Land & Lot Clearing · Madison, GA
Land and lot clearing in and around Madison, Georgia, from wooded homesites to overgrown pasture.
- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off: military & first responders
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
What does land clearing around Madison, GA involve?
Clearing around Madison means removing trees, brush and stumps while working inside Morgan County's rules: open burning of clearing debris is banned May 1 through September 30, a Georgia Forestry Commission permit is needed for land-clearing burns the rest of the year, and inside city limits Madison issues tree removal permits. A Class Septic clears, stacks and hauls.↗↗
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
Local facts
Clearing rules that apply in Madison and Morgan County
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Summer open-burning ban | Morgan County is on EPD's 2026 list: May 1 to September 30 | GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning |
| Land-clearing burns outside the ban | Georgia Forestry Commission permit still required | Same source as above |
| City of Madison tree removal permit | $50 per lot; not applicable to residential property valued under $250,000 | City of Madison, GA Schedule of Fees (Exhibit A, approved June 24, 2026) |
| City tree harvesting permit | $25 per acre | Same source as above |
| City alternative compliance fee (Chapter 86) | $400 per tree | Same source as above |
| State erosion law kicks in | 1 acre or more disturbed, or within 200 feet of state waters | O.C.G.A. § 12-7-17, Exemptions, Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act (text via Onecle) |
The Madison story
Three kinds of clearing job around Madison
In town, clearing is selective. Lots near the historic core carry big hardwoods, and Madison's fee schedule shows the city tracks them: tree removal and harvesting permits, plus a $400-per-tree alternative compliance fee under Chapter 86. On a higher-value residential lot, a tree plan comes before a chainsaw.↗
Out in the county, a lot of the work is old farmland gone back to cedar, privet and pine. Morgan grew to 8,927 housing units with a median build year of 1994, and much of that growth landed on exactly this kind of ground. Clearing it is mostly grubbing roots and stumps out of red clay so the pad and driveway compact properly.↗
Then there are lake lots on the county's roughly 25 miles of Lake Oconee shore. Georgia Power prohibits unauthorized clearing of its project land or within 25 feet of the shoreline on undeveloped lots, and it can require a revegetation plan and pull lake-use permits from owners who do it anyway.↗↗
In town, clearing is selective.
More about Madison
What happens to the debris
Timing decides a lot of this in Morgan County. From May through September, burning is off the table because the county is inside EPD's summer ban. In fall and winter, a Forestry Commission permit makes a land-clearing burn possible, but on lots with neighbors close by, chipping or hauling is often the cleaner choice anyway.↗↗
EPD lists chipping, composting and hauling to a grinding operation or an inert or construction-debris landfill as alternatives to burning. Stumps never go back in the ground near a septic tank: state rules require tank backfill free of stumps, large stones and broken masonry.↗↗
- Hand-piled natural yard debris no longer needs a GFC permit outside the ban, but the pile must be 25 feet from woods and 50 feet from structures, burned between sunrise and sunset, and watched the whole time.↗
Timing decides a lot of this in Morgan County.
Permits · City of Madison, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia EPD and Georgia 811
Clearing a Madison-area lot, in order
- 01
Inside city limits, check whether the lot needs a tree removal or harvesting permit before cutting.↗
- 02
Measure the disturbed area and the distance to creeks or the lake; 1 acre or 200 feet from state waters brings in the erosion permit.↗
- 03
Mark the 25-foot state buffer from the point of wrested vegetation along any creek bank and leave it standing.↗
- 04
Call Georgia 811 at least three business days ahead of stump grubbing or any digging.↗
- 05
Plan debris: haul or chip in burn-ban months; a GFC land-clearing burn permit outside them.↗
What it costs
Land clearing costs (published)
Land clearing, average job
$1,397–$6,176
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Land Clearing Cost (updated Jun 17, 2026), 2026
One acre, lightly wooded
$500–$2,000
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Land Clearing Cost (updated Jun 17, 2026), 2026
One acre, heavily forested
$3,600–$5,600
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Land Clearing Cost (updated Jun 17, 2026), 2026
Grading and leveling after clearing
$1,000–$3,300 extra
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Land Clearing Cost (updated Jun 17, 2026), 2026
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Hardwood versus pine and cedar thicket
- 02Stump count and how deep the roots run in clay
- 03Burn season versus hauling or chipping
- 04City tree permits on in-town lots
FAQ
Land clearing questions around Madison
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Can I burn clearing debris in Morgan County in summer?
No. Morgan is one of the 54 counties under EPD's open-burning ban from May 1 to September 30, which covers land-clearing debris.
Source: GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning
Do I need a tree permit to clear a lot inside Madison?
Madison's fee schedule lists a $50-per-lot tree removal permit, noted as not applying to residential property valued under $250,000, and a $25-per-acre harvesting permit.
Source: City of Madison, GA Schedule of Fees (Exhibit A, approved June 24, 2026)
Can I clear down to the water on my Lake Oconee lot in Morgan County?
Not without Georgia Power's written approval. Mechanical clearing or changes to the land contour in the 25-foot buffer or on Georgia Power land are prohibited without it.
Source: Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines (PDF)
When does clearing need an erosion permit?
When it disturbs an acre or more or is within 200 feet of state waters, the Erosion and Sedimentation Act applies.
Source: O.C.G.A. § 12-7-17, Exemptions, Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act (text via Onecle)
Is there anywhere nearby that shows what the native woods look like?
Hard Labor Creek State Park, west of Madison, holds Lake Rutledge (274 acres) and Lake Brantley (48 acres) in the same Piedmont forest most Morgan homesites are cut from.
If I can't burn in summer, where do the stumps and limbs go?
EPD points to chipping, composting, or hauling to a commercial grinding operation or an inert or construction-and-demolition landfill.
Source: GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning
Nearby areas
Land clearing in neighboring areas
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
- 1GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning
- 2City of Madison, GA Schedule of Fees (Exhibit A, approved June 24, 2026)
- 3O.C.G.A. § 12-7-17, Exemptions, Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act (text via Onecle)
- 4Census Reporter: Morgan County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 5Morgan County & Cities of Bostwick, Buckhead and Rutledge 2022-2036 Comprehensive Plan (GA DCA)
- 6Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines (PDF)
- 7Georgia Forestry Commission: Burn Permits and Notifications
- 8Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.05, Septic Tanks (LII)
- 9GA EPD: Field Guide for Determining the Presence of State Waters That Require a Buffer (2017)
- 10Georgia 811: Contact Georgia 811 Before You Dig - How it Works (2025)
- 11HomeAdvisor: Land Clearing Cost (updated Jun 17, 2026)
- 12Georgia State Parks: Hard Labor Creek State Park
Ready when you are
Woods or old pasture to clear near Madison? We open it up right.
Call (678) 863-5620 for a free estimate. We clear, grub and haul, and line the work up with the septic site, pad and driveway that come next. Military and first responders save 10%.
(678) 863-5620- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off for military & first responders
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620