Bought a wooded lot near Fort Stewart? Need a homesite, driveway or old field opened back up? Derrick Brown clears it himself and grinds the stumps low so the next step can start.
Land clearing turns overgrown ground into open land you can survey, build on, farm or hunt. D Brown Off the Chain Lawn Care is a Hinesville land clearing and lawn care company owned and run by Derrick Brown, who has been cutting trees and clearing land across Southeast Georgia since he was 18. Our land clearing services take out the brush, underbrush and small trees, then grind the stumps down low, and Derrick runs every machine himself. He walks the property before any work starts, works around the trees you want to keep, and schedules each job with enough time to do it right. Whether it's a one-acre homesite in Liberty County or a hunting tract in Long or Tattnall County, call or text Derrick at (912) 332-8354 for a free on-site estimate.
Minimum jobAbout 1 acre near Hinesville
Service radius150 miles, into South Carolina
HoursMon–Sun · 8 AM–8 PM
PaymentCash, Check, Zelle, Cash App, Credit card
Land Clearing
01When to call
Signs It's Time for Land Clearing
Cleared land doesn't stay cleared in coastal Georgia. Pine and sweetgum saplings take over an open field within a few seasons, and each year the stems get bigger and the clearing costs more. Waiting also stalls whatever comes next: the survey, the soil test, the builder, the sale.
You closed on a lot and the surveyor, builder or septic soil evaluator can't get in.
You need a driveway path or homesite opened before construction can be scheduled.
An old pasture or field has grown up in pine, sweetgum and briars.
You can't find your property line or fence under the growth.
Brush is crowding your house, barn or outbuildings and giving snakes and ticks cover.
You're listing land for sale and buyers can't see what they're buying.
You're relocating to Hinesville on PCS orders and bought land you haven't walked yet.
Real job, real ground
02What’s included
What Our Land Clearing Services Include
Land clearing removes the brush, understory and small trees from a property and takes the stumps down low, leaving ground that's open and ready for its next use.
01
Walking and Marking the Lot
Every job starts with Derrick on foot. He walks the property with you to confirm the boundary, mark the trees you want kept, and find what the brush is hiding: soft ground, holes, old fencing and buried junk. On one job he pulled a whole bicycle out from under the brush before a machine could hit it. Problems found on foot don't turn into broken equipment or damaged ground.
02
Clearing Brush and Underbrush
Brush, vines and small trees are cut and ground in place with a Fecon forestry mulching head on a Bobcat compact track loader. The mulch stays on the ground to hold the sandy soil, so there are no burn piles and no hauling. Derrick clears the understory first so he can see every stump, ditch and low spot before the bigger work starts. For brush-only jobs, see brush and underbrush removal.
03
Taking Out Trees and Grinding Stumps Low
Trees in the way of your homesite, driveway or field come down, and the stumps are ground down low so the ground is usable. You can't pull a stump with a mulcher, but you can grind it down to ground level or below.
04
Leaving It Ready for the Next Step
We don't do grading or land leveling. Derrick leaves the site open and walkable with stumps ground low, ready for your grading contractor, builder or fence crew. For building lots, see lot clearing and land clearing for construction.
03Local ground
The Land Clearing Problems We See Most Around Hinesville
1Wooded homesites near Fort Stewart and Richmond HillMany lots in Liberty and Bryan counties sell fully wooded. The builder needs an open pad and driveway, and if you'll be on septic, the soil evaluator needs to reach the ground. Clearing only what's needed keeps shade trees standing around the house.
2Burn piles and permitsLand-clearing burns in Georgia require a permit or notification through the Georgia Forestry Commission and can't go ahead on high fire-danger days. Mulching the brush in place avoids burning altogether. If you'd rather keep the woods and just thin them, forestry mulching may be all you need.
3Low, wet groundCoastal flatwoods hold water after rain, and machines rut or sink in saturated soil. Derrick checks wet spots on foot and works them when they're firm. If part of the property may be wetland, check with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District before clearing it.
4Old fields gone back to woodsFormer farm fields across Long, Tattnall and Evans counties fill with pine and sweetgum saplings once the mowing stops. Clearing them and then stump grinding any leftover stumps puts the field back in use.
04Google reviews
What Hinesville Customers Say About Land Clearing
5.037 Google reviews5-star rating as of October 10, 2026
★★★★★
“Called him out and they came the very next day. A professional, kind gentleman. Quick, clean service.”
EElizabeth B. · Google
★★★★★
“Came through for me at a critical time. Professional, dependable, and quick.”
TTabatha W. · Google
★★★★★
“They had an opening and came a day early, even with the weather looking iffy. Timely and professional.”
JJamie S. · Google
★★★★★
“Called and they took care of the property the same day. Fast response.”
TTerrell L. · Google
★★★★★
“Professional, on time, and paid real attention to detail. He took the time to make sure everything was done.”
MMarty A. · Google
★★★★★
“Called him out and they came the very next day. A professional, kind gentleman. Quick, clean service.”
EElizabeth B. · Google
★★★★★
“Came through for me at a critical time. Professional, dependable, and quick.”
TTabatha W. · Google
★★★★★
“They had an opening and came a day early, even with the weather looking iffy. Timely and professional.”
JJamie S. · Google
★★★★★
“Called and they took care of the property the same day. Fast response.”
TTerrell L. · Google
★★★★★
“Professional, on time, and paid real attention to detail. He took the time to make sure everything was done.”
MMarty A. · Google
★★★★★
“The crew paid attention to every detail and left everything clean. You can tell they take pride in the work.”
MMarquise T. · Google
★★★★★
“Quick, reasonably priced, and kept me updated with photos during and after the job.”
AAlyssa E. · Google
★★★★★
“He worked with my schedule, showed up on time, and got it done quickly. Worth every penny.”
TT. W. · Google
★★★★★
“Always on time and does an excellent job every time.”
SSuhyong K. · Google
★★★★★
“The crew paid attention to every detail and left everything clean. You can tell they take pride in the work.”
MMarquise T. · Google
★★★★★
“Quick, reasonably priced, and kept me updated with photos during and after the job.”
AAlyssa E. · Google
★★★★★
“He worked with my schedule, showed up on time, and got it done quickly. Worth every penny.”
TT. W. · Google
★★★★★
“Always on time and does an excellent job every time.”
Why Hinesville Landowners Choose D Brown Off the Chain
Land Clearing · Derrick on the machine
01
The Owner Runs Every Machine
Derrick Brown quotes the job, runs the equipment, and walks the finished lot with you. He's been clearing land and cutting trees since he was 18 and ran his own tree service in South Georgia before this. As a land clearing contractor, he works alone on purpose so the person you hired is the person doing the work.
02
Every Tract Walked on Foot First
Derrick walks your property before any machine runs, marking keeper trees and finding the soft ground, holes and debris that cause damage when someone drives straight in.
03
Your Job Never Gets Rushed
Three to four acres takes Derrick about a day and a half, and he books jobs with that time built in. He doesn't stack jobs back to back and leave yours half-finished.
Five steps, the same on a one-acre backyard and a hundred-acre tract. Scroll to walk through them.
1Step 1 of 5
Call or Text Derrick.
Tell Derrick where the property is, about how many acres, and what it's for: a house, a driveway, pasture or hunting land. He'll set a time to see it. Jobs start at one acre near Hinesville, with a larger minimum the farther out the property is.
2Step 2 of 5
Walk the Lot With Derrick.
On foot, you and Derrick mark the boundary, the clearing limits, and the trees that stay. He notes wet spots, ditches and anything buried so the plan accounts for them before the equipment arrives.
3Step 3 of 5
Agree on a Price and a Date.
You get one price for the scope you agreed on and a signed agreement before work begins. Payment by cash, check, Zelle, Cash App or credit card.
4Step 4 of 5
Derrick Clears the Land.
Derrick works in order: understory and brush first, so the ground and stumps are visible; then the trees in the clearing area; then stump grinding. That order keeps the machine on ground he's already seen.
5Step 5 of 5
Final Walk With Derrick.
You walk the cleared property together before the equipment leaves, and any touch-ups get done on the spot. You're left with open ground, stumps ground low, and the trees you wanted still standing.
07Pricing
How Much Does Land Clearing Cost in Hinesville?
Land clearing is priced per job after Derrick walks the property. Two one-acre lots can differ a lot depending on what's growing on them. The estimate is free. The minimum is one acre within about 50 miles of Hinesville and larger farther out, since fuel and travel time go into every job.
What moves the price
Acreage and clearing limits.The whole tract or just a homesite and driveway.
Density.Light underbrush clears far faster than a thicket of saplings.
Number and size of trees and stumps.Big hardwoods and many stumps add machine time.
Ground conditions.Wet spots, ditches and buried debris slow the work.
Selective clearing.Working around keeper trees takes longer than a full clear.
Distance from Hinesville.Travel and fuel for jobs farther out.
Priced separately
Grading and land leveling. We don't offer these, so you'll need a grading contractor.
Mulching a path into thick woodsDerrick’s own footage: Forestry mulching video: D Brown's Bobcat track loader with a mulcher head working its way into thick woods, brush and hanging vines in Southeast Georgia
Job photos
Land Clearing jobs around Hinesville
Every photo on this site is from Derrick’s own jobs. Drag or swipe to browse.
09Service area
Land Clearing Across Southeast Georgia and Into South Carolina
D Brown Off the Chain is based in Hinesville in Liberty County and takes land clearing jobs up to about 150 miles out: Liberty, Long, Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Bulloch, Tattnall, Evans, Appling, Wayne, McIntosh and Glynn counties, and the Hardeeville, South Carolina area.
Derrick runs US-84 west to Ludowici and Jesup, GA-196 northwest to Glennville, and GA-119 north through Fort Stewart to Pembroke, with US-280 on to Claxton. I-95 covers Richmond Hill, Savannah and Hardeeville to the north and Darien and Brunswick to the south. Looking for a land clearing company in Richmond Hill or Pembroke? Those Bryan County jobs are a short drive up I-95 or GA-119. Need lot clearing in Ludowici or Jesup? That's straight down US-84. The ground here is mostly flat and sandy, with planted pine, hardwood bottoms and low spots that stay wet after rain. Winter doesn't slow land clearing in Georgia. It's the busiest season, as owners get land open before spring growth and before hunting camps and builds need it.
Minimum job is one acre within about 50 miles of Hinesville. Farther out, the minimum is larger to cover fuel and travel. Several small jobs on one property can be priced together.
10FAQs
Land Clearing Questions
How much does land clearing cost per acre?
Land clearing cost per acre depends on how dense the growth is, how many trees and stumps there are, ground conditions, and distance from Hinesville. Derrick prices each job after walking it, and the estimate is free. The minimum is one acre within about 50 miles of Hinesville.
How long does it take to clear an acre?
On typical Southeast Georgia brush, Derrick clears three to four acres in about a day and a half, so a single acre is often done in a day. Heavy timber, lots of stumps or wet ground add time. A 100-acre tract runs about a week to a week and a half.
Do you do grading or leveling after land clearing?
No. We clear brush and trees and grind stumps low, but we don't grade or level. Derrick leaves the site open and ready for your grading contractor or builder.
What happens to the trees, brush and stumps?
Brush and small trees are ground into mulch and left on the ground, where they help hold the soil. Stumps are ground down low. How larger trees are handled is agreed in your estimate. Nothing is burned.
Do I need a permit to clear land in Georgia?
Burning land-clearing debris requires a Georgia Forestry Commission permit, which is one reason we mulch instead. Projects that disturb an acre or more of soil may need a land disturbance permit from your city or county, and wetlands fall under the Army Corps of Engineers. Check with your local permitting office before a large clearing job.
Do you clear residential lots and commercial land?
Yes. Derrick handles residential land clearing for homesites, driveways and backyards over an acre, and commercial land clearing for private landowners and businesses. Jobs start at one acre.
What's the best time of year to clear land in Georgia?
Derrick clears land year-round. Winter is the busiest season, as landowners open up property before spring growth and before hunting camps or construction need it. Booking in the fall gets you the best choice of dates.
