Most lots around Halifax do not come ready to build on. They come with spruce, alder, boulders, stumps from the last clearing and a layer of roots and organics that has to go before anything gets poured or paved. Doucet clears lots across Halifax and HRM with our own excavator and crew: brush clearing, tree and stump removal, lot grubbing, rough grading, and hauling the material off site. Jack is on pretty much every job.
We clear what the build needs and leave what you want kept. Before the machine starts we walk the lot with you, flag the trees that stay, mark the footprint for the house, garage, driveway or septic field, and agree on where the cleared material goes. Then we strip the brush, pull the stumps, grub the roots and organics out of the building area, and rough grade so water runs away from where you are building. If the lot is rock, which a lot of Halifax lots are, we say so up front and quote it that way.
Pricing is simple. Excavator with operator is $150 an hour and labour is $75 an hour, and once we have seen the lot we quote most clearing jobs as a flat price that includes the hauling. Small residential lots usually land between $3,000 and $8,000. Larger or heavily wooded lots run $8,000 to $20,000 and up. Projects start at $3,000. No surprise extras: if we hit something the walk-through could not show, like ledge, you hear about it before we keep digging.
Pricing a lot before you buy it? Read what land and lot clearing costs in Halifax and what a cleared lot should look like when the machine leaves.
Land clearing
Gallery
Why people pick Doucet for land clearing
Straightforward pricing. The right fix. Local know how.
Hourly rate, no surprise extras.
$75 per hour for labor. $150 per hour for excavator and operator. Disposal quoted separately so you see exactly what you're paying for.
We clear what the build needs, nothing more.
Keep the trees you want. We walk the lot with you and flag them before the machine starts, then grub only the footprint you are building on. Less clearing, less hauling, lower bill.
8+ years across the HRM.
From Halifax to Lawrencetown, Tantallon to Cole Harbour. We know the soil, where the rock sits, and where the water goes once it leaves your lot.
How it works
Give us a call
Give us a call to get started. We'll discuss your property's needs and find a time that works for you.
Book a time
Once we've talked about your project, we'll schedule a convenient time to proceed.
We get to work
At the agreed-upon time, our professional team will expertly proceed with the project.
Questions?
Give Us a Call!
Serving Areas
All of HRM and Surrounding Areas
Opening Hours
Mon - Friday: 6am-6pm
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does land clearing cost in Halifax?
Excavator with operator is $150 an hour, labour $75 an hour, and after a site visit we quote most lots flat with the hauling included. Small residential lots usually come in between $3,000 and $8,000. Larger or heavily treed lots run $8,000 to $20,000 and up. Rock, access and how much has to leave the site are what move the price.
What happens to the stumps and brush?
Stumps come out with the excavator rather than getting ground, so there is nothing left to rot under your lawn or slab. Brush, stumps and organics are hauled off site, and the hauling and disposal are on the quote, not added after.
Can you keep some of the trees?
Yes. Tell us which ones matter and we flag them before the machine starts. We clear the building footprint and the access, and leave the rest standing. A good mature tree is worth more than the hour it takes to work around it.
Do you clear sloped or rocky lots?
Most weeks. Halifax, Beechville, Tantallon and the Hammonds Plains Road are rock and spruce, and that is the ground our machine works most. We tell you on the walk-through what is rock and what is dirt, and the quote reflects it, so the number you get is the number you pay.
What areas do you cover for land clearing?
All of HRM. Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville, Hammonds Plains, Beechville, Tantallon, Timberlea, Cole Harbour, Fall River, Waverley, Hubbards and Chester. We are based in Stillwater Lake, so the west side of the city is a short trip for the machine.