Land clearing
Brush, stumps, and overgrown acreage cleared down to workable ground.
See how it works- St. Joseph
- Benton Harbor
- Stevensville
- Bridgman
- Coloma
- Baroda
Land clearing, septic systems, and site work in Berrien County
From an overgrown lot to a finished grade — clearing, excavation, septic, driveways, and drainage, done by the person who owns the machine.
Free on-site estimates · Owner-operated · Serving St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Stevensville and surrounding towns
6
Earthwork services under one contractor
12+
Berrien County towns served
24hr
Callback on every estimate request
$0
To have us come look at the property
What we do
Everything between raw ground and a buildable site
Most of these jobs run together. Clearing leads to site prep, site prep leads to septic and utilities, and it all ends at finish grade. Running it through one contractor means nobody is waiting on anybody else.
Site prep & excavation
Building pads, footings, and utility trenching dug to plan and to grade.
See how it worksSeptic systems
New installs and full replacements, permitted through the county health department.
See how it worksDriveways
New gravel drives, regrading, culverts, and drainage that survives a Michigan spring.
See how it worksFinish grading
Final grade shaped to move water away from the house and ready for seed or sod.
See how it worksDrainage & erosion control
Swales, French drains, and the erosion controls a shoreline permit requires.
See how it works
Why it matters here
The permit is the part that catches people out
Michigan requires a soil erosion permit for any earth change within 500 feet of a lake or stream, or that disturbs an acre or more. Look at a map of this county — the lakeshore, the St. Joseph River, the Paw Paw, and every creek between them. A surprising number of ordinary backyard projects sit inside that line.
Septic runs on a separate track. Michigan has no statewide sanitary code, so Berrien County writes its own rules, and they are stricter than the state floor. Lake Michigan properties here need a 200-foot setback where the state minimum is 150.
None of that is a reason to panic. It's a reason to work with somebody who has done it before.
- We flag which permits your job is likely to need at the estimate, not halfway through
- We know which office handles what — health department, drain commission, road commission
- Erosion controls installed and maintained while the job runs
- Setbacks from wells, property lines, and the lake checked before we dig
Recent work
Jobs around the county
Same county, same soil, same permit offices. Here's what the work looks like.
Who you're hiring
Derek Arwood, owner
Woods Land Services is owner-operated. Derek quotes the job, runs the machine, and is the person you call when you have a question about it. There is no dispatcher, no rotating crew, and nobody showing up who has never seen your property.
He lives and works in this county. The properties he clears are down the road from his own, which is a decent reason to leave a site the way he'd want it left.
Owner-operated
Berrien County based
One crew, start to finish
Free estimates
Where we work
Serving St. Joseph and the surrounding towns
Based in St. Joseph Charter Township and working across Berrien County, from the lakeshore inland.
- St. Joseph, MI 49085
- Benton Harbor, MI 49022
- Stevensville, MI 49127
- Bridgman, MI 49106
- Coloma, MI 49038
- Baroda, MI 49101
- Shoreham
- Royalton Township
- Lincoln Township
- Benton Township
- Watervliet
- Fair Plain
- Lakeside
- Hagar Township
Questions
What people ask before they call
Often, yes — and more often than people expect. Michigan requires a soil erosion permit for any earth change that disturbs an acre or more, or that happens within 500 feet of a lake or stream. On this side of the county that second trigger catches a lot of small jobs, because between Lake Michigan, the St. Joseph and Paw Paw rivers, and the creeks running through town, a lot of properties sit inside that buffer.
Septic work is separate. Any new system, replacement, alteration, or extension needs a permit from the Berrien County Health Department before work starts.
We'll tell you which permits your job needs at the estimate, before you commit to anything.
Every job is quoted after we look at the property. Price on earthwork comes down to what's actually in the ground — soil type, water table, slope, access for the machine, how far spoil has to travel, and what has to be protected on the way in. Anyone who quotes you over the phone without seeing it is guessing.
Estimates are free and there's no charge for us to come look.
It depends on the season. Spring and fall are the busiest stretches for earthwork in southwest Michigan, and septic work often has to wait on a health department soil evaluation before anything can be scheduled. Call and we'll tell you honestly where you'd land.
Some of it, some of the time. Once the ground freezes hard, excavation and septic installs get difficult and expensive, and finish grading has to wait for thaw. Clearing and brush work often still go fine. If you're planning a spring build, the smart move is booking the site work before the spring rush fills up.
Yes. If you're a builder who needs a pad and utilities ready on a schedule, or a realtor with a septic problem holding up a closing, call directly and we'll tell you what's realistic on your timeline.
Ready to get dirt moving?
Tell us about the property and we'll come look at it. Estimates are free, and we'll tell you straight if the job needs a permit before anyone touches the ground.