Elevated Dirt Works · Free On-Site Estimates
Lot Clearing & Logging in Missoula, MT
Clearing trees, stumps and brush from building sites and rural lots, with the slash handled and the ground rough-graded for your pad and driveway.
Lot Clearing in Missoula and the Bitterroot
A lot of the land around Missoula and up the Bitterroot is wooded. Before you can dig a foundation, drill a well or put in a driveway, the trees and brush have to go, at least where the house, septic and road will sit.
Elevated Dirt Works clears building sites and rural parcels for homeowners, builders and landowners from Lolo to Missoula and down the valley. We take out trees, pull stumps, clear brush and deal with the slash, then rough-grade the ground so it's ready for the next step. Logging is on our service list, so marketable timber on a clearing job can be handled along the way.
We keep clearing to what the project needs. A cleared building pad with trees left around it often makes a better home site than a bare lot. We'll walk the site with you and mark what stays before any saw starts.
What's Included
- Walking the site and marking trees to keep
- Tree removal and logging
- Stump removal from the building area
- Brush and undergrowth clearing
- Slash piling or removal
- Clearing for the building pad, septic area and driveway
- Rough grade of the cleared area
- Topsoil stripped and saved for later
How It Works
- Free on-site estimate
We walk the property with you and talk through where the house, septic, well and driveway will go.
- Mark and plan
We flag what stays and what comes out.
- Cut and clear
Trees come down, and brush is cleared from the work areas.
- Stumps and slash
Stumps come out of anything that will be built on, and slash is piled or hauled.
- Rough grade
We level the pad area and the driveway route so layout can start.
Clearing a Building Site
Plan the whole layout first. The house isn't the only thing that needs space. The septic drainfield, the well, the driveway and room for trucks and equipment during construction all need clearing too. It's much easier to clear once than to bring machines back later. Talk with your builder and septic designer before we start.
Stumps. Anywhere you'll build, pave or put in a drainfield, stumps need to come out. Roots left in the ground rot and leave soft spots. Outside those areas, stumps can sometimes be cut low and left.
Slash. Branches and brush pile up fast. They can be piled for burning where that's allowed, or hauled off. Burning follows local and seasonal rules, so check with your fire district or county.
Keep the good trees. Mature trees near the edge of a clearing can add shade, privacy and a windbreak. We work around the ones you want to keep and avoid driving over their roots where we can.
Rough grade and pad. Once the ground is clear, we strip topsoil and rough-grade the pad and the driveway route. From there it's straight into site prep, road building and the foundation dig.
What Affects the Cost
Tree count and size
More and bigger trees mean more cutting and handling.
Stumps
Pulling stumps from the build area adds machine time.
Slash handling
Hauling slash off costs more than piling it on site.
Slope and access
Steep or hard-to-reach ground slows everything down.
Area
Clearing only what the project needs keeps the job smaller.
Timber
Marketable logs may change how the job is handled.
The on-site estimate is free. Call (406) 239-1799
Elevated Dirt Works has been my go to for all excavation needs. EDW is always a pleasure to work with in the busy and challenging world of building and construction. EDW is truly elevated above the rest when it comes to scheduling and communication. Confident, patient and trustworthy is what you can expect from EDW. Doing business with EDW is a pleasure from start to finish.
Greg DuPontTradeworks ConstructionLot Clearing Across Western Montana
We work from our base in Lolo across Missoula County and the Bitterroot Valley.
Ravalli County / Bitterroot Valley
Lot Clearing FAQs
Can you leave some trees standing?
Yes. We walk the site with you first and mark what stays.
Do I need a permit to clear my lot?
It depends on where the land is and what you're doing. Check with the county or city, and ask your fire district about burning.
What happens to the logs?
Logging is one of our services. Marketable timber can be handled as part of the job, and we'll talk through the options for your trees at the estimate.
Can you clear in the winter?
It depends on frost, snow and access. Frozen ground can actually help on some sites, and on others it stops work. Call and we'll tell you what's realistic.
Can you clear for a driveway only?
Yes. A lot of clearing work starts with the road in. Contact us for a free on-site estimate.
Ready to Break Ground?
Call for a free on-site estimate. Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.