About Big Jay’s Earthworks | Roanoke VA Land Clearing

Built on Hard Work, Rooted in Virginia

Big Jay’s Earthworks was founded in 2021 by Jay Barrett, a Southwest Virginia native who grew up with a deep connection to the land and a lifelong passion for shaping it. What started as a calling became a business built on straightforward values: do quality work, charge a fair price, and treat every customer’s property like it’s your own.

Today, Big Jay’s Earthworks provides professional land clearing, forestry mulching, and site preparation services across Central and Southwest Virginia. We use efficient, low-impact techniques that get the job done right while protecting the land around it.

When you hire Big Jay’s, you’re not getting a faceless contractor. You’re getting a local team led by someone who was born and raised right here, puts his name and reputation behind every job, and takes personal pride in every project. We’ve built our reputation one job at a time, and we stand behind every single one.

Our Equipment and Capabilities

Big Jay’s Earthworks runs a fleet of professional-grade equipment purpose-built for the terrain and conditions of Southwest Virginia. Our primary machines include CAT and Kubota track loaders equipped with forestry mulching heads that can process standing trees, brush, and stumps in a single pass. We also operate excavators for grading, trenching, pond construction, and foundation work, along with dump trucks for material hauling and site cleanup.

This equipment allows us to take on a wide range of projects, from clearing a quarter-acre residential lot to mulching 50-plus acres of overgrown timber land. Our forestry mulching approach is particularly well-suited to Virginia’s hilly terrain because it leaves the root system intact, which prevents erosion and preserves topsoil. Unlike traditional clear-and-burn methods, mulching returns organic material directly to the soil, which improves the land for whatever comes next, whether that is construction, agriculture, or wildlife habitat.

Experience Across Every Type of Project

Since our founding, Big Jay’s Earthworks has completed hundreds of land clearing and excavation projects throughout the Roanoke Valley, New River Valley, and Blue Ridge region. Our work spans residential, commercial, agricultural, and government contracts. We have cleared building sites for new homes in Bedford and Smith Mountain Lake, mulched overgrown pasture land in Floyd and Franklin County, graded commercial lots in Salem and Blacksburg, built farm ponds in Botetourt and Craig County, and maintained gravel roads and driveways across the region.

We also provide emergency storm cleanup and winter snow removal services for businesses, HOAs, and municipalities in the Roanoke metro area. Our experience handling time-sensitive work under pressure means we can mobilize quickly and deliver results when it matters most.

How We Work

Every project starts with a free, no-obligation site visit. Jay personally walks the property with you to understand your goals, assess the terrain, and identify any challenges like slope, drainage, underground utilities, or protected areas. From there, we provide a clear written estimate with no hidden fees.

Once work begins, we stay in close communication throughout the project. We show up on schedule, keep the site clean and organized, and make sure you are satisfied with the results before we consider the job complete. Our goal is simple: deliver work that speaks for itself so you recommend us to your neighbors.

We are fully licensed and insured in the Commonwealth of Virginia and maintain all required certifications for commercial excavation and land-disturbing activities. We follow Virginia Department of Environmental Quality erosion and sediment control standards on every job site, regardless of project size.

Services We Provide

Big Jay’s Earthworks offers a full range of earthwork and land management services designed to handle every phase of a project from raw land to finished site. Our core services include forestry mulching for clearing brush, saplings, and undergrowth without disturbing the soil; land clearing for removing trees, stumps, and debris to prepare a site for construction or agriculture; excavation and grading for shaping terrain, digging foundations, and establishing proper drainage; and site preparation for compacting, leveling, and stabilizing land before building begins.

We also build and restore ponds for farms, recreation, and stormwater management. Our pond construction process includes site evaluation, dam building, spillway installation, and final grading to ensure long-term stability and water retention. For property owners who need ongoing maintenance, we offer gravel road and driveway construction and repair, material hauling for topsoil, gravel, fill dirt, and mulch, and hardscape services including retaining walls and drainage structures.

During the winter months, our commercial snow removal service keeps parking lots, access roads, and building entrances clear and safe for businesses, medical facilities, and residential communities across the Roanoke Valley. We offer seasonal contracts and on-call service with guaranteed response times.

Committed to Southwest Virginia

Big Jay’s Earthworks is not just a business that operates in Southwest Virginia. It is part of the community. Jay Barrett and our crew live here, raise families here, and care about the long-term health of the land and the people who depend on it. We take on projects that matter to this region, from helping a young family clear a homesite on inherited land to preparing commercial lots that bring jobs and growth to small towns across the Blue Ridge.

We believe that how you treat the land reflects how you treat your neighbors. That is why we prioritize low-impact techniques, clean job sites, and honest communication on every project. If you have land that needs work in Roanoke, Blacksburg, Lynchburg, Bedford, Floyd, Rocky Mount, Smith Mountain Lake, or anywhere in between, we would be glad to come out and take a look. Call us or fill out our contact form for a free estimate.