Fence line clearance for commercial sites, farms and estates

If overgrown trees, scrub or hedges are stopping a fencing job, we can quote to clear the agreed strip before your fencing contractor arrives. We work across County Durham, North Yorkshire and the North East.

The first step is to mark what needs clearing and what must stay. We then agree the work, access, stump requirements and handover so both contractors are working to the same brief.

Get a fence-line clearance quote · Call 07423 269635

Tree and vegetation clearance by Ross Webster Tree Services. Free quotation visits for tree works.

Clear enough space for the fencing job

The proposed fence line and the working strip are different things. The installer may need space for machinery, materials and people on one or both sides of the new fence.

Ask the fencing contractor to mark the installation line and the clearance they need. We can then price that area, identify trees to retain and flag anything that needs a separate decision.

This helps prevent two common problems: clearing more vegetation than necessary, or finishing the clearance only to discover the installer still cannot reach the work.

Which kind of clearance are you buying?

Cutting vegetation down does not necessarily remove the obstruction to a post hole. If your installer needs stump grinding or further excavation, include that requirement in the brief. Commercial stump grinding can be quoted as an identified part of the job where suitable.

Old wire, hidden posts and retained trees

An overgrown boundary can contain wire inside woody growth, redundant posts, dumped material or services that are difficult to see. Tell us about anything known before the visit. If the full line cannot initially be inspected, the quotation needs to explain how newly exposed obstructions will be handled.

We agree who is removing the old fence and how it will be separated from vegetation. Embedded wire or unexpected debris can affect the method and price; additional work requires an agreed change to the scope.

Mark trees and screening that must remain. Clearance around a retained tree also needs to account for its roots, access for machinery and any protection specified for the site. The fence design may need adjustment if an intended post position conflicts with a tree being kept.

Keep the boundary secure between contractors

At a working yard, school, occupied estate or livestock holding, removing growth or old fencing can expose an opening before the new fence is installed.

Before the job starts, agree:

• Which sections can be cleared together.
• Who controls access while work is in progress.
• Who provides any temporary fencing or other boundary protection.
• When the fencing contractor will take over each section.
• What happens if weather, access or an unexpected obstruction delays either trade.

Where practical, the work can be priced in sections to fit the installation programme. Temporary fencing, security staffing and livestock management are separate responsibilities to confirm; they are not assumed to be part of a vegetation-clearance quote.

Check the permissions before setting the start date

The person instructing the work needs authority over the land and vegetation involved. If ownership or the boundary line is disputed, have that resolved before clearance is instructed.

Countryside hedgerow removal may require a formal process with the local planning authority. Agricultural hedgerow cutting rules can also apply. Tell us whether you want to trim growth, remove a hedge or create an opening; those are different proposals. Government guidance on countryside hedgerows.

Tree protections, planning conditions and felling-licence requirements also need checking where relevant. Supply any existing decisions or ecological instructions with the site plan.

Bird nests being used or built are legally protected. Choosing a date outside the usual nesting season does not remove the need to consider active nests. If the work could affect nesting birds or other protected wildlife, the method and timing need to be resolved before that part proceeds. Government guidance on wild birds.

A brief your clearance and fencing contractors can both use

Send what you already have. A marked photograph or simple sketch can be enough to start.

For a larger or more varied job, our vegetation-clearance specification guide explains how to describe different work areas.

Price and handover

The price depends on the length and width of the strip, vegetation size and density, access, stump work, embedded materials and what must be retained. A price per metre is only meaningful when those conditions are defined.

Your written quote records the included work, handling of cut material, exclusions and access assumptions. At handover, the completed sections should be identifiable against the agreed plan, with any outstanding obstruction or restricted area recorded for the fencing contractor.

Questions about boundary clearance

Can you clear the line if we already have a fencing contractor?

Yes. Send their proposed line, working-space requirements and dates. This service is for the tree and vegetation portion of the job; the fence installation remains with your appointed contractor.

Can you leave part of the hedge as screening?

Yes, where the agreed specification and site conditions allow. Mark the retained sections before quotation so the clearance can be planned around them.

Are fence removal and stump removal included?

Only where they appear in the written scope. Identify them when you enquire so they can be priced or assigned to the other contractor.

What if there may be invasive plants?

Tell us before cutting starts. Suspected invasive growth needs identifying and an appropriate management plan; it should not be mixed into ordinary clearance material without assessment.

Send us the line you need cleared

Start with the site postcode, photographs and a marked line or approximate length. If the fencing is already booked, include the installer’s details and intended start date.

We will review the access and scope, arrange a quotation visit where needed and confirm whether the proposed programme is achievable.

Get a fence-line clearance quote · Call 07423 269635