What the words on your estimate mean

The same term means different things to different contractors, so the useful output is never a definition on its own — it is the question that resolves the ambiguity.

Published by the Land Clearing Authority editorial team · Last revised 2026-07-29 · Editorial policy · Corrections

50 terms, grouped by what they govern. Each one gives the plain meaning, what its presence may tell you, what it does not establish, the ambiguity that most often causes a dispute, and one question worth asking.

This explains vocabulary, not your document

Nothing here interprets a specific proposal or contract, and there is nowhere to paste one or upload one. Terminology is not uniform between contractors or between jurisdictions, so the same word on two estimates can mean two different things — which is why every entry ends in a question rather than a conclusion. Land Clearing Authority provides no legal, engineering, surveying, forestry, or environmental advice.

How much, and where

Clearing limits also written: limits of work, LOW, work area

What it means: The boundary of the area the contractor will work inside.
What it may tell you: That the extent has been defined rather than assumed.
What it does not establish: Where your property boundary is, or that the limits were set from a survey.
Where it goes wrong: Limits described in words rather than marked physically, so two people picture different areas.
Worth asking: How were these limits set, and are they marked on the ground?

Relevant conditions: Approximate size of the area to be cleared, Shared boundary uncertainty. Relevant methods: Selective clearing.

Equipment access also written: site access, access provided by owner

What it means: The route and clearance the contractor assumes is available for machinery.
What it may tell you: What the contractor believes about the way in.
What it does not establish: That the route will actually carry the equipment, or who repairs it afterwards.
Where it goes wrong: An assumption stated by the contractor and never checked by the owner until the morning.
Worth asking: What width, clearance, and ground condition are you assuming, and what happens if they differ?

Relevant conditions: Restricted equipment access, Narrow gate or entrance, Existing trails or driveways. Relevant methods: Skid-steer clearing.

Commercial terms

Mobilization also written: mobilisation, transport, delivery

What it means: The cost of bringing equipment to the property and taking it away again.
What it may tell you: That travel and setup have been priced separately rather than hidden in an hourly figure.
What it does not establish: How many times it will be charged, or whether it covers both directions.
Where it goes wrong: A phased job attracting one mobilisation charge per phase when the owner expected one in total.
Worth asking: Does this cover both directions, and is it charged once or per visit?

Relevant conditions: Restricted equipment access, Approximate size of the area to be cleared.

Disposal or tipping fees also written: dump fees, landfill charges

What it means: What a facility charges to accept material.
What it may tell you: That disposal is being treated as a pass-through cost.
What it does not establish: The rate, the volume, or the facility.
Where it goes wrong: An allowance read as a price.
Worth asking: Is this an allowance or a fixed figure, and what volume does it assume?

Relevant conditions: Material must leave the property, Debris requiring removal. Relevant methods: Hauling and off-site disposal.

Exclusions also written: not included, excluded work

What it means: Work the contractor is explicitly not pricing.
What it may tell you: Where the contractor believes their trade boundary sits.
What it does not establish: That the excluded work is unnecessary — usually it still has to happen.
Where it goes wrong: An exclusion read as a warning rather than as work somebody still has to do.
Worth asking: Which of these do you think my project actually needs?

Relevant conditions: Conditions I cannot assess myself.

Allowances also written: allowance, provisional sum

What it means: A placeholder amount for work whose extent nobody has measured.
What it may tell you: That an unknown has been acknowledged rather than ignored.
What it does not establish: A price. If the real quantity is larger, the allowance is exceeded.
Where it goes wrong: An allowance treated as a fixed price.
Worth asking: What quantity did you assume, and what would change it?

Relevant conditions: Rock or exposed stone, Conditions I cannot assess myself.

Unit pricing also written: unit rate, per stump, per acre

What it means: A fixed price per unit with the quantity left open.
What it may tell you: That the contractor is being honest about an unknown quantity.
What it does not establish: A total, until the units are counted.
Where it goes wrong: No counting method agreed, so the count is disputed at the end.
Worth asking: How will units be counted, will I be present, and is there a not-to-exceed?

Relevant conditions: Stumps already present.

Change orders also written: variations, extras

What it means: A recorded agreement to alter the scope or the price.
What it may tell you: That a procedure exists for handling the unexpected.
What it does not establish: What counts as a change, or who may authorise one.
Where it goes wrong: Verbal approval on site from whoever happened to be present.
Worth asking: What counts as a change, who may authorise it, and how is it priced?

Relevant conditions: Conditions I cannot assess myself.

Concealed or unforeseen conditions also written: unforeseen conditions, latent conditions

What it means: Things nobody could see when the price was set.
What it may tell you: That the contractor expects the ground to hold surprises.
What it does not establish: What will be found, or how it will be priced.
Where it goes wrong: A broad clause covering anything at all, priced after discovery.
Worth asking: What would you expect to find here, and what rate would apply?

Relevant conditions: Concrete, foundations, or old structures, Rock or exposed stone.

Weather delays also written: weather days, stand-down

What it means: Time lost because conditions made work impractical.
What it may tell you: That the schedule is conditional.
What it does not establish: Who decides, or whether a charge applies for a lost day.
Where it goes wrong: A crew arriving, standing down, and charging for the trip.
Worth asking: Who decides the ground is unworkable, and what does that day cost?

Relevant conditions: Soft or wet ground.

Payment schedule also written: draw schedule, progress payments

What it means: When money changes hands relative to the work.
What it may tell you: How the contractor manages cash flow.
What it does not establish: That payments are proportionate to work completed.
Where it goes wrong: Date-based milestones that can arrive with nothing done.
Worth asking: Can each payment be tied to an observable milestone rather than a date?

Completion criteria also written: substantial completion, sign-off

What it means: The condition that means the work is finished.
What it may tell you: Whether "finished" was defined at all.
What it does not establish: Anything checkable, unless stated in measurable terms.
Where it goes wrong: "Site left tidy", which cannot be verified by anybody.
Worth asking: What finished condition are you committing to, in measurable terms?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted.

Warranty language also written: guarantee, callback period

What it means: What the contractor undertakes to put right after completion.
What it may tell you: Whether a callback route exists.
What it does not establish: That regrowth is covered, which it generally is not.
Where it goes wrong: A long warranty attached to work that was never defined.
Worth asking: What exactly does it cover, and how long is the callback window?

What is being cut

Selective clearing also written: thinning, partial clearing

What it means: Removing some growth while keeping specific stems or areas.
What it may tell you: That retention is part of the scope.
What it does not establish: Which stems stay, unless they are marked on the ground.
Where it goes wrong: Retention agreed verbally and never marked, so the crew decides.
Worth asking: How will you know which growth to keep on the day?

Relevant conditions: Vegetation you want kept. Relevant methods: Selective clearing.

Complete clearing also written: clear cut, full clearing, clear and grub

What it means: Removing all standing growth within the defined area.
What it may tell you: That nothing inside the limits is being retained.
What it does not establish: Whether stumps and roots are included, which is a separate question.
Where it goes wrong: "Clear and grub" read as one operation when grubbing is priced separately.
Worth asking: Does this include below-grade removal, or only what is above the ground line?

Relevant conditions: Approximate size of the area to be cleared. Relevant methods: Complete clearing, Grubbing.

Brush removal also written: brush clearing, undergrowth removal

What it means: Cutting woody growth below timber size.
What it may tell you: That the growth being priced is small-diameter material.
What it does not establish: What happens to the material once it is cut.
Where it goes wrong: Cutting priced without the handling of the slash it creates.
Worth asking: What happens to the material your cutting produces?

Relevant conditions: Heavy brush and underbrush. Relevant methods: Brush cutting.

Forestry mulching also written: mulching, mastication

What it means: Reducing standing growth in place with a rotating head and leaving the fragments on the surface.
What it may tell you: That nothing is being hauled and the ground is barely disturbed.
What it does not establish: That stumps are removed, or that the surface is buildable.
Where it goes wrong: A mulched site expected to look like bare, graded ground.
Worth asking: How deep will the residue layer be, and how low will the stumps be left?

Relevant conditions: Small trees and saplings, Heavy brush and underbrush. Relevant methods: Forestry mulching.

Tree felling also written: felling, dropping trees

What it means: Cutting standing trees down.
What it may tell you: That stems large enough to require felling are present.
What it does not establish: What happens to the felled material or the stumps.
Where it goes wrong: Felling priced without processing, so whole stems are left lying.
Worth asking: Where will the material go, and what remains at ground level?

Relevant conditions: Dense standing trees. Relevant methods: Mechanical tree removal.

Directional felling also written: controlled felling

What it means: Felling a tree so it falls in a chosen direction.
What it may tell you: That the crew is working near something that must not be struck.
What it does not establish: That any particular outcome is guaranteed.
Where it goes wrong: Treated as a guarantee rather than a technique.
Worth asking: What is your plan if a stem cannot be dropped safely in the intended direction?

Relevant conditions: Nearby buildings, fences, or structures, Overhead line concern. Relevant methods: Mechanical tree removal, Hand clearing.

Limbing also written: delimbing, trimming out

What it means: Removing branches from a felled stem.
What it may tell you: That material is being processed rather than left whole.
What it does not establish: Where the limbs end up.
Where it goes wrong: Processing included, disposal not.
Worth asking: What happens to the limbs once they are off?

Relevant conditions: Fallen trees or storm debris. Relevant methods: Mechanical tree removal, Chipping.

Bucking also written: cutting to length, crosscutting

What it means: Cutting a felled stem into shorter lengths.
What it may tell you: That material is being prepared for handling or for use.
What it does not establish: Who keeps the resulting wood.
Where it goes wrong: Owner expecting firewood, contractor expecting to remove it, or the reverse.
Worth asking: Who keeps the cut wood, and where will it be stacked?

Relevant conditions: Question about timber or usable material. Relevant methods: Log or timber separation.

What happens to the material

Chipping also written: chipped, chipper

What it means: Feeding material through a chipper to reduce its volume.
What it may tell you: That volume is being reduced rather than hauled whole.
What it does not establish: Whether the chips leave the property.
Where it goes wrong: Chips left in a pile the owner then has to deal with.
Worth asking: Do the chips stay on site, and if so where?

Relevant conditions: Material must leave the property. Relevant methods: Chipping.

Debris separation also written: sorting, segregation

What it means: Sorting material into categories for different handling.
What it may tell you: That different material streams are being handled differently.
What it does not establish: What happens to each stream.
Where it goes wrong: Separation performed, disposal of one stream unpriced.
Worth asking: What are the categories, and where does each one go?

Relevant conditions: Debris requiring removal. Relevant methods: Debris piling.

On-site debris piling also written: piled on site, windrowed

What it means: Gathering material into piles that remain on the property.
What it may tell you: That material is not leaving.
What it does not establish: Where the piles will sit, or what eventually happens to them.
Where it goes wrong: Piles placed where a following trade or a future build needs to be.
Worth asking: Where exactly will the piles be when you leave?

Relevant conditions: Interest in burning or on-site disposal. Relevant methods: Debris piling.

Hauling also written: haul off, trucking, removal

What it means: Loading material and taking it off the property.
What it may tell you: That material leaves.
What it does not establish: How many loads, or whether disposal charges are included.
Where it goes wrong: Hauling included, disposal fees billed separately.
Worth asking: How many loaded movements, and are tipping fees inside this price?

Relevant conditions: Material must leave the property. Relevant methods: Hauling and off-site disposal.

Burning also written: burn on site, pile and burn

What it means: Disposing of material by fire on the property.
What it may tell you: That on-site disposal is contemplated.
What it does not establish: Whether you may lawfully burn where the land is, or who obtains approval.
Where it goes wrong: A price built on burning that cannot lawfully happen that season.
Worth asking: Who obtains approval, and what happens if it is refused or conditions prohibit it?

Relevant conditions: Interest in burning or on-site disposal. Relevant methods: Burning, where lawfully approved.

Stumps and roots

Stump grinding also written: grinding, ground out

What it means: Reducing a stump below the surrounding surface with a cutting wheel.
What it may tell you: That stumps are addressed above and slightly below grade.
What it does not establish: That the root plate or lateral roots are removed.
Where it goes wrong: Grinding taken to mean the roots are gone.
Worth asking: To what depth, and what happens to the grindings?

Relevant conditions: Stumps already present. Relevant methods: Stump grinding.

Stump removal also written: stump extraction, pulling stumps

What it means: Lifting the stump and its root plate out of the ground.
What it may tell you: That below-grade work is included.
What it does not establish: That the resulting hole is backfilled, compacted, or settled.
Where it goes wrong: Removal included, backfill and settlement not.
Worth asking: What happens to the holes, and how long before the ground is usable?

Relevant conditions: Stumps already present, Large root systems. Relevant methods: Stump removal or extraction.

Grubbing also written: grub out, clearing and grubbing

What it means: Removing vegetation together with its roots and the upper soil layer.
What it may tell you: That the scope goes below the ground line.
What it does not establish: That the surface is graded, compacted, or buildable afterwards.
Where it goes wrong: Read as a finishing operation rather than a stripping one.
Worth asking: To what depth, and what condition is the surface left in?

Relevant conditions: Large root systems. Relevant methods: Grubbing.

Root removal also written: root raking, root grubbing

What it means: Removing root material from the soil beyond the stump itself.
What it may tell you: That roots are being addressed to some depth.
What it does not establish: That every root is removed, or that topsoil is preserved.
Where it goes wrong: Topsoil leaving with the roots, unnoticed until planting fails.
Worth asking: To what depth, and how much topsoil do you expect to lose?

Relevant conditions: Large root systems. Relevant methods: Root removal.

Moving and shaping soil

Excavation also written: digging, earthworks

What it means: Moving soil with machinery.
What it may tell you: That the project involves earthmoving rather than surface work.
What it does not establish: What depth, what volume, or where the material goes.
Where it goes wrong: An unquantified excavation line covering an unknown volume.
Worth asking: What volume are you assuming, and where does the spoil go?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Excavator clearing.

Rough grading also written: rough shaping, knocking down

What it means: Shaping a surface approximately, without a stated tolerance.
What it may tell you: That some shaping is included.
What it does not establish: That the surface meets any standard, or that it is compacted.
Where it goes wrong: Rough grading expected to produce a buildable pad.
Worth asking: Is there a tolerance, and who will judge whether it was met?

Relevant conditions: Uneven or broken ground. Relevant methods: Rough grading.

Finish grading also written: fine grading, final grade

What it means: Shaping a surface to a stated tolerance.
What it may tell you: That a measurable standard applies.
What it does not establish: That the design behind the tolerance is appropriate for the site.
Where it goes wrong: A tolerance stated without saying who checks it.
Worth asking: What is the tolerance, who set it, and who verifies it?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Finish grading.

Cut and fill also written: balancing, cut/fill

What it means: Moving soil from higher areas to lower ones to change levels.
What it may tell you: That levels are being altered rather than merely tidied.
What it does not establish: That the material balances, or that imported fill is included.
Where it goes wrong: An assumed balance that turns into a haulage cost.
Worth asking: Does the site balance, and who pays if fill has to be imported or removed?

Relevant conditions: Sloped ground, Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Finish grading, Rough grading.

Topsoil stripping also written: strip and stockpile

What it means: Removing the surface soil layer and setting it aside.
What it may tell you: That topsoil is being deliberately preserved rather than buried.
What it does not establish: That it will be returned, or where the stockpile will sit.
Where it goes wrong: Stripping included, respreading not.
Worth asking: Where will the stockpile sit, and is respreading included?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Site preparation for construction.

Topsoil respreading also written: respread, replace topsoil

What it means: Returning stockpiled surface soil across the finished area.
What it may tell you: That the surface is being prepared for planting or seeding.
What it does not establish: The depth returned, or that the material is still usable topsoil.
Where it goes wrong: A stockpile contaminated with debris and no longer usable.
Worth asking: What depth, and over which areas?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Site preparation for construction.

Compaction also written: compacted fill, rolling

What it means: Consolidating soil so it carries load without settling.
What it may tell you: That the ground is being prepared to bear something.
What it does not establish: That any specification was met, or that testing is included.
Where it goes wrong: Compaction claimed without a specification or a test result.
Worth asking: To what specification, and is testing included?

Relevant conditions: Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Site preparation for construction.

Rock removal also written: stone removal, ledge removal

What it means: Taking stone out of the work area or the worked depth.
What it may tell you: That rock is expected.
What it does not establish: How much rock lies below the surface, or that a rock-free depth is guaranteed.
Where it goes wrong: The commonest source of a mid-job change order.
Worth asking: What rate applies if there is more rock than assumed?

Relevant conditions: Rock or exposed stone. Relevant methods: Rock removal.

Protecting things that stay

Erosion control also written: sediment control, silt fence

What it means: Measures intended to keep disturbed soil from moving.
What it may tell you: That soil movement has been considered.
What it does not establish: What is required where you are, or that a control plan exists.
Where it goes wrong: Measures installed but not maintained for the duration.
Worth asking: What measures, and are they what applies locally?

Relevant conditions: Erosion concern, Sloped ground. Relevant methods: Erosion-control preparation.

Stabilization also written: stabilisation, surface protection

What it means: Making a disturbed surface resistant to movement.
What it may tell you: That the finished surface will get some protection.
What it does not establish: The method, the extent, or how long it lasts.
Where it goes wrong: A term used without a defined measure behind it.
Worth asking: What does stabilisation mean here, over what area?

Relevant conditions: Erosion concern. Relevant methods: Erosion-control preparation.

Seeding also written: reseeding, sowing, hydroseeding

What it means: Sowing seed on the disturbed area.
What it may tell you: That cover establishment is part of the scope.
What it does not establish: The species, the rate, the timing, or that establishment is guaranteed.
Where it goes wrong: Seed applied at the wrong season and nothing establishing.
Worth asking: What mix and rate, on whose advice, and is establishment guaranteed?

Relevant conditions: Erosion concern, Grading or site preparation wanted. Relevant methods: Erosion-control preparation.

Restoration also written: make good, reinstatement

What it means: Returning disturbed areas to an agreed condition.
What it may tell you: That some repair is contemplated.
What it does not establish: Which areas, to what condition, or measured against what record.
Where it goes wrong: Restoration promised with no photographic baseline to measure it against.
Worth asking: Which areas, to what condition, and measured against what?

Relevant conditions: Existing trails or driveways. Relevant methods: Rough grading.

Traffic control also written: flagging, lane closure

What it means: Managing vehicles and people around work near a road.
What it may tell you: That work will happen adjacent to traffic.
What it does not establish: That the road authority has approved anything.
Where it goes wrong: Assumed included on frontage work and not priced.
Worth asking: Is control included, and does the road authority need to approve it?

Relevant conditions: Roadside or right-of-way uncertainty. Relevant methods: Right-of-way or roadside work.

Protection of retained trees also written: tree protection, root zone protection

What it means: Measures to keep retained trees from being damaged.
What it may tell you: That retention is being taken seriously beyond the trunk.
What it does not establish: That a retained tree will survive.
Where it goes wrong: Trunk protected, root zone driven over.
Worth asking: How will you keep traffic off the root zones?

Relevant conditions: Vegetation you want kept. Relevant methods: Selective clearing.

Protection of structures and fences also written: property protection

What it means: Measures to avoid damaging buildings, fences, and fixtures.
What it may tell you: That the crew has noted what is nearby.
What it does not establish: What happens if something is damaged anyway.
Where it goes wrong: Damage from debris rather than from the machine, which is the commoner case.
Worth asking: What should I move or cover, and what is the position if something is damaged?

Relevant conditions: Nearby buildings, fences, or structures. Relevant methods: Hand clearing.

Who is responsible for what

Utility locating responsibility also written: 811 by owner, locates by others

What it means: Who files the locate request before ground is disturbed.
What it may tell you: Which party the contractor believes is responsible.
What it does not establish: That every utility will be located, or that private lines are covered.
Where it goes wrong: Both parties assuming the other filed it.
Worth asking: Who files it, and what do you need me to mark that a locate will not cover?

Relevant conditions: Buried utility uncertainty. Relevant methods: Professional evaluation before work is selected.

Survey responsibility also written: survey by owner, boundary by others

What it means: Who establishes where the boundary is.
What it may tell you: That the contractor is not taking that on.
What it does not establish: Where the boundary is, or that one has been done.
Where it goes wrong: A contractor working to markings the owner set from a fence line.
Worth asking: Are you working to a survey, or to what I have marked?

Relevant conditions: Shared boundary uncertainty. Relevant methods: Professional evaluation before work is selected.

Boundary marking also written: staking, flagging the line

What it means: Physically indicating a line on the ground.
What it may tell you: That the line will be visible to the crew.
What it does not establish: That the marked line is the legal boundary.
Where it goes wrong: Marking treated as equivalent to a survey.
Worth asking: Who marks it, and is the marking derived from a survey?

Relevant conditions: Shared boundary uncertainty. Relevant methods: Selective clearing.

Permit responsibility also written: permits by owner, permits excluded

What it means: Who obtains any approval the work requires.
What it may tell you: Which party the contractor expects to handle approvals.
What it does not establish: Whether any approval is required, which is set locally.
Where it goes wrong: Neither party checking, and both assuming none is needed.
Worth asking: Who establishes whether an approval is needed, and who obtains it?

Relevant conditions: Possible protected tree or local rule. Relevant methods: Professional evaluation before work is selected.

Environmental responsibility also written: environmental compliance by owner

What it means: Who is responsible for environmental questions on the site.
What it may tell you: That the contractor is not taking on jurisdictional questions.
What it does not establish: Whether any environmental constraint applies to your parcel.
Where it goes wrong: An exclusion that leaves an unanswered question rather than a resolved one.
Worth asking: Who establishes whether anything applies near the water or the wet areas?

Relevant conditions: Possible wetland or waterway nearby, Standing water. Relevant methods: Professional evaluation before work is selected.

Compare estimates side by side once you know what each term means
Work through the project planner if the scope is still open
Read the exclusions properly — usually the most informative part of a quote

What the words on your estimate mean

How much, and where

Commercial terms

What is being cut

What happens to the material

Stumps and roots

Moving and shaping soil

Protecting things that stay

Who is responsible for what

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