Trees, brush and stumps cleared for new homes, additions, parking and yard space, with wetland and wood-movement rules checked first.
We clear land in Worcester for builders preparing house lots and additions, owners opening up overgrown property, and commercial sites that need room for parking, storage or expansion. Our track loaders, mini excavator and grapple take down and pile the material, and our trucks and trailers move it, so the site is ready for the next trade.
Call our Massachusetts line at (978) 696-6659 or use Get a Quote with the address, photos and any site plan. In Worcester two questions come up early on almost every clearing job: is the work near a wetland or storm drain, and where can the wood go under the beetle quarantine.
Worcester layers a city wetlands ordinance on top of state law and has been under a tree pest quarantine since 2008. These are the conditions that change a clearing plan.
All of Worcester is still in the Asian longhorned beetle regulated area as of September 2026. Logs, brush and stumps from host trees such as maple, birch, elm and willow cannot simply be trucked out of the area, so disposal is planned before the first tree is cut.
Worcester's Wetlands Protection Ordinance reaches work within 100 feet of a storm drain inlet or catch basin that discharges to a lake, pond, river, stream or wetland. On a city street, that can put an ordinary-looking dry lot under Conservation Commission review.
The city's Conservation Commission works with 15, 30, 50 and 100 foot buffers around jurisdictional wetlands, plus a 25-foot riverfront area. Where your limits fall within those rings decides what can be cleared and whether a filing is needed first.
Clearing on Worcester's hills exposes sloped soil that can wash toward the street and the storm drains below. Leaving a vegetated strip, staging the work, or mulching the cleared area helps keep soil in place until the next phase starts.
Not every clearing job needs a permit, but Worcester adds local triggers on top of state law.
City wetlands rules. The Worcester Conservation Commission (opens in a new tab) administers the state Wetlands Protection Act and the City's Wetlands Protection Ordinance. The city's Notice of Intent filing requirements (opens in a new tab) cover projects within 100 feet of a storm drain or catch basin that discharges to a water body, and ask applicants to show the 15, 30, 50 and 100 foot buffers and the 25-foot riverfront area.
State wetlands law. MGL c.131 §40 (opens in a new tab) requires a filing before altering protected wetland areas, and Worcester is one of the cities with a 25-foot riverfront area (opens in a new tab).
Beetle quarantine. The state asks residents (opens in a new tab) to confirm tree companies hold an ALB compliance agreement and to check with the program before moving yard waste.
Timber. The Forest Cutting Practices Act exempts clearing land for building (opens in a new tab) and cuts up to 25,000 board feet or 50 cords per parcel.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm with the City of Worcester for your parcel. We will flag anything on site that looks like a permit question.
Sources: City of Worcester: Conservation Commission; City of Worcester: Notice of Intent Submission Requirements (Local Ordinance); MGL c.131 §40 Wetlands Protection Act; Mass.gov: About the Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act; Mass.gov: Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradicated in Shrewsbury (Sept. 2026); MGL c.132 §44 Forest Cutting Practices Exemptions
National reference ranges from HomeGuide (updated November 2025) put land clearing at $1,200 to $8,000 per acre, with light clearing around $1,200 to $2,500 per acre, heavily wooded land around $4,500 to $8,000 per acre, and stump removal during clearing about $100 to $400 per stump. These are national planning numbers, not our prices.
In Worcester, how host wood must be handled can affect disposal costs, so we quote every clearing job after seeing the site. If you only need brush and small trees knocked down, compare with forestry mulching in Worcester.
Cost references: HomeGuide: How Much Does It Cost to Clear Land?
A few places locals know, and what they mean for outdoor work nearby.
A long lake on the Worcester and Shrewsbury line. Shoreline lots fall under wetland buffer rules, so tree and stump work near the water needs planning.
Get directions to Lake Quinsigamond (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A large city park on Green Hill, one of the hills behind Worcester's nickname. The state marked Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Month there in 2011, a reminder of how closely tree work in the city is tied to the beetle quarantine.
Get directions to Green Hill Park (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A Mass Audubon sanctuary of about 435 acres in the Blackstone River headwaters, with trails through woods, fields and marsh. It shows how much wetland and regrowing former farmland still sits inside city limits.
Get directions to Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A lake in the city's north end surrounded by residential streets. Like other Worcester water bodies, nearby yards can fall inside the Conservation Commission's jurisdiction.
Get directions to Indian Lake (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Worcester's wetlands ordinance reaches work within 100 feet of a storm drain or catch basin that discharges to a water body. That can bring a dry-looking lot under Conservation Commission review, so check with the commission before clearing near one.
Wood from host trees cannot simply be trucked out of the regulated area. The state ALB program can tell you how host wood should be disposed of, and we plan the disposal step into the job before cutting starts.
Usually not. The Forest Cutting Practices Act exempts clearing land for building and cuts up to 25,000 board feet or 50 cords per parcel. Very large wooded parcels can be different, so ask the state if you are clearing a lot of acreage.
Yes. We remove stumps and do rough grading with our track loaders and mini excavator, so the builder or excavation contractor starts with an open, workable area.
Yes. Stump N' Grind is fully insured, and we are happy to provide details when you request a quote.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
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