Land clearing, excavation and retaining walls for new builds and country acreage along Grand River Avenue, M-59 and the I-96 corridor in Livingston County.
Howell is Livingston County's seat and its largest city: a historic Grand River Avenue downtown with the courthouse clock tower on the rise, Thompson Lake right next to town, and rolling farmland and woods running out in every direction. The townships around it have grown fast, and much of that growth happens on land that has to be cleared first. Our land clearing services in Howell, MI get wooded lots, overgrown fields and fence rows ready for homes, barns and businesses.
The demand shows up all along the county's main corridors: new homes on wooded parcels near the Latson Road interchange, acreage along M-59 in Oceola Township, and country properties on the gravel roads of Howell Township. Every one of those projects needs the same sequence (clear the site, dig the basement, trench the utilities and hold back any slope) and Onyx handles all of it.
Howell sits on the southern edge of Onyx's service area, and it's a market owner Michael Lee works regularly. Since opening in December 2019, Onyx has taken on clearing and excavation work across Livingston County, and multi-day jobs like homesite prep and acreage clearing are an especially good fit here.
Every Onyx service is available in Howell and the surrounding Livingston County townships. Here's how we help Howell homeowners, builders and businesses.
Most Howell clearing jobs are homesite and acreage work. We clear building sites, driveway paths and yard space on wooded lots, reclaim old fields that have grown into brush, and clean out overgrown underbrush on country parcels between Howell and Fowlerville. You tell us what to save, and we clear around it, sized to the plans your builder is working from.
Forestry mulching lets Howell property owners clear brush and small trees without burn piles or haul-off. The mulch stays on the ground to hold the soil, which matters on sloped lots and anywhere near Thompson Lake, Lake Chemung or the South Branch of the Shiawassee River. It's the most efficient way to open up fence rows, trails and overgrown fields on Livingston County acreage.
Learn more →New construction around Howell keeps excavators busy. Onyx digs basements and foundations for new homes, additions and garages, excavates pads for pole barns and outbuildings, and trenches water, electric and drainage lines. We call MISS DIG 811 before we dig and can clear the site first, so your builder has one contractor for all the ground work.
Livingston County's rolling terrain makes walkout basements popular, and walkouts usually need retaining walls. We build new walls to hold grade beside walkouts, driveways and patios, and repair or replace older walls that are leaning or failing around Howell. Every wall gets a proper base and drainage so Michigan's freeze-thaw cycles don't undo the work.
Onyx runs a limited winter plowing route, and Howell is at the far southern end of it. Plowing here is generally reserved for existing customers and larger commercial lots; call to check availability.
Learn more →Howell sits on high, rolling ground, about 935 feet above sea level, in the middle of Livingston County's lake country. Thompson Lake borders downtown, Lake Chemung and the Brighton Recreation Area lie to the southeast in Genoa Township, and the South Branch of the Shiawassee River crosses the countryside in Howell Township. With that many lakes and streams, a surprising number of properties fall within 500 feet of water, which changes how clearing and excavation have to be permitted.
Our routes into Howell follow the county's main corridors: I-96 to the Latson Road interchange or Exit 133 on the west side of town, M-59 (Highland Road) running east toward US-23, and Grand River Avenue through downtown. From there it's county roads like Burkhart, Mason, Bigelow, Argentine and Marr, including gravel stretches where equipment access needs a plan.
Common Howell projects include clearing wooded homesites and digging walkout basements in the growing townships around the city, clearing and grading pads for pole barns and shops on acreage along M-59, reclaiming overgrown pasture and fence rows on older farm parcels, and brush and lot clearing for commercial and industrial parcels near the Twin Hills Industrial Park in Oceola Township.
In Livingston County, the Drain Commissioner's office on East Grand River Avenue is the soil erosion enforcing agency. Permits are generally required for earth changes of one acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake or stream, and clearing to prepare for construction is not exempt. We also schedule oak clearing outside the Michigan DNR's April 15 to July 15 oak wilt window and plan spring equipment moves around seasonal weight restrictions on county roads.
Onyx is Michael Lee's company, not a call center. When you call about a Howell job, you talk to Michael, he walks the property for the estimate, and he's the one running the machine when the work starts. Nothing gets lost between a salesperson and a crew you've never met.
Clearing, basement excavation, utility trenching and retaining walls: Onyx handles the whole ground-work sequence for Howell-area homesites, so your builder isn't waiting on three different contractors.
Soil erosion permits through the Drain Commissioner, the 500-foot rule around Thompson Lake and the Shiawassee, spring road limits: we build these into the plan and the estimate up front.
Every Howell estimate is free and done on-site. You get a clear scope, covering what's getting cleared, what's staying and what happens to the material, and a written price you can review on your own time. Financing is available through our third-party payment partner for homeowners who want it.
Homesite prep, field reclamation and larger clearing jobs are a natural fit for Onyx around Howell, residential and commercial, small lots to full acreage.
Onyx provides land clearing services in Howell, MI and across northern and central Livingston County, north toward Fenton and west toward Fowlerville. Howell marks the southern edge of our service area, and these nearby communities are all within reach.
Often, yes. Michigan generally requires a soil erosion permit for earth changes of one acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake or stream, and clearing to prepare for building is not exempt. In Livingston County, those permits go through the Drain Commissioner's office in Howell, and your township may have its own zoning or building requirements. We'll tell you during the estimate what your project likely needs.
Yes. We clear the house site, driveway path and yard space, save the trees you want to keep, and can follow up with basement excavation and utility trenching so the lot is ready for your builder. Bring your site plan to the estimate and we'll clear to it.
Basement cost depends on the footprint, depth, whether it's a walkout, soil conditions, where the excavated material goes and how easy the site is to reach. Walkouts on Livingston County's rolling lots often add grading and a retaining wall. Onyx gives free on-site estimates so you get a price for your lot, not a guess.
Yes, with the right steps. Work within 500 feet of a lake or stream generally needs a soil erosion permit and erosion controls, whether that's Thompson Lake, Lake Chemung or the South Branch of the Shiawassee River. Forestry mulching keeps roots and ground cover in place, which helps protect the water. Wetlands have separate state rules, and we'll point out anything that looks like one before we start.
It varies with vegetation density, tree size, terrain and access. A lightly overgrown field mulches much faster than a thick woodlot on a slope. Because there's no hauling or burning, mulching is often the most cost-effective way to clear brush around Howell. Onyx gives free on-site estimates.
Yes. Onyx works throughout the townships around Howell, including Genoa near the Latson Road interchange, Oceola along M-59, and Howell, Marion and Cohoctah townships. Howell is on the southern edge of our service area, so acreage and multi-day projects are an especially good fit. Call and we'll tell you when we can get there.
Often, yes. A walkout cuts into the slope, and a retaining wall holds the soil back on either side so the grade stays put and water drains away from the house. Whether you need one, and how tall, depends on your lot's grade and your house plan. We can excavate the walkout and build the wall as one project.
Whether your lot is near the Latson Road interchange, out along M-59 or on a quiet gravel road in Howell Township, Onyx is ready to clear it, dig it and get it build-ready. Estimates are always free, and you'll work with the owner from the first walk-through to the last pass. Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat 8 AM–3 PM.
