Short answer: Clearing a home site usually starts with surveying and marking the property lines and house location, then clearing and grubbing the pad and driveway. It goes best when you coordinate early with your builder, the county and your electric provider.
The usual order
- Survey and mark property lines and the house location
- Mark what stays: trees, the future septic and well locations
- Clear and grub the building area and driveway path
- Grade the pad and set drainage
- Driveway base and gravel
Coordinate early with
- Your builder or manufactured-home dealer (pad size and access for delivery)
- The county for permits and septic site evaluation (in SC, septic permits run through the state environmental agency)
- Your electric provider about where the service will come in
National reference prices (not local quotes): Angi's 2026 data puts the average land clearing project at about $3,778, with per-acre costs from about $500 to $5,600. For forestry mulching, HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide gives $400–$1,500 per acre, while OWNR OPS's 2026 guide gives $1,800–$4,000 per acre, noting the Southeast tends to run 10–20% lower. Density, terrain, access and whether stumps and hauling are included move the price more than anything. The contractor will price your land.