Clearing overgrown brush, saplings and woodland edges and leaving the mulch where it falls.
We use track loaders with forestry mulcher heads to turn brush, saplings and small trees into mulch on site. We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Larger trees are cut first and their stumps are ground separately. In Andover that fits overgrown lot edges, wooded back acreage and trail corridors where hauling out debris would add cost and traffic.
Call (978) 696-6659 or use Get a Quote with photos and a rough size of the area. For a quick planning number, try our forestry mulching cost calculator.
Size limit: We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Larger trees are cut first and the stumps ground separately.
Because Andover regulates vegetation removal near wetlands and streams, the mulching line on many properties is drawn by the town's buffers rather than the edge of the brush.
Andover's fact sheet lists vegetation removal among the activities that need a permit from the Conservation Commission when done in a wetland or its 100-foot buffer. Mulching brush is vegetation removal, so a buffer edge decides how far we go.
The Shawsheen River, Fish Brook, Husseys Brook and Rogers Brook each carry a 200-foot riverfront area under the bylaw. A back lot that looks like an easy brush clearing may still be inside that zone.
When Andover's Conservation Department approves tree work in a wetland area, conditions can include no heavy equipment in the wetland and slash or wood chips taken off site. A mulcher leaves chips on the ground, so work near wetlands may need a different plan.
Andover's ground is full of glacial erratics, and nearby Harold Parker State Forest has rolling hills and rocky outcroppings. Boulders buried in thick growth are common, so we look for them before mulching and note any we cannot work over.
If your lot backs onto Harold Parker State Forest or Ward Reservation, confirm the boundary before we mulch up to it. We will not cross onto land you do not own.
Mulching leaves roots and soil in place, but Andover's buffers still apply.
Wetlands bylaw. The bylaw covers land within 100 feet of wetlands and ponds and within 200 feet of rivers, defines altering to include the destruction of plant life, and generally treats the inner 25 feet of the buffer as a no-disturb area (Town fact sheet (opens in a new tab); bylaw (opens in a new tab)). The applicant carries the burden of showing the work will not harm protected values.
Tree guidance. The Conservation Department says trees in a wetland or its buffer may need permission before removal and that approvals may carry conditions (Tree Removal Guidance (opens in a new tab)). Call (978) 623-8630 before mulching near a brook or wetland.
Watershed overlay. West Andover's Fish Brook and Haggetts Pond Watershed Protection Overlay District adds rules that the Conservation Commission helps enforce.
We will flag buffer questions we see on site, but this is not legal advice.
Sources: Town of Andover: Wetlands Protection By-law Fact Sheet; Town of Andover: Wetlands Protection Bylaw; Town of Andover Conservation: Tree Removal / Tree Work Guidance Document
HomeAdvisor (opens in a new tab) lists forestry mulching at about $400 to $1,500 per acre, or $125 to $400 per machine hour, and Angi (opens in a new tab) reports an average near $800 per acre. These are national reference ranges, not our prices. Our forestry mulching cost calculator gives a planning estimate, and we confirm the number after seeing the site.
Try the forestry mulching cost calculator
Cost references: HomeAdvisor: How Much Does Forestry Mulching Cost; Angi: Forestry Mulching Cost
A few places locals know, and what they mean for outdoor work nearby.
A state forest of about 3,300 acres that spans Andover, North Andover, Middleton and North Reading, with rolling hills, glacial erratics, rocky outcroppings, ponds and swamps. Properties that border it sit in the same wooded, rocky ground, where boundary lines and hidden boulders matter.
Get directions to Harold Parker State Forest (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A 704-acre Trustees of Reservations property in Andover and North Andover, where Holt Hill at 420 feet is the highest point in Essex County. Steep wooded ground like this shows up on nearby lots, where slope and access affect equipment choice.
Get directions to Ward Reservation (opens Google Maps in a new tab)The reservoir in west Andover that supplies the town's water. The Fish Brook and Haggetts Pond Watershed Protection Overlay District adds extra watershed rules that Andover's Conservation Commission helps enforce.
Get directions to Haggetts Pond (opens Google Maps in a new tab)One of the perennial streams the town names in its wetlands guidance, alongside Fish Brook, Husseys Brook and Rogers Brook. Each carries a 200-foot riverfront area under the town's bylaw, which reaches well past most backyards.
Get directions to Shawsheen River (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
We can mulch hardwood up to 8 inches in diameter. Anything larger is cut first and the stump is ground separately. Tell us roughly how many big trees are in the area when you ask for a quote.
Only inside the Town's rules. Vegetation removal within 100 feet of a wetland or 200 feet of a perennial stream can need Conservation approval, and conditions may limit heavy equipment. We set the work line back unless you have approval.
On dry upland, yes, and that is usually the point of mulching. In a wetland area the Town may require chips to be taken off site, which is why we confirm the buffer first.
Use the Town's Andover GIS Viewer, which shows wetlands in green hatching, and ask the Conservation Department. A survey or site plan also helps.
Saplings and shrubs can resprout within a season or two. A follow-up mulching pass, or regular mowing, keeps the area open. We do not offer chemical treatment.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
Tell us about the job and we will call you back to talk it through. Fields marked * are required.
