Data Center Site Prep Subcontractor, Austin–San Antonio Corridor
Clear Ground is a site-work subcontractor for data center general contractors between Austin and San Antonio. We clear and grub, excavate, trench conduit routes, install erosion controls and document the work with drone flights. Clearing runs $3,000–$8,500 per acre. Trenching runs $5–$40 per linear foot. Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval.
We take the site-work scope inside your project. Bigger packages add rented equipment. If a job needs another crew, the bid names it. Sub prequal details are on the contractors page. Owners scanning a parcel before LOI should read the developers page.
The site-work sub fell behind the critical path.
Clearing slipped two weeks and the pad delivery window is closing. Owners and commissioning teams start asking questions. A sub that shows a realistic crew and equipment list up front avoids that conversation.
Erosion controls failed in the first hard rain.
BMPs blew out, sediment moved, and the inspection records are a stack of paper. We install and maintain BMPs to your SWPPP and keep a dated photo log of each inspection.
The owner wants quantities that tie to the pay app.
Cut/fill and trench records need to match what was billed. We fly the site, model the surface in Pix4D and hand your engineer volumes to check against their own numbers.
Five steps from raw acreage to a documented pad
Each step ends with a record your team can check. We do the clearing, excavation, trenching and erosion control scope. Design, permitting and large-scale grading stay with the parties who hold them.
Drone flight with RTK positioning before we mobilize. Existing surface, vegetation cover and drainage paths recorded. RTK-corrected drone photogrammetry, checked against ground points on site.
FAE forestry mulcher on the CAT 299D3 XE compact track loader. Mulch stays on site or gets hauled, per spec. Topsoil is stripped and stockpiled separately when the plans call for it.
Mini and compact excavators with hydraulic hammers for limestone. Larger excavators and dozers are rented when the volume calls for them.
Generator pads, fiber and power routes. We photograph and scan the open trench before backfill so the as-built is captured while it is visible.
Progress flights on an agreed cadence, weekly if you want them. Cut/fill reports, ortho and surface model delivered typically 2–3 business days after each flight.
What we self-perform and what we rent
| Scope | How we cover it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing and grubbing | Our fleet: CAT 299D3 XE with FAE mulcher | Priced $3,000–$8,500 per acre by density |
| Excavation, rock and trenching | Our fleet: CAT 305.5E2 and Kobelco SK75 with hydraulic hammers | Trenching $5–$40 per linear foot; depth and rock drive the price |
| Larger excavators, dozers, compaction | Rented locally when a job needs them | Built into the bid, not added later |
| Erosion control installation | Our crew | Installed to your SWPPP; the SWPPP itself comes from the owner's engineer |
| Drone documentation | Our DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise with RTK | Models processed in Pix4D; cut/fill checked in InSite Elevation Pro |
| Mass grading of large pads | Outside our scope | We work under the grading contractor as the clearing, trenching and documentation sub |
Dozers, larger excavators and compaction equipment are rented locally when a job needs them.
Prices reviewed: September 2026. Ranges for Austin and Central Texas; your site walk sets the final number.
What the documentation does and does not show
A drone models the ground surface. Rock, footings and buried lines below the surface are found with test holes, probing, 811 locates and GPR where needed.
Our drone scans measure surfaces, quantities and grades. They are not a boundary survey or a sealed survey by a licensed surveyor, and a drone cannot see below the ground surface.
We produce an orthomosaic, surface model, contours and cut/fill volumes, and a photo log of each trench before backfill. Your engineer and surveyor stay the record for design and boundaries.
Credentials
Credentials
- Legal name: Clear Ground Land Clearing & Excavation, LLC (Texas LLC)
- Insurance: $2,000,000 per occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate general liability (THREE, a Berkshire Hathaway company), $1,000,000 commercial auto, and Texas workers' compensation with $1,000,000 employer's liability. Certificate of insurance and additional-insured endorsement provided before work starts.
- Bonding: City of Austin right-of-way bond on file. Performance and payment bonds quoted per project.
- Registered with: City of Austin contractor registration and right-of-way bond · Avetta · ISNetworld · USDOT 8808831
- Safety: Written OSHA construction safety program. Zero OSHA recordable injuries since the company formed in 2026.
- Licensing: Texas has no state license for site-work or general contractors. We carry the insurance, registrations and bond above.
Registered on Avetta and ISNetworld. The full registration table, COI and safety numbers are on the contractors page.
Questions we get
What does data center site prep cost in Central Texas?
Clearing and grubbing runs $3,000–$8,500 per acre, rock excavation runs $35–$90 per cubic yard, and trenching runs $5–$40 per linear foot. A site walk and plan set turn those ranges into a bid.
How fast can you start?
Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval. We answer the same business day.
Do you do mass grading on large campuses?
No. We are the clearing, excavation, trenching and erosion control sub. On a large campus we work under the grading contractor and add rented equipment where our scope needs it.
What do you deliver at closeout?
An orthomosaic, surface model, cut/fill volumes and a dated photo log of open trenches, typically 2–3 business days after each flight. The drone models the surface only. Buried items are found with locates, probing and GPR.
Are you registered on the prequal platforms?
Yes. We are registered on Avetta and ISNetworld. Insurance, safety and registration details are on our contractors page.
SEND US THE SCOPE.
WE'LL SEND THE PREQUAL PACKET.
The packet has our COI, safety program summary, equipment list and project references. We answer the same business day.
Request Prequal PacketRegistered on Avetta and ISNetworld · Central Texas