Hiring a Lot Clearing Contractor in Lehigh Acres

Hiring a lot clearing contractor in Lehigh Acres raises a fair question: what license, if any, does clearing take? Florida's construction licensing law doesn't name land clearing, and Lee County stopped requiring its local Excavation Contractor license in 2023. Parts of a building-lot job do bring in licensed or certified people, though. This guide explains the law, how to look someone up, which parts of a job need which professional, and what to ask before you sign.

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Florida's licensing law and clearing

Under section 489.117(4)(a)1 of the Florida Statutes, a person whose work doesn't substantially correspond to one of the state's contractor categories "is not required to register with the board," and a local government "may not require a person to obtain a license" for that work. The statute gives examples such as painting, flooring, cabinetry, driveway or tennis court installation, handyman services, pressure washing and stucco. Land clearing isn't named either way.

Lee County's old Excavation license

Lee County used to issue local certificates of competency. Its 2015 list defined the Excavation Contractor category as including "clearing land of surface debris and vegetation" as incidental to excavation, and had no separate tree-service or land-clearing category.

After the Legislature preempted local licensing in 2021 (HB 735), the county adopted Ordinance 23-09 on May 2, 2023. It says "a license is no longer required to perform the scope of work" under a list of local categories that includes Excavation Contractor, along with painting, masonry, tile and fence, and those licenses aren't grandfathered. Some other local categories, such as plumbing, Pool A, marine and pile driving, are grandfathered for current holders only.

The practical result: Lee County no longer issues a local license that covers land clearing. Parts of a job that fall into a state category, such as underground utility work or work under the Florida Building Code, still need the state license.

Parts of a lot job that bring in licensed people

Septic design: new systems in unincorporated Lee County must be designed by a Florida licensed professional engineer.
Culverts on a canal: LA-MSID requires culverts to be designed by a Florida-licensed professional engineer.
Gopher tortoises: the person handling them under a 10 or Fewer Burrows permit must have finished FWC's e-Learning course or hold an Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent permit.
Risky trees at a home: the state law that removes local permit requirements turns on documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect.
Owner-builders: an owner pulling their own building permit signs the state's owner-builder disclosure in person.

How to look someone up

Lee County Contractor Licensing registers state-certified contractors to pull permits in unincorporated Lee County: (239) 533-8119, ContractorLicensing@leegov.com. Its Active Contractors list shows state-licensed contractors registered in the unincorporated county and grandfathered local license holders with insurance on file, and notes that "Insurance certificates expire daily."

For state licenses, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) can be reached at 850-487-1395, the number Lee County's tax collector gives in its business tax checklist. That checklist also says professional landscaping companies need a best-management-practices certificate through UF/IFAS (239-533-7503).

Insurance is yours to check

Ask any contractor for a current certificate of liability insurance before work starts, and look at the dates. Contractors are responsible for their own licensing and insurance.

Questions to ask a clearing contractor

Will you walk the lot, and the strip along each line, for tortoise and owl burrows before the machine comes in? What happens if you find one?
Which trees stay, and how will you mark and protect them?
Will stumps under the house pad and driveway be pulled, or ground?
Where does the debris go: hauled, mulched or burned? If burned, who holds the Florida Forest Service authorization?
Who files the Sunshine 811 ticket, and when?
Will anything happen in the road swale before the DOT driveway permit is issued?
Does the lot touch a canal, and have you talked to LA-MSID?
Can I see your certificate of liability insurance?
What's included for cleanup and regrowth, and what costs extra?

What a written quote should cover

The area to be cleared, ideally marked on the site plan or survey.
Trees to keep, and how they'll be protected.
Stump handling, debris handling, and any grading or fill.
Who is responsible for wildlife checks and which permits.
Price, payment schedule, start window, and what changes the price.

Warning signs

An offer to clear without checking for burrows, or to "take care of" a burrow.
A plan to burn a pile on a lot surrounded by houses.
Work in the right-of-way swale before the driveway permit exists.
No written scope, or a quote that leaves out where debris goes.

Hiring questions

Does a land clearing contractor need a state license in Florida?

State law doesn't name land clearing either way. Work that falls into a state contractor category still needs that license, and the professionals listed above need their own credentials.

Does Lee County still license excavation contractors?

Not since Ordinance 23-09 in 2023, which ended the local Excavation Contractor license without grandfathering.

How do I check whether someone can pull permits in Lee County?

Ask Lee County Contractor Licensing at (239) 533-8119 or check its Active Contractors list.

Should I check the contractor myself?

Yes. Use the questions above, ask for the insurance certificate, and look up any state license that applies to the work. The contractor is responsible for their own licensing, insurance and permits.

How this site fits in

Call or send the form, and your request goes to one independent local contractor. They contact you, look at the lot, and give you a written price. The contract, the work and any permits they pull are between you and them. The referral is free.

Got a lot in Lehigh Acres that needs clearing?

Call or send the short form. Your request goes to one independent local contractor who can walk the lot and put a price in writing. There's no charge for the referral.