Montrose, MI · Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat 8 AM–3 PM(810) 955-4752mike.onyxlandclr@gmail.com
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Block retaining wall with stone steps holding a sloped lakefront yard
Michigan service area

Forestry Mulching & Land Clearing Services in Lake Orion, MI

Lot clearing, excavation and retaining walls for lakefront homes, wooded lots and commercial sites from the M-24 corridor to the hills around Bald Mountain.

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Since 2019Founded December 2019, 6+ years of land work in Mid-Michigan
Owner-OperatedYou work directly with Michael Lee
Free EstimatesOn-site estimates in Lake Orion at no charge
Lake Orion overview

Lake Orion, MI Land Clearing & Excavation Services

Lake Orion is northern Oakland County lake country: a village built around its namesake lake, with M-24 running along the east shore and Orion Township's hills, woods and smaller lakes spreading out in every direction. Between Bald Mountain Recreation Area, Orion Oaks County Park and the Paint Creek valley, a lot of private land here is still wooded, steep or both. Our land clearing services in Lake Orion, MI help owners open up that ground for homes, additions, yards and commercial sites without wrecking what makes the area worth living in.

Clearing here is rarely wide-open acreage. It's wooded lots in township subdivisions off Clarkston, Joslyn and Baldwin roads, overgrown hillsides behind lakefront homes, and commercial parcels along the M-24 corridor that need brush cleared before a survey or site plan. Slopes are the rule, which is why so many Lake Orion clearing jobs end with excavation for a walkout basement or a retaining wall to hold the grade.

Lake Orion sits on the southeast edge of Onyx's regular service area, and it's a market owner Michael Lee works in; it's a straight run down M-24 from Lapeer County. Since December 2019, Onyx has taken on clearing, excavation and wall projects across northern Oakland County. Multi-day projects and larger lots are a great fit, and smaller jobs can often be scheduled alongside other work nearby.

Services

Our Services in Lake Orion, MI

Onyx's full service lineup is available in Lake Orion and throughout Orion Township. Here's how we help Lake Orion homeowners, builders and businesses get their ground ready.

Land Clearing in Lake Orion, MI

Wooded and sloped lots are the norm in Lake Orion, so clearing here is about precision. We open building envelopes and backyards on wooded township lots, clear lots and acreage for new construction, and remove brush and underbrush from hillsides that have gotten away from their owners, while leaving the mature trees that shade the lot and screen the neighbors. Lakefront sites and lots near Paint Creek get extra erosion planning.

  • Residential Land Clearing
  • Lot & Acreage Clearing
  • Brush & Underbrush Clearing
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Forestry Mulching in Lake Orion, MI

Forestry mulching is ideal for Lake Orion's hills. Instead of dragging brush across a steep yard and hauling it out, the mulcher grinds it in place and leaves a protective layer on the soil, one of the best ways to keep a cleared slope from washing toward the lake. It's also a clean, low-impact way to open up sight lines, thin a woodlot or cut walking paths on larger Orion Township parcels.

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Excavating Contractors in Lake Orion, MI

Lake Orion's rolling ground makes excavation a big part of most building projects. Onyx digs foundations and walkout basements, excavates for additions and garages, and trenches for water, electric and drainage lines on residential lots around the village and township. We call MISS DIG 811 before every dig and plan spoil piles and grading around tight lake-lot access.

  • Residential Excavation
  • Trenching
  • Foundation & Basement Excavation
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Retaining Walls in Lake Orion, MI

If there's one service Lake Orion properties ask for most, it's retaining walls. Steep lakefront yards, walkout basements and terraced hillsides all depend on walls built with a solid base, the right backfill and drainage behind them. We install new retaining walls and repair or replace older walls that are leaning, cracking or letting soil wash through.

  • Retaining Wall Installation
  • Retaining Wall Repair & Replacement
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Snow Plowing in Lake Orion, MI

Onyx offers limited winter snow plowing, and Lake Orion sits at the far edge of that route. Plowing here is typically reserved for existing customers and larger commercial lots. Call to check availability.

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Local knowledge

Local Expertise in Lake Orion: We Know This Area

Lake Orion's landscape is hills, lakes and woods packed close together. The village wraps around Lake Orion itself, Paint Creek (a designated trout stream) runs from the Lake Orion area south toward Rochester, and Bald Mountain Recreation Area and Orion Oaks County Park hold large blocks of wooded, rolling ground. For clearing and excavation, that means steep grades and a lot of properties within 500 feet of a lake or stream, where erosion control isn't optional.

We come into Lake Orion down M-24 from Lapeer County through Oxford, along the east shore of the lake with Bald Mountain just beyond to the south, and work the township roads from there: Clarkston Road past Friendship Park, Joslyn Road by the township offices and Civic Center Park, and Baldwin, Silverbell, Giddings and Indian Lake roads. Tight lake streets and hilly driveways mean we check access before the trailer ever arrives.

Typical Lake Orion projects include clearing wooded lots for new homes and additions, building retaining walls on lakefront and walkout lots, mulching overgrown hillsides and property lines, and trenching drainage on yards that shed water toward the house. On larger Orion Township parcels near the Polly Ann Trail corridor, we also cut and clean up private walking paths and open up field edges.

Orion Township is one of the Oakland County communities that runs its own soil erosion program, so Part 91 permits for township properties, generally required for earth changes of one acre or more or within 500 feet of a lake or stream, go through Orion Township rather than the county. The Road Commission for Oakland County posts spring weight restrictions on non-all-season roads, which affects when we haul equipment in. And with oaks common on these wooded lots, we avoid wounding them during the Michigan DNR's April 15 to July 15 oak wilt season.

Why Onyx

Why Lake Orion Homeowners and Contractors Choose Onyx Land Clearing

You Talk to the Owner, and He Runs the Machine

Onyx is Michael Lee's company, not a call center. When you call about a Lake Orion job, you talk to Michael, he walks the property for the estimate, and he's the one running the equipment on your lot. Nothing gets lost between a salesperson and a crew you've never met.

We Plan for Lake Orion's Slopes

Walkouts, lakefront grades and terraced yards need clearing, excavation and walls planned together. Because Onyx does all three, the grade you end up with is one we planned from the start, not something three contractors pieced together.

We Know Orion Township's Rules

From the township-run soil erosion program to the 500-foot rule around Lake Orion and Paint Creek, we factor local requirements into the estimate so your project doesn't stall after it starts.

Free, Straightforward Estimates

Every Lake Orion 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.

One Contractor From Clearing to Walls

Residential or commercial, one lot or several, Onyx handles clearing, dirt work and retaining walls under one contract, with fewer schedules to juggle for Lake Orion homeowners and builders.

Service area

Serving Lake Orion and Surrounding Areas

Onyx provides land clearing services in Lake Orion, MI and throughout northern Oakland County, from the village and Orion Township north through Oxford and into the Lapeer County horse country. Lake Orion marks the southeast edge of our service area, and the communities below are all within reach.

  • Village of Lake Orion and Orion Township
  • Oxford and Oxford Township
  • Addison Township and Leonard
  • Clarkston and Independence Township
  • Ortonville and Brandon Township
  • Metamora, MI
  • Lapeer, MI
Straight answers

Frequently Asked Questions: Lake Orion, MI

For property in Orion Township, the township itself is the soil erosion permitting agency; it's one of the Oakland County communities that runs its own Part 91 program. A permit is generally needed for earth changes of one acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake or stream, which covers a lot of lakefront lots here. If your property is inside the Village of Lake Orion, confirm with the village and the township which office handles it. We'll help you sort out what your project likely needs during the estimate.

Wall height and length drive most of the cost, followed by materials, drainage, whether an old wall has to come out first, and how easy it is to get equipment onto the lot, a big factor on tight lake properties. A short garden wall and a tall wall holding a walkout grade are very different projects. Onyx gives free on-site estimates so you get a real price for your yard.

Yes, with the right precautions. Work within 500 feet of Lake Orion, Paint Creek or another lake or stream generally needs a soil erosion permit and erosion controls, and Paint Creek is a designated trout stream, so keeping soil out of the water matters. Forestry mulching helps because it leaves roots and a mulch layer protecting the ground. Wetlands fall under separate state rules, so we'll point out anything that looks like one before work starts.

Yes, that's exactly what forestry mulching is good at. We remove the brush, saplings and small trees crowding your lot and leave the mature trees you want to keep, so you get a usable, walkable woods instead of a bare lot. You walk the property with Michael first and mark what stays.

It depends on the footprint, depth, whether it's a full basement or a walkout, soil conditions, where excavated material can go, and access on the lot. Sloped and lakefront lots in Lake Orion often need more planning around spoil and grading. We give free on-site estimates and can handle the lot clearing first so one contractor manages the ground work.

Yes. Lake Orion is on the southeast edge of our regular service area, and owner Michael Lee works here; it's a straight run down M-24 from Lapeer County. Larger and multi-day projects are a great fit, and smaller jobs can often be scheduled alongside other work nearby. Call and we'll tell you honestly how soon we can get there.

Free estimates

Ready to Get Started in Lake Orion?

Whether your property sits on the east shore of Lake Orion, on a wooded lot off Clarkston Road or out near Bald Mountain, Onyx is ready to clear it, dig it and hold the grade. Estimates are always free, and you'll deal with the owner from start to finish. Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat 8 AM–3 PM.

(810) 955-4752 · mike.onyxlandclr@gmail.com · Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat 8 AM–3 PM · Montrose, MI

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