Typical clearing jobs
- Residential lots. Clearing brush and selected trees before building, or tidying an overgrown back lot.
- Building pads and driveways. Removing trees and stumps where the foundation and drive will go.
- Fence lines and roads. Cutting back brush along property lines and ranch roads so fences can be built or maintained.
- Selective clearing. Removing brush and scrub while keeping the best shade trees, often a few good mesquites or live oaks you'd regret losing.
South Texas brush is different
Around Laredo, clearing usually means mesquite, huisache, prickly pear and other thorny brush. Many of these resprout from the root crown, so simply mowing them down brings them back. Depending on the goal and the land, crews may use forestry mulching, which grinds brush in place into a mulch layer, or root plowing and grubbing, which pulls the root crown. They may also haul or burn piles where it's permitted. Ask which method they plan to use and what regrowth to expect afterward.
Before clearing starts
- Know your lines. Confirm property boundaries and mark corner pins, especially on unfenced lots.
- Call 811 before any digging, grubbing or root plowing so buried utilities are marked.
- Check city and county rules. Inside the City of Laredo, development, grading and drainage rules can apply. Outside city limits, ask Webb County. Outdoor burning can be restricted during dry periods or burn bans.
- Think about drainage. Bare caliche soil sheds water fast in a heavy rain. Plan how water will move off the cleared area.
- Wildlife. If you're clearing in spring, ask the crew to check for active bird nests.
Areas covered
Lot clearing requests are welcome across Laredo and nearby Webb County, including Rio Bravo, El Cenizo and the unincorporated subdivisions around the city. See service areas.