Palm Coast's original plat left tens of thousands of quarter-acre lots wooded, and they're being built on now — Seminole Woods, the R and Z sections, Matanzas Woods, the acreage in Bunnell and along State Road 100. Clearing one is more than a day with a mulcher: the City of Palm Coast requires a land-clearing permit backed by a tree survey, protects trees over a certain size (and specimen oaks in particular), and expects you to preserve or replace canopy. Do it without the permit and the fines exceed the cost of the clearing.
We produce the survey, submit the permit with the builder's site plan, and clear selectively: palmetto, scrub, pines and laurel oaks out; the live oaks and magnolias that will be worth $10,000 in shade and value flagged and protected. Forestry mulching leaves the material as ground cover on acreage; grubbing and hauling leaves a clean pad for a foundation. Stumps are ground or pulled to below grade so the pad compacts properly.
What's included
Tree survey
Species, size and location of every regulated tree on the lot, in the format the city's permit requires.
Land-clearing permit
City of Palm Coast or Flagler County permit and mitigation plan filed and tracked.
Selective clearing
Scrub, palmetto, pines and hazard oaks out; specimen live oaks flagged, fenced and kept.
Forestry mulching
Tracked mulcher turns understory and small trees into ground cover on acreage — no hauling, no burn.
Grubbing & hauling
Stumps and roots removed, debris hauled, pad left clean for the builder.
Utilities & lines
811 locates before any grubbing; FPL and Comcast drops coordinated.
Lot clearing cost in Palm Coast, FL
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree survey for permit | $400 – $1,200 | Per lot |
| Standard Palm Coast lot (¼ acre), selective clear | $3,500 – $7,500 | 1–2 days after permit |
| Forestry mulching, per acre | $1,800 – $3,500 | Understory and trees to ~8 in |
| Grubbing and haul-off, per lot | $2,000 – $5,000 | Clean pad |
| Large pine or oak removal within a clearing | $500 – $1,800 | Per tree |
| Acreage clearing, per acre | $4,000 – $9,000 | Density dependent |
Lot clearing is quoted per lot after a site visit and the tree survey. The survey is a separate line item because the city requires it whether or not we do the clearing.
Recent work
Questions we get about lot clearing
Do I need a permit to clear a lot in Palm Coast?
Yes. The city requires a land-clearing / tree removal permit with a tree survey for any lot, and Flagler County has its own for unincorporated land. Clearing without one brings stop-work orders, fines per tree and required replanting.
How long does the permit take?
Two to four weeks once the survey and site plan are submitted. We file it with or on behalf of your builder and start the day it's issued.
Can I keep some of the trees?
You should — the city wants you to, and a mature live oak adds real value. We flag keepers with the builder before the survey so the house sits where the good trees stay.
Mulching or hauling — which is better?
Mulching is faster and cheaper on acreage and leaves erosion control on the ground. A house pad needs grubbing and hauling so there's no organic material under the slab.
What about the stumps?
Ground or pulled below grade inside the building footprint and driveway so the fill compacts. Outside the footprint, ground flush is usually enough.
Do you clear for pools and additions too?
Yes — small clearings behind existing homes for pools, sheds and additions, with the same permit logic if regulated trees are involved.