Overgrown lots and ADU yards
Lot Clearing and Site Prep in San Jose
San Jose lots that have gone wild, abandoned backyards and freshly demolished sites cleared of brush, stumps, fencing, junk and buried rubble, then rough graded so the surveyor, engineer and builder can get to work.
Lot Clearing on San Jose Infill and Hillside Parcels
Most lot clearing in San Jose falls into one of three situations. The first is an infill lot in an older neighborhood, where a house came down years ago and the parcel has grown over with weeds, volunteer trees and dumped junk. The second is a backyard being cleared for an ADU, where decades of sheds, planters, old concrete and overgrown shrubs stand between the owner and a buildable pad. The third is a hillside or foothill parcel in Evergreen, Almaden or the east foothills, with brush, dry grass and uneven ground.
Each needs a different approach. Flat infill lots can usually be cleared with a skid steer and a bin in a day or two. Backyards on narrow lots may need hand work and small machines that fit through a gate. Hillside parcels need care around slopes, drainage paths and erosion, and some sit in mapped fire hazard areas where clearing also helps with defensible space.
Brush, Tree and Stump Removal Before Building
Brush, dead shrubs and small trees are cut, chipped or hauled as green waste so they can be composted or recycled. Stumps are ground or pulled, depending on size and what goes in after. Root balls left in the ground under a future foundation cause settling, so we remove them where the building footprint or driveway will go.
San Jose protects many larger trees, and street trees in the parkway are regulated separately. Removing an ordinance-size tree on private property usually needs a city tree removal permit, and some trees will be marked for protection during construction. We check what your permit or arborist report says before cutting anything, and we fence off protected trees before the machines arrive.
Buried Debris, Old Utilities and Rough Grading
Old lots tend to hide things. We often find buried concrete from a previous foundation, old septic pieces, broken pipes, rubble fill, abandoned irrigation lines and the occasional car part. These come out during clearing so they do not show up later under the new foundation. If we find anything that looks like an underground tank or contaminated soil, we stop and bring in the right specialist.
Once the lot is clear, we rough grade it to the levels and drainage your plans call for. That might mean cutting a high spot, filling a low one, or just leveling the surface so the surveyor can stake the building. Larger grading jobs or hillside work can need a grading permit and an engineer's plan, which we coordinate.
Site Prep After Demolition in San Jose
Lot clearing often follows a house or garage demolition. After the structure and foundation are gone, we pull remaining hardscape, fencing and landscaping, clear stumps and roots, and rough grade the pad. Erosion control like straw wattles may be needed around the perimeter during the rainy season, especially on sloped lots or near creeks like Los Gatos Creek, the Guadalupe River or Coyote Creek.
Green waste, concrete, metal and wood are separated so they can be recycled rather than landfilled. We keep the tickets for your permit file. The result is a lot ready for whatever is next: surveying, soils testing, utility trenching or foundation work. Fencing can go up around the cleared lot to keep out dumping.
Inside a San Jose Lot Clearing Job
Brush and Weed Clearing on San Jose Lots
Weeds, brush, dead shrubs and small trees are cut and removed, with green waste sent for composting or recycling instead of landfill. Poison oak on foothill parcels is cut and bagged on site, never chipped or burned.
Stump and Root Removal
Stumps are ground or pulled, and root balls under future footprints are removed so they do not rot and cause settling under the new building. Holes left behind by stumps are backfilled and compacted so the surface does not sink later.
Junk and Buried Debris Removal
Old fencing, sheds, rubble, concrete pieces and buried junk are dug out and hauled, with concrete and metal separated for recycling. Anything that looks like a tank or contaminated soil stops the work until a specialist checks it.
Rough Grading and Site Prep
The cleared lot is rough graded to drain and to the levels your plans need, with erosion control on slopes so the site is ready for layout. Final finish grade is left to your builder and landscaper.
Lot Clearing: Job Site Photos
Lot Clearing and Site Prep Across San Jose
Demolition FAQs
San Jose Lot Clearing FAQ
Will I need a city permit to clear my San Jose lot?
Simple brush and junk removal usually does not. Removing protected trees, grading larger volumes of soil, or working on hillside lots often does. We check what applies to your parcel before starting.
Can you remove trees during lot clearing?
We remove small trees and brush. Larger trees may be protected under San Jose's tree rules and need a permit, and big removals may call for a tree service. We follow your permit and arborist report.
How long does lot clearing take?
A typical overgrown residential lot can be cleared in one to three days. Hillside parcels, large lots, heavy stumps or buried debris take longer. We give you a timeline after the site walk.
What affects the cost of lot clearing?
Acreage, slope, how thick the growth is, how many stumps and how big, whatever is buried, equipment access and total haul volume. Green waste and concrete recycle well, which helps.
Does clearing help with fire safety on hillside lots?
Yes. Removing dry brush and dead vegetation reduces fuel near structures. Parts of the San Jose foothills are in fire hazard zones with defensible space expectations, and clearing is a common first step.
Demolition quote
Price Lot Clearing in San Jose
Describe the parcel, what is growing or piled on it now and what you plan to build. Our crew lead will reach out within a day about walking the lot.
- Permits
- Demolition
- Haul-off