Rural lots in Beaverton, Cannington, Sunderland, Uxbridge and Scugog come with bush, and whether you are opening a building site, a paddock, a driveway or a view, the process is the same. Here is the order that saves money.
First, check what you are allowed to cut
Durham Region has a woodland by-law that regulates cutting in woodlands over a certain size, and several local municipalities have tree by-laws of their own. Land within the Oak Ridges Moraine or Greenbelt, which covers a lot of Uxbridge and Scugog, has additional rules, and anything near a creek or wetland falls under the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority or Kawartha Conservation. A phone call to the township before you start can save a stop-work order and a fine. Clearing a building envelope on a lot with a building permit is usually straightforward; clearing acres of mature woodland is not.
Step 1: Brush and saplings
Start with the SVL75-3 track loader and a grapple or brush cutter attachment. It flattens saplings, pulls brush and stacks it for chipping or a burn pile (check the township's open air burning rules and permit requirements first). This step opens the site so you can see what you are dealing with.
Step 2: Trees
Trees are felled by chainsaw by someone who knows how, or by a tree service for anything large or near a structure. The loader with a grapple then drags and stacks logs and limbs. Do not use a compact machine to push over standing trees; that is how machines roll and people get hurt.
Step 3: Stumps
This is excavator work. The Kubota U35 digs around the stump, cuts the roots with the bucket teeth and pries it out. Stumps up to about two feet across come out cleanly; larger ones take longer. Stumps can be hauled away, buried on site only where the township allows it, or ground. Our stump removal guide compares the options.
Step 4: Roots, rocks and rough grading
Once stumps are out, the excavator rakes the roots and boulders into piles and the loader does a rough grade. On the Moraine, expect boulders. In Brock, expect clay that holds water, so grade for drainage from the start.
Step 5: Topsoil and finish
Strip and stockpile topsoil before you build, then spread it back afterward. The loader does both.
What to rent
For an acre of mixed bush, most customers rent the U35 and the SVL75-3 for a week together, $1,500 and $1,250 respectively, delivered. For a small building envelope, a weekend with each machine is often enough. Ontario One Call locates are required before any digging, even on raw land, because buried hydro, gas and telecom lines cross rural properties more often than people expect.
Clearing in Brock, Uxbridge, Scugog or Kawartha Lakes? Call or text 905-251-2521 and tell us the acreage and what is on it.