Land and lot clearing in Albuquerque
Whether it's a weed notice on a Westside lot or a rocky infill parcel in the Northeast Heights, we clear it to dirt, haul it off and leave it ready for the next step.
What a city lot hides under the weeds
Most lots we clear inside Albuquerque have been sitting for a while. Under the weeds and tumbleweeds we regularly find broken concrete, old fence posts, tires and the remains of a shed nobody remembers building. We price those items in after walking the lot.
The dirt itself changes with the side of town. On the Westside, off Coors, the sand is loose and starts moving the moment the cover comes off. In the Northeast Heights and Foothills, a bucket hits decomposed granite and boulders within inches, and caliche can sit just below. Valley lots are soft river silt that ruts if it's worked wet.
That's why we don't send the same machine everywhere. A compact loader fits through a backyard gate in Nob Hill or near the university, while an open parcel on the Northwest Mesa gets a skid steer or excavator and moves faster.
Clearing jobs we see most inside city limits
A weed and litter notice with a deadline
The city has posted a notice and you have a set window to clean up. Send us a photo of the notice and the address. We'll tell you our earliest date and send before-and-after photos when it's done.
An infill lot for a home, garage or casita
A vacant parcel between existing houses needs brush, debris and old footings removed before a builder can stake it. We clear to the limits you or your builder set and leave the ground ready for grading or pad work.
A backyard that's been left to go wild
Overgrown shrubs, dead trees and years of yard waste behind a wall. Access is usually the hard part, so we measure the gate and plan around walls, sprinklers and overhead lines.
A lot that borders an arroyo
Some parcels sit next to one of the arroyos that cross the city. We keep cut brush and loose soil out of the channel, and if you want work close to the edge, check with the city first.
Big clearing jobs and the dust permit
Clearing a larger area may need a fugitive dust control permit from the city's air quality program, which covers both Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. Whether you need one depends on the size and type of the project. We help you check before the first machine starts, and we keep water on hand for dust when the job calls for it.
What moves the effort on a city lot
Two lots the same size can be very different jobs. These are the things we look at on the walk-through.
- Access and gate width
- A walled backyard reached through a narrow gate means smaller machines and more trips. An open lot with street frontage goes quicker.
- What's buried
- Concrete, old foundations and dumped debris take more effort to break out and haul than brush does.
- Rock and caliche
- In the Heights and Foothills, boulders and hard layers can call for a ripper or hydraulic hammer.
- Haul-off volume
- Dense, years-old growth fills more truckloads. If you want mulch or wood left behind, the load count drops.
Get a written quote for your Albuquerque lot
Give us the address and tell us what needs clearing. For a vacant lot we can walk it without you and go over the photos by phone.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (505) 578-0369.
Before we clear, it helps to know
- Where your property lines are, especially on lots without a fence or wall
- Any trees, plants or features you want kept
- The deadline on any city notice
- Whether the lot will be graded or built on next, so we stop at the right point
- Sprinkler lines, septic or other private lines. We request a New Mexico 811 locate before pulling stumps or digging, but 811 doesn't mark private lines
Land clearing questions in Albuquerque
Can you clear a lot that's been tagged by code enforcement before the deadline?
Usually, if you call early. Tell us the deadline when you call and we'll give you our first open date. If we can't make it in time, we'll say so, so you can contact the city about your options.
How do you keep a cleared Westside lot from blowing around?
We try not to leave sand bare longer than needed. Options include leaving a mulch layer, clearing in stages or watering during the work. If you're building soon, we can time the clearing closer to the start date.
Will you take out the old slab and footings while you're clearing?
Yes, if they are in the scope. Concrete takes different equipment and disposal than brush, so it appears on the quote as its own line.
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Let's walk your property. The estimate is free.
We come out, look at the lot with you, and hand you a written quote. No pressure, no obligation.