Land clearing question

Hey guys. Not real apt at navigating this site, and so I don't beat a dead horse that has probably been beat on a million times on HEF, what section of HEF can i find info or past post regarding bidding and best practices on clearing small tracts. I need to bid on an old house site overgrown in small trash trees and underbrush and all debris is to be hauled off. Any advice and site direction will be appreciated.

What kind of equipment are you working with?

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...dyo-s-Excavation-amp-Clearing-Pics&highlight=

There might be some in here

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?14520-Arkansas-Farm-Pics&highlight=

Your in the voodoo realm when it comes to estimating this, as every site is different. Even with a detailed walk through of the site, it's still a best guess. :cool2

I just finished up the clearing and demo on a small tract for a new fast food site. Clearing overgrown brush, mature trees and demo of an old house with several outbuildings. Used the old standard 1000SF = 100CY of debris for the structures and guestimated the amount of tree debris. Hauled the demo debris to the landfill, brush and "scrapings" to my dump(s).

Site was slightly less than an acre. Hauled 240 CY of demo debris, 320 CY of tree debris and we're still hauling out the "scrapings" and buried debris. It's a cut site so it was easy to estimate that portion from the design drawings. Now the amount of debris I hauled out has no correlation what so ever to your job other than the demo equation, 1000SF = 100CY of debris.

Before -





Done today before the rain came in. We'll be back to run storm and grade the parking lot and building pad. The house we demo'd was in front of the blue house.

Roddyo, thanks for the links. I will check them out. We are running a Deere 650H LGP, Deere 160LC EX with thumb, and numerous large tractors with FEL's, and large rakes if needed. Past experience is Roadways, making Food Plots, Ponds, general clearing, all involving just piling up and/or wind rowing the debris. This is the first time at having to deal with hauling off debris from the site.

Thanks for the info CM1995. The site we are working on is 99% trash trees and brush with some minor out buildings and old fencing. And the growth is only moderately dense.

What part of AL are you in?

DM22 said:

Thanks for the info CM1995. The site we are working on is 99% trash trees and brush with some minor out buildings and old fencing. And the growth is only moderately dense.

What part of AL are you in?

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Birmingham area.

Your project seems to be the same as the one I just finished. It's tough to estimate those projects, give it your best guess and add 30% - 40%..

Can you give the pulp wood away and chip the rest? That's the first thing that comes to mind.

We use the swag method.
Scientific, wild, ass, guess.

CM1995 said:

Your in the voodoo realm when it comes to estimating this, as every site is different. Even with a detailed walk through of the site, it's still a best guess. :cool2

I just finished up the clearing and demo on a small tract for a new fast food site. Clearing overgrown brush, mature trees and demo of an old house with several outbuildings. Used the old standard 1000SF = 100CY of debris for the structures and guestimated the amount of tree debris. Hauled the demo debris to the landfill, brush and "scrapings" to my dump(s).

Site was slightly less than an acre. Hauled 240 CY of demo debris, 320 CY of tree debris and we're still hauling out the "scrapings" and buried debris. It's a cut site so it was easy to estimate that portion from the design drawings. Now the amount of debris I hauled out has no correlation what so ever to your job other than the demo equation, 1000SF = 100CY of debris.

Click to expand...

Could you please explain a little more about the standard of 1000SF = 100CY. I've never heard of this. Do you convert that over to loads by the cubic yardage of your dump truck or trailer? So say if my dump trailer is approx. 45 yards, a 1000 SF house would be just over 2 loads. I understand its just a ballpark estimate to get you close and depends on a lot of different variables. And that probably doesn't take into account the footers, or does it? Just trying to learn some new estimating techniques. Thanks.

NCSLIM1 said:

Could you please explain a little more about the standard of 1000SF = 100CY. I've never heard of this. Do you convert that over to loads by the cubic yardage of your dump truck or trailer? So say if my dump trailer is approx. 45 yards, a 1000 SF house would be just over 2 loads. I understand its just a ballpark estimate to get you close and depends on a lot of different variables. And that probably doesn't take into account the footers, or does it? Just trying to learn some new estimating techniques. Thanks.

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That equation is for the square footage of the house and garage, if any. Slabs, footings and basements are additional. Slabs and basements are easy to estimate, footers can be unpredictable in size and depth.

For example a salt box 2 story wood framed house on a full basement, no garage. Figure the square footage (1st floor X 2), then figure the basement walls by the face foot and slab by the square foot. Then make your best guess on the footings - depends on the age of the house and the lot. It's an obvious fill lot and it's a newer house - the footings are going to be deeper. Like I said that part is a best guess.

Convert the CY's to whatever your hauling them in. I get a flat rate on the 60 CY trailer and when hauling in 30's, residential demo will average 9 tons a can. Some lighter and some heavier but it'll average out if it's standard wood framed. I would think your 45CY trailer should average 12-14 tons per load.