Land clearing in Cypress, TX from Sticks Tree Service Inc. takes the trees, brush and stumps off a lot so it can be built on, fenced, mowed or sold. Trey Lamar’s crews do the tree side of clearing from the office at 14120 Cypress North Houston Rd in Cypress: felling or sectioning the trees, chipping the brush, hauling the wood and grinding the stumps. For grading, building pads and larger acreage, Trey also runs STS Land Management, a land services company based in Hempstead. Call 281-373-1472 to walk the property.
What kinds of clearing jobs come up around Cypress?
- A lot before a house goes up. Trees and brush cleared from the house footprint and the drive, with the trees worth keeping marked and protected.
- Fence lines. Years of yaupon, tallow, vines and volunteer trees cleared from a line so a new fence can be set.
- Back acreage on a large lot. Overgrown woods behind a house in Hockley, Waller or north Cypress opened up so it can be mowed and used.
- Selective clearing. Underbrush and small trees thinned out while the big oaks and pines stay, so a wooded lot feels like a park.
- After a storm. A strip of blown-down pines across the back of a property.
What is the difference between clearing, thinning and grubbing?
Clearing takes down everything in the work area. Selective clearing or thinning removes the brush, the invasive trees and the poor-quality stems and leaves the healthy keepers. Grubbing deals with what is left in the ground: stumps and root balls. On most residential lots, grinding the stumps below grade is cleaner than pulling them out; on raw land being graded for a pad, roots come out with the dirt work.
Which trees should stay?
A big live oak or a healthy post oak at the edge of a building site is worth a lot, both to the look of the property and to its value. Before clearing starts, the trees to keep are marked, and the crew stays out of their root zones: heavy equipment parked over the roots of a keeper can kill it slowly over the next few years. Chinese tallow, which Texas A&M Forest Service lists as invasive, is usually the first thing to go.
How does a clearing job run?
- Walk the property. Mark the boundaries, the work area and the keepers. Note fences, ditches, culverts and any lines.
- Check the rules. Lots in subdivisions may have deed restrictions on clearing. Most of the Cypress area is unincorporated Harris County; inside the City of Houston, trees on a setback or the right of way need a city permit. Mark underground lines before stumps are ground.
- Brush and small trees. Cut and fed to the chipper.
- Large trees. Felled where there is room, or sectioned where they are near a house, a fence or a road.
- Wood. Hauled, or cut and stacked as firewood if the owner wants it.
- Stumps. Ground below grade with the same grinder used for stump grinding in Cypress.
- Grading, if needed. Pads, drainage and driveways are dirt work; on larger tracts that is the work STS Land Management describes on its clearing and grading and hydro axing pages.
Where does Sticks Tree Service clear land?
Cypress and the land west and northwest of it along US 290, where lots get bigger: Hockley, Waller, Hempstead and the Fairfield and Bridgeland edge, plus Tomball and Magnolia to the north. The drive out US 290 from the office to Hockley is about 15 miles. Inside the city, see land clearing in Houston. All Cypress services are on tree service in Cypress, TX, and tree service in Hockley covers the acreage side of the area.
What goes into the quote?
- Size of the area and how dense the brush and trees are
- Number and size of large trees, and how close they are to anything that matters
- Trees to keep and protect
- Wood and brush to haul, or chips to leave spread on site
- Number of stumps to grind
- Soft ground, ditches and access for the truck
- Any grading or pad work, quoted separately
Sources
- STS Land Management
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Chinese tallow tree
- Houston Permitting Center: tree permit
- Texas 811
Frequently asked questions
Can some trees be kept when a lot is cleared?
Yes. Keepers are marked before work starts, and the crew keeps equipment off their root zones so they are not damaged slowly over the next few years.
What happens to the stumps after clearing?
On most residential lots they are ground below grade. On raw land being graded for a pad, roots come out with the dirt work.
Can the brush be left as mulch?
Yes. Chips can be spread on site instead of hauled, which suits wooded acreage and trails. Say which you want at the estimate.
Does Sticks Tree Service do grading and building pads?
The tree, brush and stump work is done by Sticks. Grading and pad work on larger tracts is the kind of work STS Land Management, Trey Lamar's land company in Hempstead, describes on its site.
Do I need permission to clear a lot near Cypress?
Check your deed restrictions first. Most of the Cypress area is unincorporated Harris County; inside Houston city limits, trees on a setback or right of way need a city permit.
How long does clearing a residential lot take?
It depends on the size of the area, the number of large trees and how dense the brush is. The estimate gives the plan and the number of days.
Can a fence line be cleared without damaging the old fence?
Often, yes. Vines and volunteer trees are cut away by hand near the fence before the larger material is removed.
Sticks Tree Service Inc, 14120 Cypress North Houston Rd, Cypress, TX 77429. Phone 281-373-1472.