Does lot clearing need a permit in Quispamsis?

Lot Clearing in Quispamsis: What You Need Before the Machine Arrives

The Town of Quispamsis requires a Site Work Development Permit for the grubbing, clearing or preparation of a lot for development. Ask the Town of Quispamsis whether your clearing counts as preparing the lot for development, and ask at the same time whether a development permit is needed for the intended use of the land.

Beyond the town's permit, a few provincial rules apply regardless of what the municipality says. If any part of the clearing, grading or machine work falls within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, you need a Watercourse and Wetland Alteration permit from the province before a single tree comes down or a blade touches the ground. That 30 metres is measured horizontally from the top of the bank in the field, not from a map. The province's Department of Environment and Local Government administers that permit; the fee for a single alteration is $25. A wetland smaller than one hectare that is not connected to a watercourse is exempt from the wetland rule, but the 30-metre watercourse setback still applies.

WorkSafeNB's trench and excavation rules under General Regulation 91-191 bind the employer on site, so the contractor is responsible for those obligations. Your contractor must have the utilities located before digging (a WorkSafeNB rule for employers); ask them to show you both locate tickets. Private lines you or a past owner installed are yours to find and mark.

Here is what needs to happen before the machine arrives:

• Submit a request to Info-Excavation through Click Before You Dig at least three working days ahead. That locate is valid until the end date written on your request.
• Make a separate request to NB Power for their underground locate service at least five business days ahead. NB Power's locate is valid for 60 days from the date on their form, covers only NB Power-owned lines, and NB Power notes those lines can be buried as little as one foot down.
• Mark any private lines, drains or buried cables that you or a past owner installed; NB Power says those are the owner's to have checked.
• If a gas line or power line is ever struck during work, stop immediately, get everyone away from the area, and call emergency services from a safe distance.

On the cost side, lot clearing is priced mainly on machine time. A mini excavator with operator runs $65 to $150 per hour; a standard excavator with operator runs $150 to $250 per hour, based on published price guides read in September 2026. Few New Brunswick-specific clearing prices are published, so machine hours plus trucking and haul-away is the most reliable way to compare quotes. Ask the contractor where the material goes and who pays for disposal, because that can move the total considerably.

Before the machine shows up, confirm that your two locates are booked, that the Town of Quispamsis has answered your permit question in writing, and that you have checked the 30-metre WAWA rule for any water on or near the property. If you want to hear from local contractors who do this work, the request form on this page forwards your details to excavators listed in the New Brunswick Construction Network directory.