Site Work, Fox Valley
Land Clearing & Grading
Overgrown lots cleared, grades corrected and sites made ready to build on. The dirt work decides how everything after it performs.
Before Anything Gets Built
Good Yards Start With Good Dirt
Every patio, lawn and planting bed sits on the work nobody sees. When a lot is overgrown or the grade sends water the wrong way, fixing it after the fact costs multiples of doing it first. Clearing and grading is that first step: the site opened up, the soil moved to drain away from the house, and a clean base left behind.
We run our own equipment and crews, and on bigger sites the grade is planned from your plot survey and elevation certificate, the same way we design a full landscape or patio project.
What We Handle
Clearing & Grading Services
-
Lot & Brush Clearing
Overgrown lots, brush and scrub cleared and hauled off, so you can finally see what the property has to work with.
-
Overgrowth & Bed Tear-Out
Failed beds, invasive growth and tired plantings removed down to clean soil, ready for whatever comes next.
-
Rough & Finish Grading
Soil cut, filled and shaped to the planned grade, then finish-graded smooth enough to seed or sod straight over.
-
Drainage Correction
Low spots, standing water and grades that pitch toward the foundation, corrected so water moves where it should.
-
Site Prep
Excavation and base work for patios, pools and structures, handed off compacted and ready to build on.
-
Topsoil, Seed & Sod
Fresh topsoil spread and the site restored with seed or sod, so the job ends with a yard, not a dirt field.
How It Works
From Overgrown To Build-Ready
Site work rewards planning. Most of it happens before the machines arrive.
-
Walk The Site
We look at the growth, the grades and where water goes with you, and talk through what the site needs to become.
-
Plan From The Elevations
On bigger sites the grade is planned from your plot survey and elevation certificate, so drainage is designed rather than guessed.
-
Clear And Grade
Brush out, debris hauled off, soil cut and shaped to plan by our own equipment and crews.
-
Finish And Restore
Finish grading, fresh topsoil, and seed or sod, or straight into the patio, pool or planting plan the site was cleared for.
Why HLM
The Crew With The Equipment
-
Licensed & Insured
HLM is a licensed, insured Illinois contractor. Every job is built to the same standard, whether it is a planting bed or a full backyard.
-
Our Own Crews
The work is done by HLM crews on HLM equipment, start to finish. You never coordinate a second contractor.
-
Designed From Your Lot
Bigger projects start from your plot survey and elevation certificate, so what you approve is what gets built.
-
You'll Know When We're Coming
We text you the crew’s ETA on work mornings. No contractor’s window, no waiting around.
Common Questions
Clearing & Grading Questions
Do you haul away the debris?
Yes. Brush, tear-out and spoils leave on our trailers as part of the job. You are not left with a burn pile or a dumpster on the driveway.
Can you fix standing water in my yard?
Drainage is one of the most common problems we solve. The fix depends on where the water comes from and where it can go. We will tell you the options and what each one costs after seeing it.
Do I need a permit for grading?
It depends on the town and the scope. Where a grading plan or elevation review is required, we prepare it from your plot survey and elevation certificate and sort it out with the town during design.
What happens after the site is cleared?
Whatever you cleared it for. Some clients stop at a graded, seeded lot; most roll straight into the landscape, patio or pool the site work was preparing for, with the same crew carrying it through.