Which contractor category should quote this?

How this tool reaches its answer

The rules below are the rules the tool evaluates. There is no second copy, no weighting you cannot see, and no scoring model behind the answer. A rule either fires or it does not, and when it fires you are shown the same sentence the code carries.

Rules are evaluated in priority order, and the lowest-numbered rule that fires supplies the primary category. The ordering puts safety-driven categories — tree work near targets, storm material — ahead of convenience-driven ones, so a project with both is routed to the one that matters.

The published rule set

1. commercial-scope — You described a commercial or right-of-way project. That work runs on contracts, specifications, and insurance requirements a homeowner project does not have, so it is routed separately rather than into a homeowner queue.
2. demolition-out-of-scope — You indicated something needs demolishing. Structural demolition is outside what this platform covers and outside what a clearing contractor should be asked to do, so this needs a person to look at it before anything is routed.
3. storm-material — Downed or damaged material is under loads nobody chose, and it releases that energy when cut. That is handled by crews who do it daily, not by a clearing crew — and if anything is near a utility line, the utility comes first.
4. large-stems-near-targets — Large trunks with structures, vehicles, or a neighbour within reach means controlled dismantling rather than felling or in-place reduction. That is tree work, and a clearing machine near a boundary throws debris.
5. mature-timber — Mature timber and large trunks are individually handled work. Clearing machines have a diameter ceiling, and above it production collapses and equipment gets damaged.
6. grading-specification — A finished surface specified to a tolerance is earthwork, not clearing. It needs a plan, different equipment, and a different trade — and it has to come after any below-grade removal.
7. grubbing-required — Grubbing roots out of the soil is an excavation operation, priced by volume rather than by area. It is a separate trade from whoever removes the standing growth.
8. construction-end-use — Building on the ground means root mass has to come out from under anything structural — decaying roots cause uneven settlement — and the surface usually has to be graded. Both are earthwork.
9. stump-work — Removing or grinding stumps is below-grade work with its own machines and its own pricing basis. Very few contractors who clear standing growth include it by default.
10. material-leaves-site — Material leaving the property means gathering, loading, trucking, and a disposal fee. That is a multi-machine operation, which is what full-service clearing is for.
11. large-area-mixed-stand — A substantial area of mixed woods usually needs more than one machine and a plan for the material, which is the full-service clearing scope rather than a single-pass one.
12. driveway-corridor — A driveway carries repeated load, so root mass has to come out of the running line and the surface has to be built rather than just cleared. That is corridor clearing plus earthwork.
13. in-place-reduction — Leaving the reduced material on the ground with stumps in place is a one-machine, one-pass operation. It is normally the fastest and least expensive route to open ground.
14. brush-and-saplings — Brush and saplings are squarely inside the range where cutting in place is both fastest and cheapest, provided nothing has to leave the site.
15. corridor-work — Trails, fence lines, and access corridors are linear work priced by length and width. In-place reduction suits them because there is rarely anywhere to put gathered material.
16. habitat-and-recreation — On habitat and recreational ground, stumps and residue are usually assets rather than problems, and partial clearing beats total clearing. In-place reduction fits that brief.
17. fuel-reduction — Fuel reduction around structures follows a published local programme rather than a general clearing specification, and it is usually thinning and spacing rather than removal.
18. pasture-reclamation — Reclaiming pasture is in-place work with a finished-height requirement, because ground that carries a mower or stock has to be safe rather than just open.
19. sale-preparation — Preparing land to sell usually means access, sightlines, and findable boundaries rather than clearing. That is selective in-place work over a fraction of the parcel.
20. undescribed-project — The description does not yet contain enough to identify a trade. Purpose, material fate, and below-grade expectation are the three that decide it, and at least one is still open.

What this tool cannot do

• This is not a site assessment. It has not seen your land and cannot judge whether any method or machine is safe or suitable there.
• It reads the answers you gave. A project described inaccurately produces a confident answer to the wrong question.
• Contractor categories overlap in practice, and a capable local contractor may cover more than one. The category tells you what to ask for, not who to hire.
• It does not verify, recommend, rank, or vouch for any contractor.
• It cannot tell you whether a permit, an authorisation, or a professional assessment is required for your parcel.

This tool does not inspect your property and cannot determine whether a site is safe, accessible, buildable, or suitable for any particular machine. It organizes the questions; a qualified professional answers them on site. This site publishes general planning information. It is not legal, engineering, environmental, forestry, or arboricultural advice, and it is not a substitute for a professional assessment of your property. Platform methodology · Claim boundaries