TLS Land & Cattle LLC

The dry season, roughly November through May, is the best window. Central Florida gets most of its rain between June and October. Firm ground lets heavy equipment work efficiently without cutting deep ruts or compacting your soil, and it keeps a summer thunderstorm from washing your topsoil off a freshly cleared lot. We work year round, and wet season projects are usually fine on high, well-drained ground. But if your property sits low or holds water after a hard rain, scheduling in the dry season gives you a cleaner finish and fewer weather delays. Book early either way, because the dry season fills up quickly ahead of spring builds.

Usually yes, and the rules differ by county. Marion County requires a tree removal permit for any tree 10 inches or larger in diameter at breast height (DBH), and that permit must be in hand before site clearing, grading, or any work that needs a building permit. Citrus County protects trees 4 inches DBH and larger, so the threshold there is much lower. Both counties exempt certain bona fide agricultural uses on agriculturally zoned land. Marion County also requires native tree replacement or a payment into its tree mitigation fund. We will tell you what your lot is likely to need during the free consultation, and we recommend confirming the final requirements with your county growth management office before work begins.

Most quarter-acre to half-acre residential lots clear in one to two days. Moderately overgrown land typically runs about four to eight hours per acre. Multi-acre parcels with heavy timber, large stumps, or soft wet ground can take three to five days or longer. Access matters too, since a lot with a narrow entrance, a ditch, or overhead lines takes more time than an open field. We give you a realistic day count with your estimate and keep you updated if conditions on the ground change.

That is your call, and we price each option. We can process the material on site so it stays on your property, pile it in one location if your county allows burning, or haul it away entirely. Hauling costs more because of trucking and disposal fees, but it leaves the cleanest lot. Stumps are a separate decision. If you are building, stumps and root balls need to come out, because leaving them causes settling and drainage problems under a slab, driveway, or foundation later. If you are opening up a pasture or a trail, you can often leave them in place.

They are three stages of the same job. Land clearing removes the trees, brush, and undergrowth. Site prep gets the cleared ground ready to build on by pulling roots and debris, cutting the building pad, and shaping access for trucks and equipment. Grading levels and slopes the ground so water drains away from the structure instead of pooling against it. A raw wooded lot for a new home usually needs all three. A pasture or fence line cleanup may only need clearing. We handle every stage in house, so you are not scheduling and coordinating three separate contractors.