Excavation and land clearing in Cumberland, Maine.
Cumberland still has a lot of undeveloped ground. Its draft comprehensive plan reports about 2,246 acres of forest, 498 acres of farmland and 1,338 acres in the Tree Growth program, much of it in West Cumberland, and estimates that current zoning could support roughly 2,250 more housing units. Turning part of a wooded two-acre lot into a house site is the most common excavation and clearing job in town.
Town permits that come before the machine
Cumberland's Code Enforcement Office lists several permits that can apply to site work: a building permit with a site plan for new construction, a shoreland zoning permit within 250 feet of a river, lake, stream or wetland, a road opening or driveway application for a new curb cut, a timber harvesting permit, and a blasting permit for ledge. The comprehensive plan adds that larger subdivisions require a hydrogeologic evaluation from the Planning Board.
Inside the shoreland zone, state guidelines limit clearing sharply. In the buffer, 100 feet from great ponds and rivers and 75 feet from other waters, Maine DEP allows no canopy openings larger than 250 square feet and removal of no more than 40 percent of the volume of trees four inches and up in any ten years.
Soils, water and erosion control
The town's soil summary shows excessively drained soils concentrated in the northwest corner and very poorly drained soils along its streams; the southwest corner is flatter and underlain by sand and gravel. Those same sand and gravel deposits form the aquifers the plan maps near Route 26/100, Skillin Road, Blackstrap Road, Bruce Hill Road and Blanchard Road, so excavation and fueling of equipment in those areas are handled with care.
Drainage trenching usually comes up on the wetter soils near the waterways, where a foundation or driveway needs water carried away. Maine's erosion and sedimentation control law applies to anyone exposing soil: silt fence or similar controls go on the downhill side before work starts, stay functional throughout, and the site is stabilized with mulch and vegetation at the end.
Brush from clearing cannot go to the town Brush Dump if it includes stumps or wood over 12 inches in diameter, so larger debris is hauled off-site.
Floodplain is one more check. The town's floodplain management ordinance requires permits for development in flood hazard areas, and the maps were updated in June 2024.
Land Clearing · Site Work · Trenching
How we handle excavation & land clearing
We run our own excavation equipment, which means one crew takes your project from raw ground to ready: land clearing, foundation and site excavation, drainage trenching, and retention pond mowing and trenching for commercial properties.
See the full excavation & land clearing service page or everything we do in Cumberland, Maine.
Excavation & Land Clearing in nearby towns
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Yarmouth
- Excavation & Land Clearing in North Yarmouth
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Falmouth
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Gray
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Windham
More services in Cumberland
- Hardscaping in Cumberland
- Retaining Walls in Cumberland
- Landscaping in Cumberland
- Landscape Design in Cumberland
- Planting & Garden Beds in Cumberland
- Hydroseeding, Sod & Turf in Cumberland
- Lawn Aeration & Overseeding in Cumberland
- Fall Cleanup & Leaf Removal in Cumberland
- Commercial Mowing & Cleanups in Cumberland
- Septic Systems in Cumberland
- Tree & Shrub Services in Cumberland
- Tree Removal in Cumberland
Free Estimates
Excavation & Land Clearing in Cumberland? Let's talk.
Tell us about your property and we will walk it with you — free estimates, straight answers, stonework guaranteed to hold its lines.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 5:00pm · Based in Cumberland, Maine