Clearing house lots, wooded back acreage and commercial sites with wetland and shoreland limits mapped first.
We clear land in Salem for builders preparing house lots, homeowners planning an addition, garage or pool, and landowners and commercial owners reclaiming overgrown acreage. Our track loaders, mini excavator and grapple remove trees, stumps and brush, and our trucks and trailers haul debris off site. Stumps can be ground in place or pulled, depending on what you plan to build.
Call (603) 438-6492 or use Get a Quote with the lot address, a rough size and what the land needs to be ready for. If the job is mostly brush and small trees, forestry mulching may be the simpler route.
The Spicket River, Policy Brook and several ponds cross or edge Salem's 24.8 square miles of land, so the clearing line often depends on water and wetlands more than on the property line.
Salem's Wetlands Conservation Ordinance calls for a 100-foot undisturbed buffer around prime wetlands and a 20-foot natural buffer out to the edge of lawns. The Planning Board approves applications for buffer impacts, so a lot with a wet corner may have an area we cannot clear without approval.
The Conservation Commission lists Captains Pond, Canobie Lake, World's End Pond, Arlington Pond, Millville Pond and Shadow Lake, plus the Spicket River, under the state shoreland act. Clearing trees and shrubs from a waterfront needs an NHDES permit, so lots near these waters are cleared in planned sections.
The state Alteration of Terrain permit applies above 100,000 square feet of disturbance, but only above 50,000 square feet when any part of the project is in protected shoreland. A lakeside parcel can reach that lower number sooner than people expect.
Within 50 feet of protected water, state rules keep stumps and roots in the ground unless NHDES approves removal. We cut trees there to leave the root system, and grind or pull stumps only on the dry side of that line.
Clearing can touch state and town rules at the same time. These are the ones we look for with you.
Shoreland. Salem's Conservation Commission says a permit may be required to remove trees or brush within 250 feet of Canobie Lake, the ponds and the Spicket River, and an NHDES permit is required to clear the waterfront (Salem brochure (opens in a new tab); RSA 483-B:9 (opens in a new tab)).
Wetlands. Excavating, removing or filling in wetlands and banks needs a state permit (RSA 482-A:3 (opens in a new tab)). Salem's own ordinance sets the buffers, and the Planning Board approves buffer impacts.
Alteration of Terrain. NHDES requires a permit when a project disturbs more than 100,000 square feet, or more than 50,000 square feet if any part is in protected shoreland (RSA 485-A:17 (opens in a new tab)).
Intent to Cut. If clearing produces timber, the owner may need to file a notice of intent to cut with the town's assessing officials before cutting (RSA 79:10 (opens in a new tab)). Some land conversion cuts are exempt up to set volumes when all permits for the new use are in hand (RSA 79:1 (opens in a new tab)).
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Salem has been reviewing its wetland ordinance, so confirm current rules with the Planning Department.
Sources: Town of Salem Conservation Commission: Wetlands and Shorelands Brochure (rev. March 2024); NH RSA 483-B:9, shoreland minimum standards; NH RSA 482-A:3, Wetlands permits; NH RSA 485-A:17, Alteration of Terrain; NH RSA 79:10, Notice of intent to cut; NH RSA 79:1, Timber tax definitions and exemptions; Town of Salem: Conservation Commission update (wetland ordinance review)
HomeAdvisor (opens in a new tab) puts national land clearing costs at roughly $500 to $5,600 per acre and notes that heavily forested land can cost about three times as much because of the extra work. These are national reference ranges, not our prices. Land clearing has too many variables for a calculator, so we price it after looking at the lot. If part of the job is brush or small trees, our forestry mulching cost calculator gives a rough starting point.
Cost references: HomeAdvisor: How Much Does It Cost to Clear Land
A few places locals know, and what they mean for outdoor work nearby.
A 375-acre lake on the Salem and Windham line whose shores are mostly lined with houses. It is one of the waters Salem's Conservation Commission lists under the state shoreland act, so tree and brush removal within 250 feet of the water's edge may need a permit.
Get directions to Canobie Lake (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Town-owned conservation land managed by the Salem Conservation Commission, with a lettered trail network that includes a planned bridge over a wetland on Trail F. It shows how quickly dry woods turn to wet ground in this part of the state.
Get directions to Salem Town Forest (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A privately owned archaeological site and attraction of roughly 30 acres, called Mystery Hill until 1982. A 1907 town history described the site as rough boulders and soft pines.
Get directions to America's Stonehenge (opens Google Maps in a new tab)The river that drains Salem along with its tributary Policy Brook, part of the Merrimack River watershed. Salem's Conservation Commission lists it among the waters covered by the state Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act.
Get directions to Spicket River (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Often not for a small lot away from water, but it depends on the lot. Near Canobie Lake, the ponds, the Spicket River or a wetland, state and town rules can apply. Send us the address and we will point out what to confirm with the Planning Department or NHDES.
No. Salem's ordinance calls for a 100-foot undisturbed buffer around prime wetlands and a 20-foot natural buffer, and impacts go through the Planning Board. We set the work line back from the buffer unless you have approval.
Possibly. New Hampshire may require a notice of intent to cut, filed with the town's assessing officials before cutting. Some land conversion cuts are exempt up to set limits when you hold the permits for the new use, so ask the assessor first.
We can grind them 4 to 8 inches below grade or pull them, depending on what you plan to build. Stumps within 50 feet of protected water must stay in the ground unless NHDES approves removal.
Yes. Our trucks and trailers haul logs and debris off site, and we can mulch brush in place where it makes sense. Tell us if you want to keep firewood.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
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