# Construction Site Clearing in Temple and Bell County

> Construction site clearing and grubbing in Temple and Bell County for builders: clearing to the site plan, stormwater controls and debris handling.

URL: https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/construction-site-clearing/

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Clear and grub to the site plan, with stormwater controls.

- Temple bans brush burning in city limits unless the Fire Marshal permits a land-clearing burn
- Contractor cuttings in Temple go to the landfill, not the curb
- Belton open burn permit: $100 residential, $300 commercial, with inspection
- Oaks: avoid wounds February through June (oak wilt)

[Arcady Temple Land Clearing](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/) clears construction sites across Temple and Bell County for builders, developers and owners, with the work done by independent, insured clearing contractors. On a construction site, clearing is the first line item on a schedule that engineers, inspectors and every following trade depend on. The work follows the approved plan, and the stormwater controls go in with it.

## What happens on the first visit

The first meeting is about documents as much as ground. To price and schedule a site, the clearing contractor needs:

- **The approved site plan** with limits of clearing, building and pavement areas, and any trees to save.
- **The tree survey and preservation plan**, if one was required. Inside Temple’s I-35 corridor overlay, trees over 8 inches in diameter within the floodplain and 300 feet of it need a sealed survey and are replaced or paid for at $100 per caliper inch.
- **The stormwater plan** and the name of the permit holder.
- **Haul routes, staging and the start date** the next trade is counting on.

Then the site walk confirms the plan against the ground: where rock is shallow, where water collects, what fence, debris or old foundations are hidden in the brush.

## Clear and grub to the plan

Clearing removes trees and vegetation within the limits. Grubbing removes stumps, roots and buried organic matter from structural areas: building pads, pavement, utility trenches and anything else that will carry load. The two are often written together as “clear and grub,” but they are different scopes, and a good estimate says exactly where each applies.

Trees marked to save get protection fencing before any machine moves, and machines stay outside it. Topsoil is stripped and stockpiled where the plan calls for it. Debris is [mulched](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/forestry-mulching/) where it can stay, hauled where it cannot, and burned only where the address allows it. Stumps are pulled with root balls, as covered under [stump removal](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/stump-removal/).

## Stormwater comes with the clearing

When clearing starts a construction project that disturbs an acre or more, or is part of a larger common plan that will, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Construction General Permit applies. It requires a stormwater pollution prevention plan, and in practice that means silt fence and other controls before or as the ground opens, maintained until the site is stabilized. Large sites of 5 acres or more file a notice of intent.

Bell County’s clay sheds sediment fast once vegetation is gone. Its wettest months are May and September through October, when a spring or fall storm on a freshly grubbed site can wash soil into the street and the nearest creek. The guide on [erosion control after clearing](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/erosion-control-after-clearing/) covers what has to stay in place and for how long.

## Debris and haul routes

Commercial sites produce more debris than residential lots, and where it goes is a cost decision.

- **Mulch on site** where the plan allows organic material to stay, such as landscape buffers and detention areas.
- **Haul to the landfill.** The Temple Landfill, operated by Waste Management under a lease with the city, sits at the end of East Avenue H east of Loop 363. Non-residents pay a minimum of $58.24 plus a $0.94 state fee per load, and every load must be tarped.
- **Burn** only where the address allows: outside city limits when no county ban is on, inside Belton with a $300 commercial permit and inspection, inside Temple only with a Fire Marshal permit when no practical alternative exists.

Ash wood stays in Bell County because of the emerald ash borer quarantine.

## Subdivisions and larger tracts

Larger tracts are often cleared in phases to match the stormwater plan, with roads and utilities first and lots later. Phasing keeps less soil bare at once, which is cheaper to protect. Clearing for a road or utility corridor is priced by length and width rather than acreage. For residential builders working lot by lot, [lot clearing](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/lot-clearing/) covers the single-lot version of the same work.

## Sequencing with the other trades

Clearing sets the pace for everything after it, so the order matters.

1. Stormwater controls and the construction entrance go in first, or as the first ground opens.
2. Tree protection fencing goes up around trees to save.
3. Clearing within the limits, then grubbing of structural areas.
4. Topsoil stripping and stockpiling, where the plan calls for it.
5. Handoff to the earthwork contractor for cut, fill and compaction.

On larger tracts, phasing the clearing to match the grading schedule keeps less ground bare at once. Less bare ground means less silt fence to maintain and less sediment to clean up after a storm.

## Documentation on commercial work

Commercial clients often need records: dates of clearing, areas cleared, trees removed and protected, haul tickets from the landfill, and photos of controls in place. Agree what is needed before work starts, so it is collected as the job runs rather than reconstructed later. Landfill tickets, in particular, are easy to keep at the time and hard to find afterward. The same goes for photos of tree protection and silt fence on the day they go in.

## What site clearing costs

Large sites are priced by area and production rate; small commercial pads still carry a mobilization floor of about one machine day. Typical Central Texas budgeting ranges run about $3,000 to $8,500 or more an acre for clear, grub and haul. For public comparison, recent TxDOT contracts in Bell County paid $1,000 to $1,750 an acre for brush removal at highway scale and $230 to $2,100 per 100-foot station for preparing right-of-way. The [Bell County rules guide](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/land-clearing-rules-bell-county/) lists the permits that can apply, the [cost guide](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/land-clearing-cost/) lists what sits inside a price, and [how long it takes to clear an acre](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/how-long-does-it-take-to-clear-an-acre/) explains how production rates turn into schedule.

For a site plan review, call or send the documents through the form below.

Scope

## What's included

- Limits of clearing staked from the approved plan
- Tree protection fencing around trees to save
- Clearing and grubbing of structural areas
- Topsoil stripped and stockpiled where the plan calls for it
- Debris mulched, hauled or burned only where allowed
- Silt fence installed before or as the ground opens, when in scope

Compare

## Small and large construction sites under the state stormwater permit

*Small and large construction sites under the state stormwater permit*

| Question | 1 to under 5 acres | 5 acres or more |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permit | TCEQ Construction General Permit, small site | TCEQ Construction General Permit, large site |
| Notice of intent | Check the permit conditions for small sites | Filed with TCEQ |
| Stormwater plan | Required | Required |
| Typical controls | Silt fence, stabilized entrance | Silt fence, entrances, sediment traps, phasing |

Guides

## Related resources

- [Learn**What Erosion Control Do You Need After Clearing Land?** Bare clay sheds soil fast in a Bell County storm. Here is when silt fence is required, when it is simply smart, and how cleared ground gets stabilized.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/erosion-control-after-clearing/)
- [Learn**What Rules Apply to Land Clearing in Bell County?** Cities, the county, the state and federal agencies each control part of a clearing job. Here is who regulates what, address by address, and what each rule changes on the ground.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/land-clearing-rules-bell-county/)
- [Decision Guide**How Clear Does a Lot Need to Be Before You Build?** Clear enough for the dirt contractor, not for the slab. Here is where clearing ends, where dirt work begins, and what to ask your builder.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/clearing-land-to-build-a-house/)
- [Cost Guide**How Much Does Land Clearing Cost in Temple, TX?** Typical Central Texas ranges for mulching, clearing and grubbing, the local figures that sit inside a price, and why two quotes for the same acre can be thousands apart.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/land-clearing-cost/)
- [Learn**How Long Does It Take to Clear an Acre?** Anywhere from part of a day to several, depending on what is growing, what is underneath and what happens to the debris. Here is what sets the pace.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/guide/how-long-does-it-take-to-clear-an-acre/)

How a job runs

## How a job runs

1. First call Where the property is, what's growing, what it's for, and photos if you have them.
2. Walking the tract Keepers flagged, rock and wet spots noted, utilities and fence located, local rules checked.
3. Clearing Mulching, cutting or grubbing by area, with protection and erosion control where needed.
4. Finish Debris handled the agreed way, the site walked again, and next steps for the builder or the pasture.

Photos

## What this work looks like

Questions

## Construction Site Clearing questions

### Do you work from the site plan?

Yes. Limits of clearing, trees to save and structural areas come from the approved plan. Without a plan, the work stops at clearing, because grubbing limits and topsoil handling are engineering decisions.

### Who is responsible for the stormwater permit?

The operator named on the permit, usually the owner or general contractor. Clearing work follows that plan; silt fence and stabilization can be part of the clearing scope when agreed in writing.

### What does silt fence cost in Bell County?

On recent Bell County TxDOT contracts, low bids ran about $3.30 to $5.90 a foot to install silt fence and $1.00 to $1.70 to remove it. Short runs on a single site usually cost more per foot.

### Can debris be burned on a construction site?

Outside city limits, state rules allow land-clearing burns in Bell County unless a county burn ban is on. Inside Temple, burning needs a Fire Marshal permit and is allowed only when no practical alternative exists; Belton charges $300 for a commercial burn permit.

Services

## Related services

- [**Lot Clearing** Homesites cleared for the builder, with the rest of the lot kept usable.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/lot-clearing/)
- [**Stump Removal** Grinding or extraction, depending on what goes there next.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/stump-removal/)
- [**Brush Clearing** Overgrown lots, underbrush and vines, cleared to the finish you choose.](https://arcadytemplelandclearing.com/brush-clearing/)