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What Lot Clearing and Grading Cost in New Brunswick

Mini $65 to $150 · standard $150 to $250 an hour

Machine time with operator, guides read in September 2026. We found no usable per-acre or per-square-metre price for New Brunswick.

Reviewed 2026-09-28 · how we set these ranges

Clearing and grading happen close to brooks, wetlands and lot lines, which is where the permits people do not expect tend to sit. Plan for them first.

1 The pieces of the price

Machine time

By the hour, with operator

Mini $65 to $150 an hour · standard $150 to $250 an hour

Stumps and brush

Machine time plus disposal

No published figure: ask where they go and who pays

Trucking the spoil

Per load or per truck hour

Too few published prices to average: ask for the load count and truck size in writing

Topsoil and fill

Per cubic metre plus delivery

Too few published prices for topsoil; crushed stone $40 to $75/m³

2 What's under your yard

The things nobody can see until the bucket goes in, and what to do about each before it does.

A brook, lake or wetland nearby

Any clearing, digging, fill or machine work within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland needs a provincial WAWA permit first. The 30 metres is measured from the top of the bank, on the ground.

Before the dig: Measure before you book the machine. The landowner usually applies; a single alteration is $25.
Buried lines

Gas, power, cable and old private lines can sit anywhere in a yard. NB Power says its lines can be buried as little as one foot down.

Before the dig: The contractor must have utilities located before digging (WorkSafeNB). Ask to see both tickets: Info-Excavation (3 working days' notice, valid to the end date on the request) and NB Power (five business days, valid 60 days, NB Power lines only). Mark private lines yourself.
Rock

We found no public source on how deep rock sits under any New Brunswick town, so nobody can promise a rock-free lot.

Before the dig: Get the rock clause in writing before the dig: how it is found, how the breaker time is logged and what it costs per hour.
Where the water will go

Grading changes where water runs; Fredericton reviews lot grading at the building permit stage.

Before the dig: Ask the contractor where the water will be sent, and check with your town before regrading near a lot line.

3 Before the first bucket

Tick them off as you go. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

Check the 30-metre rule Before anything is booked Within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, a WAWA permit comes first.
Ask the town about a site-work permit Before clearing Quispamsis requires one for grubbing, clearing or preparing a lot for development; other towns may have their own rules.
Book both locates 5 business days ahead Info-Excavation needs 3 working days' notice and NB Power runs its own request with five business days' notice. Ask the contractor for both tickets.
Ask for a WorkSafeNB clearance certificate Before you sign Coverage is mandatory for employers with three or more workers, and a customer can be held responsible for an unregistered business's premiums.
Keep the 10% holdback When you pay The Construction Remedies Act requires the owner to retain 10% of the contract price for 60 days after substantial performance; ask a lawyer about the details.

4 Rules by place for this job

Quispamsis: A Site Work Development Permit is required for grubbing, clearing or preparing a lot for development; ask the Town whether your job counts.
Fredericton: A building permit comes before a new building, an addition or significant alterations; Engineering reviews water and sewer services and lot grading at that stage.
Rural districts: Planning and permits run through the Regional Service Commissions; ask yours before clearing.
Anywhere else: We found no excavation-specific rule for Dieppe, Sussex, Miramichi or other towns: ask your municipality or Regional Service Commission before the machine arrives.

What the written quote should name

The area to be cleared and graded, on a sketch
Where stumps, brush and topsoil go
How rock is priced if the grade hits it
The finished grade and where water will run
Whether the WAWA permit, if needed, is in hand before work starts

More on the work itself: Lot Clearing & Grading

Questions people ask

Do I need a permit to clear my lot?

It depends on the town and on water nearby. Quispamsis requires a site work permit for preparing a lot for development, and anything within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland needs a WAWA permit first.

How is the 30 metres measured?

Horizontally from the top of the bank, in the field, not from a map.

Who applies for the WAWA permit?

Usually the landowner; an agent applying for you needs a landowner consent form. A single alteration costs $25.

Want this done at your place?

Tell us what needs digging and we'll pass it to local New Brunswick excavation contractors for a written quote. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.

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