FAQs
Questions people ask first.
Estimates, prices, permits, storm damage, snow and how the work runs.
Do you give free estimates?
Yes. Ben comes out, walks the ground with you and gives you a price before any work starts.
What areas do you serve?
Leicester, Asheville, Weaverville, Candler, Woodfin and Marshall most weeks, and across Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Henderson, McDowell and the rest of Western North Carolina for larger jobs.
Are you insured?
Yes, Hazy River Earthworks is fully insured.
Do you do residential and commercial work?
Both. Most jobs are homeowners, builders and property owners; commercial site work is quoted case by case.
Can you fix storm damage from Hurricane Helene?
Yes. Washed-out drives and roads, damaged creek banks, slides and debris clean-up have been a big part of the work since the storm.
How do I get a price?
Call (828) 900-1749 or send the form with the town, what needs doing and photos if you have them.
Are you doing snow removal this winter?
Yes, around Leicester, Asheville and Weaverville. See the snow removal page and get on the list before the first storm.
How much does it cost to clear land around Asheville?
It depends on how thick the growth is, the size of the trees, the slope, how the machine gets in, and whether the material is mulched on site or hauled away. A price per acre on the internet does not account for any of that, which is why the estimate is free and done on the ground. See what moves the cost of land clearing in Western NC.
What happens to the mulch?
It stays on the ground as a layer that protects the soil and breaks down over time. Nothing is burned and nothing is hauled.
Can you fix water running toward my house?
Usually, yes. Most of the time it is a grade problem, and the fix is reshaping the ground and adding a swale or drain so the water goes around the house instead of into it.
My gravel drive washes out every time it rains. Can it be fixed?
Almost always. The fix is grade and drainage — crowning the drive and giving the water a ditch, swale or culvert — not just more stone.
Do you dig foundations and basements?
Yes. Foundation and basement excavation, including cutting into slopes, is core work.
My yard is washing away every time it rains. What fixes it?
Usually a combination: regrading so the water spreads out instead of channelling, and giving it a lined path off the property. Bare slopes also need cover — seed, mulch or rock — before the next storm.
What kind of retaining walls do you build?
Block retaining walls, including large block that is set by machine. The photos on this page are real jobs.
What kinds of structures do you demolish?
Buildings, outbuildings and storm-damaged structures, plus concrete and footings. Call with what it is and Ben will tell you straight away whether it is a fit.
Do you install septic systems?
Yes. Hazy River does septic installation for new systems, from the tank hole to the drain field. The system needs a county permit and approved design before any digging starts.
Can you haul away debris from another project?
Often, yes. Call with what it is and how much, and you will get a straight answer.
Do you plow gravel driveways?
Yes — steep and long gravel drives are the point of this service. Knowing where the drive edges and ditches are is what keeps the stone on the drive and the truck off the bank.
Land clearing cost in Western NC
Land clearing cost in Western NC comes down to six things: how thick the growth is, how big the trees are, how steep the ground is, how the machine gets in, what happens to the debris, and how finished the ground has to be. There is no honest flat price per acre for mountain land, which is why two lots of the same size can cost very different amounts to clear.
Read the guideCost GuideHow Much Does a Retaining Wall Cost in Asheville?
A retaining wall in Asheville costs whatever its height, length, base, drainage and site access demand, so two walls of the same length can be priced very differently. The only way to get a real number for your wall is a site visit, and Hazy River Earthworks gives that estimate free.
Read the guideCost GuideGravel Driveway Cost in Western NC, Explained
Gravel driveway cost in Western North Carolina depends mostly on length, slope, how much cutting and drainage the route needs, and how much stone it takes to build a solid base. A short drive on gentle ground is a small job, while a long drive climbing a ridge with culverts and ditches is a much bigger one, so the real number comes from walking the route.
Read the guideCost GuideGrading cost in Western NC: what moves the price
Grading cost in Western North Carolina depends on how much soil has to move, how steep the ground is, what the soil is made of, how much fill comes in or spoil goes out, access, drainage and erosion control. A price per acre rarely fits a mountain site, so the dependable number comes from a free estimate after someone walks the ground.
Read the guideLand Clearing
Trees, brush, briars and stumps taken off the ground so a mountain lot can be built on, driven on, fenced or used again.
ViewServiceForestry Mulching
Brush, briars, scrub and small trees ground up where they stand, with the mulch left on the ground to hold the soil.
ViewServiceGrading & Site Prep
Pads cut level, slopes shaped, and ground graded so the water leaves the site instead of running through the house.
ViewServiceDriveway Installation & Repair
New gravel drives cut in and worn ones rebuilt, graded and crowned so the rain runs off instead of down the middle.
ViewServiceExcavation
Foundations, trenches, utility lines, root balls and rock — dug to the right depth and backfilled so the ground settles once.
ViewServiceErosion Control
Slopes stabilised, banks armoured and water redirected so the next heavy rain does not take the yard, the drive or the creek bank with it.
ViewServiceRetaining Walls
Block retaining walls built on a real base, with drain pipe and stone behind them, so the slope they hold stays held.
ViewServiceDemolition
Structures torn down, debris loaded and hauled, and the site left clear and graded instead of a pile of rubble.
ViewServiceSeptic Installation
Tank holes, drain field lines and the grading around them, dug to the plan so the system sits right and drains the way it should.
ViewServiceHauling
Gravel, fill and stone brought in, and spoil, brush and debris hauled away — usually as part of the job, sometimes on its own.
ViewServiceSnow Removal
Hazy River Earthworks is clearing snow this winter around Leicester, Asheville and Weaverville. Get on the list before the first storm.
ViewFrom the blog
Building on mountain land?
Plain guides on clearing, grading, drives and building on mountain land. All guides.
How to prepare land for construction in WNC
Clearing, excavation, grading, pads, drives, drainage, utilities and septic: the order raw mountain land gets prepared for a build in Western North Carolina.ReadCost GuideGrading cost in Western NC: what moves the price
Land grading cost in Western NC depends on dirt moved, slope, clay and rock, fill, drainage and erosion control. Free estimates: (828) 900-1749.ReadGuideBuilding on a Steep Lot in Western North Carolina
Building on a steep lot in Western NC: how the building pad, drive, walls, drainage and permits work on a slope, and what drives the site work cost.ReadCost GuideLand clearing cost in Western NC
What land clearing costs in Western NC depends on growth, tree size, slope, access and what happens to the debris. What moves the price, and how to lower it.ReadFree estimate
Tell Ben what
the ground needs.
Send the details and Ben will come out, walk the property with you and give you a price before anything starts. If it is easier to talk it through, call.
Leicester, NC · Asheville & Western North Carolina · Fully insured