Land & Site Consultation

Skagit Project Connector · Mathew Baxter

Paid advice for any land concern — not a climb crew or dig crew.

Clearing, keep-vs-clear trees, drainage, land development, grading, demolition, access, or “something’s wrong with this land and I don’t know where to start.” Before anyone fires up a saw or rolls a machine in, you need clarity. This page sells paid consultation packages that leave you with a clearer plan and, when you want them, intros to independently licensed contractors.

Entry = consult only. No field contract is bundled into these packages. After your consult, if you want help running the whole job, we can discuss a separate general-contracting path or field work through BETR (Baxter Excavation & Tree Removal) or other licensed partners — never folded into the consult fee. Continued office or field help after the package closes is billed hourly at the rates below — separate from package overage.

Service area: entire Washington State, northern Idaho, western Montana, and Oregon (phone/photo or on-site by package).

Call or text 360-503-0571 · mathewbaxter@baxterexcavation.com · Book a consultation.

Packages

Landing Check — $175 (phone/photo) or $375 (on-site, ~1–1.5 hr)

Access, staging, equipment approach, and a clear verbal plan with short written notes. Best first step before you hire anyone to dig or climb — or before you open a landing for tree and clearing work, or spend on drainage / development without a plan.

Call or text 360-503-0571 — say Landing Check.

Bid Second Look — $550

We review up to 2–3 excavation/site bids for landing, access, grading, and scope gaps, then a 45-minute call plus written flags so you know what’s missing before you sign. Tree-removal or clearing bids that touch access and staging fit here too.

Call or text 360-503-0571 — say Bid Second Look.

Full Site Connector — $850 (~2 hr included)

On-site walk (~2 hr included), written landing/staging notes, indicative cost bands for planning, and optional intros to licensed partners. Upgrade credit: Landing Check applies toward Full Site Connector if you upgrade within 14 days.

Optional machine-assisted checks (skid steer or excavator for probe digs, soil samples, soft-spot / depth checks, access & staging trials, stump or root exposure, and rough grade reads) are quoted as a separate day-rate before the visit — they are not included in the $850 / ~2 hr walk. Anything beyond light assessment (full clearing, septic install, etc.) is also a separate agreement.

Call or text 360-503-0571 — say Full Site Connector.

Fuel/trip surcharge: On-site visits include a $50 fuel/trip surcharge per visit — this applies to Landing Check on-site ($375), Full Site Connector ($850), and any on-site follow-up or field visits. It does not apply to phone/photo Landing Check ($175) or Bid Second Look ($550, call-based).

Package overage (same visit only): $150/hr after included package time — only for time past the included walk or call on that same consult visit. This is not the rate for ongoing help after the package closes (see below).

After the package — office & field hourly

Once your package deliverable is complete, continued help is billed hourly in two lanes — separate from package overage:

• Office — $125/hr — permits coaching, calls, paperwork, partner coordination (desk)
• Field — $150/hr — on-site follow-up / further field help

Crystal clear:

• Package overage $150/hr = only time past the included walk/call on that same consult visit.
• Ongoing office or field help after the deal closes uses Office $125/hr or Field $150/hr — not package overage.
• Machine-assisted checks remain a separate day-rate quoted before the visit (not in the $850 / ~2 hr walk).
• Dig / clearing / climb / crew field work is still separate via BETR, licensed partners, or a GC agreement — never day-hire sold on this page.

Who this is for

• Landowners with any land concern they want paid advice on before hiring a climb or dig crew — clearing, keep-vs-clear trees, drainage, development, grading, demo, access, or “I don’t know where to start”
• Owners dealing with standing water, soft spots, ditching, or drainage planning
• People heading into land development — pad, shop, house, driveway, pasture, firewise opening, view corridor — who need keep-vs-clear and staging clarity first
• Owners comparing excavation, site, tree-removal, or clearing bids who want a second set of eyes on landing/access gaps
• People planning demolition / structure removal sequencing with clearing and earthwork
• Landowners who need clarity on access, gates, trucks, chippers, and seasonal limits
• DIY-minded owners who will do some brush or light clearing themselves and want a sound approach before they spend (Landing Check / Full Site Connector fit that mindset)
• Owners across Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and Oregon who want phone/photo or on-site consultation

If you already know you only need a crew quote for tree work or clearing, see the post-consult note below — this page sells consultation packages, not day-hire.

What we look at on the walk or call

• Drainage — standing water, soft spots, ditching, where water goes, what soft ground means for machines and pads
• Land development — pad, shop, house, driveway, pasture, firebreak — what’s realistic on this ground
• Access — trucks, chippers, trailers, gates, turnarounds, seasonal limits, soft ground
• Staging / landing — where machines, wood, and chip sit; swing room; slash space
• Equipment approach — what can reach the work area without chewing up the wrong ground or dropping into the wrong trees
• Trees and vegetation to keep vs. clear — privacy, shade, firewise, view, build envelope, residual stand
• Stem density and size — hand work vs. machine vs. logging-aware approach (advisory only)
• Slash and debris — chip, mulch in place, pile, haul, burn rules (county-dependent)
• Grading / earthwork — rough grade reads, bid second looks on earthwork scope gaps
• Structures and demolition (when relevant) — what’s coming out, utility disconnects to verify, sequencing with clearing and excavation
• Intended after-use — pasture, homesite, shop pad, driveway, firebreak, recreation
• Utilities and easements — known lines, septic, wells, shared access
• County / city questions — clearing vs. grading vs. demolition, critical areas, tree rules, Forest Practices triggers (we coach; you own the determinations)
• “Don’t know where to start” — we help name the problem and the next paid step

You leave with notes you can act on — not a vague “looks fine.”

How a paid consult works

1. Pick a package — Landing Check, Bid Second Look, or Full Site Connector
2. Book — call/text 360-503-0571 or email mathewbaxter@baxterexcavation.com with your state/county, lot or acreage, and what you want the land to do (or what’s going wrong with it)
3. Get your deliverable — verbal plan + short notes, bid flags + call, or on-site walk + written landing/staging notes (and optional partner intros on Full Site Connector)
4. Decide next — DIY with your notes, hire your own crew, take partner intros, book continued office/field help at the hourly rates above, or — separately — discuss GC / BETR / licensed-partner field work

Permits — plain honesty

You own the determinations. Counties and cities decide permits. Consultation does not include PE stamps, wetland delineations, SEPA packages, or “we get every permit approved.”

What we do:

• Coach you on questions to ask planning / permitting staff (package time or post-package office hourly)
• Help you spot when clearing vs. grading vs. critical areas vs. Forest Practices may matter
• Introduce independently licensed engineers, surveyors, wetland specialists, arborists, and similar pros when the path needs them
• Help you sequence work so you don’t clear or grade into a problem you can’t undo

Verify rules with your county or city.

Important — advisory only

Consultation services are advisory only. Mathew Baxter / Skagit Project Connector provides project advice, scope clarity, and introductions to independently licensed contractors. We are not the contractor of record for consultation engagements, do not direct, control, or supervise field crews, and do not perform excavation, grading, or construction under a consultation package. Any construction or general contracting work, if offered later, is under a separate written agreement with a properly licensed entity. Clients remain responsible for verifying licenses, insurance, and permits. This is not stamped engineering, geotechnical, or legal advice.

After your consult (optional — separate agreement)

After your consult, if you want help running the whole job, we can discuss a separate general-contracting or BETR / licensed-partner path — never bundled into the consult fee. Continued advisory help (permits coaching, follow-up walks) uses the office / field hourly rates above.

• Tree, stump, and clearing crew work: Baxter’s Tree Services · Demolition
• Excavation / land clearing on the excavation site: Land Clearing · Contact

You can buy a consult without hiring anyone for field work.

Service area (consultation)

• Washington (statewide)
• Northern Idaho
• Western Montana
• Oregon

Phone/photo packages work well at distance. On-site packages are by arrangement.

How to book

1. Call or text 360-503-0571 or email mathewbaxter@baxterexcavation.com
2. Name the package: Landing Check, Bid Second Look, or Full Site Connector
3. Share your state/county, acreage or lot size, and what you want the land to become (or the problem you’re seeing)
4. We’ll confirm phone/photo vs. on-site and the package rate

Book a consultation.

FAQ

Do I have to hire BETR or a partner if I buy a consult?
No. Packages are advice and introductions. Field work is a separate decision.

Is the consultation free?
No. These are paid packages at the rates listed above. Package overage is $150/hr after included package time on that same visit. Continued help after the package closes is Office $125/hr or Field $150/hr.

Is there a trip charge for on-site visits?
Yes — a $50 fuel/trip surcharge per on-site visit. It does not apply to phone/photo Landing Check or Bid Second Look.

What are the rates after the package closes?
Office $125/hr (permits coaching, calls, paperwork, partner coordination) and Field $150/hr (on-site follow-up). Package overage $150/hr only covers time past the included walk/call on that same consult visit — not ongoing post-package help.

Are you the contractor of record on a consult?
No. See the advisory disclaimer above. Construction or GC work, if offered later, is a separate written agreement with a properly licensed entity.

Can you guarantee a permit will be approved?
No. Permits are decided by the county or city. Post-package permits coaching is available at the office hourly rate.

Do you sell a day of clearing or climbing on this page?
No. This page sells consultation packages only. Crew / dig / climb work is separate via BETR, partners, or GC — never day-hire on this page.

Is this only for land clearing?
No. Land & Site Consultation covers clearing, keep-vs-clear trees, drainage, land development, grading, demolition sequencing, access, and other land concerns before you hire a crew.

Does consultation cover demolition planning?
When demolition is part of your project, we look at sequencing with clearing and excavation, utility disconnect questions, and when to bring in specialists — still as advisory consult, not as the demo crew under the package.

What states do you consult in?
Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and Oregon.

Can Landing Check credit toward Full Site Connector?
Yes — if you upgrade within 14 days.

Why two phone numbers?
360-503-0571 is the primary CTA on this tree site. Skagit Project Connector brand line also lists 360-899-8468 (same Mathew). Either reaches him; email is mathewbaxter@baxterexcavation.com.

Ready for a clear plan before anyone digs or drops trees?

Call or text 360-503-0571 · mathewbaxter@baxterexcavation.com

Skagit Project Connector · Mathew Baxter — Land & Site Consultation. Landing Check · Bid Second Look · Full Site Connector. Advice and introductions across Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and Oregon.

Advice & introductions only — not contractor of record. Field work by separately licensed partners.