Land Clearing
We clear overgrown lots, acreage, fence lines and trails in Oak Hill and across Greene County. The brush is mulched on site or hauled away, whichever fits the job.
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Athens climbs from a flat terrace on the Hudson River up into the Kalkberg Hills near Route 9W. Between the river and Route 9W, much of the ground is heavy clay that drains slowly. After rain or snowmelt, water sits in yards and gravel driveways turn soft and rutted. Up in the hills, bedrock sits close to the surface, which makes footings and trenches harder to dig.
Doberman Excavation and Services is an excavation contractor serving Athens, part of our Greene County service area. Here we take on land clearing for wooded lots, drainage, gravel driveways and site preparation for new homes. Call or text (518) 281-8003 with the address and a few photos. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing.
Tell us about the job and where the property is. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing.
The joint town and village plan splits Athens into three zones. A flat terrace along the Hudson holds the village and Route 385. The Kalkberg Hills rise near Route 9W, and the Hoogeberg Hills run from the Thruway west to the town line. The plan also notes shallow or clay soils in parts of Athens.
Along the river, the USDA soil survey maps well-drained loam under parts of the village. Inland toward Route 9W and Sleepy Hollow Lake, it maps heavy clay left by an old glacial lake. In the wetter clays, such as Kingsbury and Rhinebeck, the water table can rise to about a foot down. A French drain or a regrade can move that water, as long as it has somewhere to go.
In the hills, the soil survey maps Nassau and Farmington soils, with bedrock less than two feet down in places. We look at the ground before we price a footing or a trench there.
Census estimates show nearly half the homes in the village were built before 1940. Across the whole town, the share is about 28 percent. The Athens Lower Village Historic District and the Brick Row Historic District are both on the National and State Registers. Inside the Historic District, the village requires Planning Board approval for exterior changes.
Before any digging, state law has the excavator call 811 at least two working days ahead. The day of the call does not count. UDig NY says its member utilities do not mark private lines on your property. So tell us about any buried line you know of, such as one to a garage or a shed.
Much of the village runs on public water and sewer, per the town and village plan. The main water line follows the Schoharie Turnpike from Hollister Lake. Out in the town, the code office lists a septic permit. A design professional draws the plan for a new system, and our septic system installation follows that plan.
New home building is picking up outside the village. Census Bureau permit data show 13 new single-family homes permitted there in 2025, up from 4 in 2024. The town and village plan describes rolling, rural land, with most steep slopes in the central and western parts.
A new house starts with site preparation: we clear the lot, then dig the footings and utility trenches. The town's FAQ says a new detached garage or shed needs a work permit and planning approval too. On the clay flats, gravel driveway work needs a crown and a side ditch so water leaves the stone.
Before you put a driveway in, the Town of Athens Highway Department asks you to call its superintendent. The superintendent inspects the spot to decide whether you need a culvert pipe. The department installs the pipe, and the property owner buys it. A driveway onto Route 9W or Route 385 needs a permit from the state Department of Transportation.
Some Athens homes sit empty part of the year. The 2020 Census counted 295 homes in the town held for seasonal or occasional use. The town and village plan notes that short-term rentals are a recent arrival. In the village, each short-term rental needs a fire inspection every year.
If you own one and live elsewhere, our property maintenance covers the outdoor work while you are away. We handle brush hogging, ditch cleaning, washouts and fallen trees, then send photos by phone. In winter we plow driveways and private roads and stack the snow on the property. State law bars depositing driveway snow on the road, and the town's highway page says so too.
Sleepy Hollow Lake sits north of the village, and part of the lake lies in the Town of Coxsackie. The town and village plan notes the lake is on the state's impaired waters list for silt. That silt comes from eroding stream banks. Near the lake, forestry mulching grinds brush in place and leaves the mulch on the ground.
Communities and areas we serve around Athens: Village of Athens, Athens Lower Village Historic District, Brick Row Historic District, West Athens, Limestreet, Sleepy Hollow Lake, Route 9W, Route 385, Schoharie Turnpike, Kalkberg Hills, Hoogeberg Hills, Murderers Creek.
Athens ZIP codes served: 12015.
Athens is part of our service area. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing.
(518) 281-8003 We clear overgrown lots, acreage, fence lines and trails in Oak Hill and across Greene County. The brush is mulched on site or hauled away, whichever fits the job.
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Our CAT 255 skid steer with a CAT HM215 forestry mulcher grinds brush and saplings into mulch where they stand. The mulch stays on your land, and the trees you want kept stay standing.
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We brush hog overgrown fields and pastures across Greene County and the northern Catskills. Saplings up to 4 inches thick come down with the grass and brush.
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We build new gravel driveways and repair rutted, washed-out ones in Oak Hill and across Greene County. We shape the crown and the ditches so rain and snowmelt run off the drive.
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French drains and culverts for yards and driveways that stay wet after rain or snowmelt. We find where the water runs and give it a way out.
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We clear the lot and cut a level building pad for homes, garages, barns and sheds. Then we dig the footings and the utility trenches for the build.
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We level yards and fields and slope the ground so water runs away from the house. We also bring in fill and topsoil and finish the grade smooth.
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We install new and replacement septic systems across Greene County, built to the engineer's plan. We also repair septic tanks and leach fields.
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We take down old barns, sheds, garages and outbuildings, plus concrete slabs and old foundations. The debris gets hauled away, and the ground is graded after the demolition.
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We take down hazard and fallen trees with our machines and pull the stumps out with their roots. The wood and debris get hauled away when the work is done.
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We keep up Catskills vacation homes, rentals, second homes and land for owners who live out of the area. We mow fields, fix driveways, clean ditches and clear storm damage, then send you photos.
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We plow driveways, private roads, parking areas and lots across Greene County and the mountaintop. We plow by the season or by the storm, and gravel drives keep their stone.
Learn MoreReal reviews from real jobs, 2 reviews on Google.
Great service on time and was quick to get quotes over compared to waiting for 2 weeks for 2 others to get back
Highly Recommend.
A few of the questions we hear most around Athens. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Tell us where the property is and what you need done. You can also call or text (518) 281-8003 for a free estimate.
Tell us about the job and where the property is. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing.