The short version
- Every photo of the bad job on this page is from a property another company finished. None of it is Brushworks work.
- Brush left standing, branches on the ground and stems cut high leave the owner with ground they can't walk, mow or treat.
- A finished job is ground down to an even mulch layer, with only the trees you chose left standing.
- Before you hire, ask what machine they're bringing and ask to see a finished job, not just the before.
What's wrong with this job
Example of hiring the wrong company
This is not a Brushworks job. Another company with an underpowered machine finished this property and the owner paid for it. We're showing it so you know what to look for before you hire. We don't name the company.
At a glance it looks like something happened. The machine drove through and knocked the brush down. Look closer and most of what the owner paid to clear is still there.
- Brush and saplings left standing. Whole clumps were driven around instead of ground down.
- Vines and stems left at the trunks. The growth wrapped around the kept trees was never cleaned up.
- Branches left laying on the ground. Long limbs are lying across the mulch instead of being ground into it.
- Logs and big chunks never ground up. A machine without enough power knocks material down and leaves the large pieces behind.
Why this grows right back
Bush honeysuckle and most woody brush come back from the stem. Ohio State Extension notes that cutting a honeysuckle shrub off at the base causes prolific sprouting and increases the number of stems. That's true after any clearing job, ours included, which is why we offer post-clearing treatment.
The difference is what the owner can do next. A clean, even mulch layer can be walked, mowed, seeded or treated. Ground covered in standing brush, high stems and loose branches can't. Nobody can get a mower or a sprayer through it, so the regrowth gets a head start and the lot fills back in.
What the owner is left with
A bill for forestry mulching and a property that will need the work done again.
What a finished job should look like
On a finished job, everything you're paying to clear is gone. What's left is an even layer of mulch, with the trees and shrubs you chose to keep left standing and cleaned up around the base.
Check these before you pay
Walk the property before the final payment. Use this list:
- Nothing is left standing that you paid to clear.
- Stems are ground down at the dirt, not cut off high.
- No branches or logs are laying around.
- The mulch layer is even, with no big chunks.
- The edges are clean along every line.
If something is missed, say so before the crew leaves. A good company would rather fix it that day than leave a property they don't want their name on.
Two questions to ask before you hire
- What machine are you bringing to my property? A small machine on thick brush is how a job ends up like the one above. Ask what it is and whether it fits your brush and slope.
- Can I see a finished job, not just the before? Before photos all look the same. The after photos show the work. Ask for close-ups of the ground.
For more on comparing contractors, read questions to ask before hiring a clearing crew.
Common questions
Is this a Brushworks job?
No. Every photo of the bad job on this page is from a property another company finished. The only Brushworks photo here is the one labeled Brushworks in the side-by-side.
Is some brush supposed to be left after forestry mulching?
Only what you asked to keep. Trees and shrubs you want to save should be marked and left standing. Everything you're paying to clear should be ground down, not driven around or cut off high.
Will a good mulching job stop regrowth?
No mulching job stops all regrowth. The roots stay in the ground and woody brush resprouts. A clean job gives you even ground you can mow, seed or treat. Post-clearing treatment handles the resprouts.
Sources
Get it done right the first time
Send the address and a few photos and tell us what you want the land to become. You get a fixed price before we start.
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