Site Preparation - From Bare Lot to Build-Ready
Site prep is the work that happens before the foundation goes in. Done right, it makes every trade after you faster and cheaper. Done wrong, it costs your builder time on every visit. We handle the full sequence – clearing, stump removal, erosion control, grading – so the lot is ready when your builder shows up.
What "site prep" actually means
Clearing
Clearing the lot of trees, brush, stumps, and any old structures or debris.
Erosion and sediment control
Anything the township or Conservation Authority requires.
Stripping
Building pad prep
Compaction, sub-base material if specified.
Rough grading
If you're working with a builder or designer
We coordinate to their grading plan. If you’re not, we’ll tell you what we’d do and why.
01
Land Clearing
Clearing covers tree removal, brush, stumps, root mats, and old debris. We size the equipment to the job.
Common scopes:
- Single-lot residential clearing (1/4 to 1 acre)
- Cottage lots, often with shoreline considerations and Conservation Authority rules
- Multi-acre rural builds
- Re-clearing after a build has been parked for a season
We chip, haul, or burn the brush per local bylaws. Salvageable timber is yours, we set it aside, you sort it.
02
Lot Grading
Grading is where most lots get one of two outcomes: water flows where you want it to, or it doesn’t. We work to engineered grade plans where one exists, and we shape lots without a plan to drain away from the building, away from the driveway, and toward proper outlets.
What grading typically involves:
- Cut and fill across the lot
- Topsoil strip and stockpile
- Compaction to spec for sub-grade
- Final grade pass
- Swales and drainage channels where the lot calls for them
03
Stump removal & disposal
Stumps come out at the same pass as clearing. We grind, pull, or excavate depending on size and location. Disposal is included in the quote, you don’t pay extra to make them disappear.
04
Erosion & sediment control
Most townships require erosion control during clearing and grading on lots of any meaningful size, and Conservation Authorities require it whenever you’re near water. We install what’s needed and maintain it through the construction window.
Cost Factors
Acreage
Clearing scales by area, grading by volume of material moved.
Access
Cottage roads, soft ground, distance to material disposal.
What's on the lot
Mature trees, root mats, and old debris all add time and cost.
Permits and CA requirements
Coastal, shoreline, and watershed work involves more compliance work.
Slope
Gentle is fast, steep is slow.
More Services
Excavation
Foundation digs, basements, utility trenches, lot excavation.
Site Preparation
Land clearing, lot grading, stump removal, erosion control.
Demolition
House and cottage teardowns, concrete demolition, debris removal.
Septic Installation
Septic system installs and replacements, with permits handled.
Drainage
French drains, weeping tile, regrading, swales, culverts.
Trucking & Aggregate Delivery
Gravel, sand, topsoil, fill — by the load, on schedule.
Retaining Walls
Armour stone, boulder walls, and shoreline-safe walls.
- Waubaushene
- Tay Township
- Port Severn
- Midland
- Orillia
- Port Carling
- Parry Sound
- Tiny
- Springwater
- Elmvale
- Oro-Medonte
- Gravenhurst
- Rosseau
- Collingwood
- Bracebridge
- Huntsville
- Dwight
- Baysville
- Bala
- MacTier
Get a site prep quote
The earlier you talk to us, the better, site prep books up by April for the spring/summer season. Even a rough timeline helps us plan.