Land Improvements
We are a family-owned, faith-driven and military-connected business, and you deal directly with the people running the machines. Eric Temme bought an established company and its equipment in 2022, and a small core crew brings in experienced help when a job calls for more hands. That keeps decisions close to the ground: the person who walks your property is the person who plans your clearing.
What sets our approach apart is that we do not push one machine at every job. A mulcher is the right answer for some parcels and the wrong one for a building lot, and we tell you which is which. We also handle the rules that trip people up. Unincorporated Alachua County requires a tree removal permit for protected trees, with thresholds that depend on lot size, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires that gopher tortoises be relocated under its permit before clearing when their burrows are within 25 feet of the work. We build both checks into the estimate instead of finding out halfway through.
Learn more about our family and our crew, and ask for a free estimate whenever you are ready.
Step by step
Our Land Clearing Process
Walk the Land and Check the Rules
We start on the property, not on the phone. We walk the boundaries with you, flag the trees you want to keep, and note wet areas, fences, utilities, wells and septic locations. We also check what applies to your parcel, because unincorporated Alachua County requires a permit for protected trees and if gopher tortoise burrows are within 25 feet of the work, the tortoises have to be relocated under a state permit before ground is disturbed. You get a free estimate based on what we actually saw rather than a per-acre guess made from a map.
Choose the Method That Fits the Ground
Dense undergrowth and small trees on land that will stay open usually go to the forestry mulcher. Building sites, driveway corridors and parcels with large stumps go to the dozer and excavator. We pick the method before the machines start, because the wrong one either leaves stump bases sitting under your future slab or adds hauling costs you did not need.
Cut, Push and Pull
Our crew works the parcel in sections, keeping machines off soft ground where they would rut and protecting the trees you marked. Standing timber comes down, brush is cleared back to the flagged lines, and the excavator pulls stumps rather than leaving them for later. Working in sections keeps the property accessible and stops debris from piling up around trees we are saving.
Deal With the Debris
Cleared material is mulched and spread, piled for hauling, or burned when burning is legal and sensible. Land-clearing burns need a Florida Forest Service authorization, and piles must sit well back from occupied buildings, wildlands and paved roads, so many jobs skip fire entirely. You know the plan for every pile before we start, so there are no surprises when the work is done.
Root Rake and Final Walk-Through
The last pass with the root rake pulls roots and buried wood out of the top layer of soil, which matters if a pad, drive or septic field is next. We then walk the property with you, check the flagged trees and the boundary lines, and note anything you want touched up. You receive open, drivable ground with clean property lines, ready for the surveyor, the builder or the fence crew.
On the job
Brush out, ground open, drive in
Straight from the cab: clearing a lot with the grapple, and a new gravel driveway set over its culvert at the roadside ditch.
Where we work
Serving Alachua and the surrounding counties
North Florida Land Improvements LLC land clearing crews work throughout Alachua County, from Alachua and High Springs to Newberry, Archer and Hawthorne, and across Union, Bradford, Columbia, Suwannee and Levy Counties. That takes us from Lake Butler and Starke to Lake City, Live Oak and Williston, and we travel farther for larger jobs. Most of our miles are on US-441 through Alachua and High Springs, SR-235 north toward Brooker, US-301 into Starke, and I-75 and I-10 out to Columbia and Suwannee Counties.
Clearing here is shaped by local conditions. Many north Florida soils are sandy and poorly drained, so a parcel that looks dry in April can be a rutted mess after a June storm, and we schedule heavy machinery around the wet season. Invasive plants such as cogongrass and Chinese tallow are common, which is why we clean equipment before it leaves a site. Hurricane Idalia in 2023 toppled large oaks and snapped pines in Suwannee and Columbia Counties, and during hurricane response we have answered calls at all hours from landowners who needed access restored, so storm cleanup is work we know how to run.
From our job sites
Recent jobs
Wooded lot cleared to the tree line 
Open ground, good oak kept 
Trees out, roots and all 
Lot finished edge to edge
Common questions
Land Clearing FAQs
How much does land clearing cost per acre in Florida?
There is no honest per-acre number without seeing the land. Cost is driven by vegetation density, tree size, the number of stumps, terrain and wet ground, how far the debris has to go, and whether the lot must be build-ready. A lightly brushed field and an acre of dense pine and palmetto can differ several times over in price, which is why we walk the property and quote after we have seen it. Estimates are free.
Do I need a permit to clear land in Alachua County?
Possibly. In unincorporated Alachua County, tree removal requires prior approval for protected trees. On single-family lots of one acre or less, that means native trees over 20 inches in diameter, laurel and water oaks over 30 inches, and specimen trees. On larger lots and commercial land, trees over 8 inches in diameter are covered, and the application fee is $90. Cities such as Gainesville and Alachua have their own rules, and projects that disturb an acre or more may also need state stormwater coverage. We help you sort out which applies before work starts.
What is the difference between land clearing and grubbing?
Clearing removes what stands above ground: trees, brush and debris. Grubbing removes what is below it: stumps and roots. If the land will only be opened up for pasture or access, clearing may be enough. If a house, shed pad or driveway is going on it, grubbing is what keeps buried wood from rotting and settling under your foundation.
Is forestry mulching enough if I am going to build?
Usually not. A mulcher cuts trees and brush at ground level and leaves stump bases and roots in the soil, and a thick mulch layer can hold moisture and organic material under a pad. Mulching is excellent for open land, trails and firebreaks. Building areas need stumps pulled and organics stripped first.
Can I burn the brush after it is cleared?
Only with the right authorization. Land-clearing burns in Florida require a Florida Forest Service authorization, burning garbage, treated lumber or plastics is illegal, and local ordinances can ban burning outright. Piles must also be set back from buildings, woods and roads. Many of our jobs mulch or haul the material instead, which avoids the burn-day scheduling problem altogether.
Keep exploring
Related services
Clearing is usually the first phase of a larger project. If the land will be built on, see our site preparation work, and if you want selective clearing with no burning or hauling, read about forestry mulching. Ready to get started? Contact us or call (352) 756-0010 for a free estimate.
Site Preparation
We clear, scrape, grade and laser level your lot so your builder starts on solid, accurate ground.
Learn moreForestry Mulching
One-pass clearing that grinds trees and brush into mulch where they stand, with no burn piles and less soil disturbance.
Learn moreDriveways and Culverts
Gravel driveways built on good grading, a solid base and proper drainage, with culvert pipe where the drive crosses a ditch.
Learn moreHouse Pads
Level, laser-graded building pads that give your builder or concrete crew a stable surface to work from.
Learn more
Free estimates
Ready to talk about land clearing?
Call (352) 756-0010 or request your free estimate, and we will walk the property with you before anything is quoted.
Military and first responder discounts available.