After years of working with landowners across Central Florida, we have seen every kind of clearing project — the ones that go beautifully and the ones that go sideways. The mistakes are remarkably consistent. First-time landowners, full of enthusiasm and often working with limited information, tend to fall into the same traps. Every single one of these mistakes is avoidable with the right preparation and guidance.
Here are the most common ones, and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Not Having Clear Goals Before Starting
This is the most fundamental mistake and the one that leads to all the others. When a landowner calls and says “I want my land cleared,” the first question should always be: “Cleared for what purpose?”
The answer changes everything about the approach:
- Clearing for a homesite requires different methods and priorities than clearing for wildlife habitat
- Clearing for pasture conversion is a completely different operation than clearing for timber management
- Clearing for prescribed fire preparation leaves a very different landscape than clearing for aesthetics
Without clear goals, you end up with a property that is cleared but not actually improved for any particular purpose. We have seen landowners spend thousands of dollars on clearing work, only to realize afterward that they removed trees they needed, left vegetation they should have removed, or created conditions that do not support their actual objectives.
How to avoid it: Before you call any contractor, write down what you want to do with your land after the clearing is done. Be specific. “Make it look nice” is a starting point, but “create a park-like setting under the mature oaks with walking trails and reduced fire risk” is a goal you can actually design around.
Mistake 2: Removing Valuable Trees
This one hurts. We have seen properties where the previous clearing contractor removed mature longleaf pines (worth hundreds of dollars each as timber), healthy mast-producing oaks (irreplaceable on any reasonable timeline), or specimen trees that gave the property its character.
Once a mature tree is gone, it is gone for a generation. A 24-inch diameter pine took 40 to 60 years to grow. A large live oak may be a century old or more. No amount of money brings them back.
The most common version of this mistake happens when a landowner hires a contractor who uses a bulldozer for clearing. Bulldozer operators working by the acre have an incentive to push everything — it is faster than working selectively. The result is a moonscape where every tree, desirable or not, has been knocked down and pushed into windrows or burn piles.
How to avoid it: Before any clearing begins, walk the property with your contractor and clearly mark which trees to keep. Use flagging tape or paint to identify every tree that should be preserved. And choose a clearing method — like forestry mulching — that allows selective removal rather than wholesale destruction.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Property Boundaries
It sounds basic, but boundary mistakes happen more often than you would think. A clearing contractor who goes 10 feet over your property line onto a neighbor’s land creates an immediate legal and financial problem. If they remove trees on someone else’s property, you could be liable for the replacement value of those trees — which in Florida can be assessed at three times the timber value.
How to avoid it: Have your property surveyed before clearing begins if there is any uncertainty about boundary locations. At minimum, locate your property corners and confirm the boundary lines with flagging or paint. Show these to your contractor before work begins and make sure the operator knows exactly where the limits are.
Mistake 4: Not Checking for Permits and Protected Species
In Central Florida, several regulatory requirements can affect clearing projects:
- Gopher tortoise surveys are required before most land clearing operations. Gopher tortoises are a state-listed threatened species, and disturbing their burrows without a permit carries significant fines.
- Wetland delineation may be needed if your property contains or is adjacent to wetlands. Clearing in wetlands without a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers or your water management district can result in enforcement action and mandatory restoration at your expense.
- Local tree ordinances vary by county and municipality. Some jurisdictions in Central Florida require permits for removing trees above a certain diameter, even on private property.
- Endangered species considerations beyond gopher tortoises may apply depending on your location and habitat type. Florida scrub-jay habitat, for example, has specific protections.
How to avoid it: Before any work begins, contact your county’s planning or environmental office to understand local requirements. Have a qualified biologist conduct a gopher tortoise survey if your property has suitable habitat (sandy, well-drained soils with herbaceous groundcover). Do not assume that your contractor is responsible for permits — as the landowner, you bear the legal responsibility.
Mistake 5: Choosing the Wrong Clearing Method
Not all clearing methods are appropriate for all situations. The three most common methods in Central Florida are:
- Bulldozer clearing (push and pile): Fastest for total removal, but destroys topsoil, damages root systems of retained trees, and creates massive debris piles that require burning or hauling.
- Chainsaw and skidder: More selective than bulldozer work, but labor-intensive, slower, and still requires debris disposal.
- Forestry mulching: Selective, processes material in place, preserves soil structure, and leaves a clean finished product. Not the fastest for total removal but far superior for selective work.
The mistake is choosing a method based solely on price without considering the end result. Bulldozer clearing is often the cheapest per acre, but the damage it does to the site — soil compaction, root damage to remaining trees, loss of topsoil — can cost far more to remediate than the savings on the clearing itself.
How to avoid it: Match your method to your goals. If you are clearing for a construction pad and everything needs to go, a bulldozer may be appropriate. For almost everything else — wildlife habitat, residential aesthetics, timber management, fire preparation — forestry mulching produces a better outcome.
Mistake 6: Not Planning for Regrowth
This is the mistake that catches people six months to two years after the clearing is done. They invest in a beautiful clearing job, enjoy the results, and then watch in dismay as the vegetation grows back — often faster and thicker than before.
In Central Florida’s warm, wet climate, vegetation regrowth is relentless. Hardwood stumps resprout. Seed banks activate. Invasive species colonize disturbed soil. Without a follow-up management plan, your clearing investment has a limited lifespan.
How to avoid it: Before you start clearing, have a plan for what comes next. Common follow-up strategies include:
- Prescribed fire on a 2-to-3-year rotation to maintain open conditions
- Targeted herbicide treatment on stumps of aggressive resprouters (especially invasive species)
- Maintenance mulching every 3 to 5 years to reset regrowth
- Establishing desirable ground cover (native grasses, food plots) that competes with unwanted vegetation
The clearing is the beginning of management, not the end. Budget for ongoing maintenance from the start.
Mistake 7: Doing It All at Once
Enthusiasm is great, but trying to clear and manage an entire property in a single operation often leads to budget overruns, decision fatigue, and suboptimal results. Large properties benefit from a phased approach where you treat the highest-priority areas first, evaluate the results, and then expand based on what you have learned.
How to avoid it: Start with a manageable area — 5 to 15 acres for most landowners — and do it right. Observe the results over a full growing season. Learn what regrows, what establishes naturally, and what needs additional attention. Then apply those lessons to the next phase.
This approach also lets you spread costs over multiple budget years and take advantage of cost-share programs that fund specific management practices.
Mistake 8: Not Getting Multiple Quotes
Land clearing pricing varies significantly between contractors, and the cheapest quote is not always the best value. When comparing quotes, make sure you are evaluating:
- What is included: Does the quote cover the full scope, or are there add-ons for firebreaks, debris cleanup, or hazard tree removal?
- What equipment will be used: Undersized equipment takes longer and may not produce the same quality result. Ask what machine and mulching head will be used on your project.
- What experience the contractor has: Ask for references and photos of similar projects. Forestry mulching is a skill, and operator experience matters enormously.
- What the timeline is: A contractor who can start next week may be available because they are not in demand. A contractor booked several weeks out may be worth the wait.
How to avoid it: Get at least three quotes, and do not make your decision based on price alone. Ask questions, check references, and look at past work. The difference between a good mulching job and a bad one is immediately visible and has long-term consequences for your property.
The Bottom Line
Every one of these mistakes comes down to the same root cause: insufficient planning. Land clearing is a significant investment, and the decisions you make before the machine arrives are far more important than anything that happens during the operation itself.
At TreeShop, we start every project with a thorough consultation — walking the property, understanding the owner’s goals, identifying challenges and opportunities, and developing a plan that addresses both the immediate work and the long-term management trajectory. That upfront investment in planning is what separates a project you regret from one that transforms your property for the better.
Take the time to plan. Your land is worth it.