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If you’ve been eyeing forestry mulching or small-scale land clearing as your next service line, study Alex Boyd of Brushwork Land Clearing . He’s a marketer-turned-operator who validated demand, bought smart (and sometimes learned the hard way), priced for profit, and built a lead engine that floods his pipeline—while staying laser-focused on residential work.
Here’s the playbook, distilled from Alex’s own words and numbers.
Finding a Need in the Market
Alex didn’t start with big machines or fancy equipment. He started with curiosity.
Everywhere he looked, he noticed that people around him needed help clearing overgrown woods and getting rid of invasive brush. But when he searched online, nobody seemed to be offering that service in a serious way. So he went deeper using his marketing background to do keyword research.
He didn’t focus on “forestry mulching,” because most homeowners didn’t even know what that meant. Instead, he looked up phrases like “clear my woods,” “destroy honeysuckle,” and “restore my backyard.” Those were the real words people were typing into Google.
That’s when he saw it: tons of traffic, barely any competition. It was a wide-open market.
Taking the Leap: Buying Equipment and Reducing Risk
Once Alex saw the opportunity, he made a decision to go all in.
He didn’t rent. He bought. His first setup cost around $90,000, with a used Fecon Bull Hog mulching head for about $15,000. Later, he realized that going with new equipment might have been the smarter play. The cost of maintaining used gear added up fast.
But he also pointed out something that a lot of new operators overlook: a skid steer isn’t a risky investment. You can use it for dozens of different services. Even if land clearing slowed down, he could rent it out or use it for other work. “The risk isn’t as crazy as it seems,” he said.
Lessons on Warranties and Dealers
One of the biggest takeaways from Alex’s story is the importance of the warranty and the dealer relationship.
He learned early on that a good dealer will stand by you—and a bad one will leave you losing thousands a day while your machine sits in the shop. When a skid steer goes down, you’re not just missing a tool—you’re missing revenue.
So before buying, make sure of two things:
- The dealer offers a loaner when warranty work is needed.
- The warranty actually covers what they say it does.
Know exactly what you’re signing and don’t be afraid to speak up.
Smart Pricing and Add-On Services
When it came time to start booking jobs, Alex started with what he saw others doing and adjusted from there.
He charges around $2,000 a day for mulching, or $1,200 for a half day, plus a $200 mobilization fee. On top of that, he adds services like grapple work or power raking, which can add hundreds more to a job with very little extra cost.
The secret, he says, is to keep pricing simple. Homeowners understand day rates better than complex acreage or density quotes. “I tried the complicated pricing model, and my close rate dropped in half,” he said.
Over time, he’s refined his prices, added profitable add-ons, and learned that half-day jobs—when stacked efficiently, can be just as profitable as full days.
Running the Business Year-Round
Ohio winters can make land clearing tough, but Alex found creative ways to keep cash flowing. He started offering work to farm properties that didn’t mind muddy ruts and didn’t need a perfect finish.
He also jumped into snow removal, where his skid steers earn up to $375 an hour during heavy snow events.
It’s not something he relies on every year, but when the snow hits, it pays off big. “We’ve run machines 24 to 48 hours straight,” he said. “Nobody says no when they need the lots cleared.”
Building Leads and Systems
Alex doesn’t just rely on word of mouth, he knows how to market.
He started by running simple, high-impact Facebook ads. The videos were short, local, and real. A slow-motion clip of the mulcher cutting through brush, a recognizable water tower in the background, and a quick before-and-after shot of a cleared backyard.
He kept the ad copy simple:
Local company. Most jobs done in a day. Free quote.
People connected with that immediately. It wasn’t corporate. It was hometown.
Today, Alex runs most of his operation through Housecall Pro, but he’s testing more flexible systems like GoHighLevel for automation—so Facebook leads can automatically trigger emails, texts, and quotes without him manually copying things over.
Building for the Future
Alex’s approach to Brushwork Land Clearing shows what happens when you combine field work with smart marketing and local insight. He’s not just running machines—he’s building a brand.
By going direct to the homeowner, he skipped the middlemen that slow most operators down. He found a niche that most commercial companies ignore, and he turned it into a full-time business that’s growing fast.
And he’s still just getting started.
The Takeaway
If you’re thinking about starting your own land-clearing business, learn from Alex’s story:
- Start with local demand, not industry terms.
- Buy versatile equipment that can make money in multiple ways.
- Build simple pricing and add-ons that homeowners understand.
- Use video ads that grab attention and show real results.
- Keep learning and automating, your time is too valuable to waste on manual work.
Don’t miss the complete episode where we break down how he built Brushwork Land Clearing from the ground up — including real numbers, lessons learned, and marketing tips that actually work.
👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
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