Delaware County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Aston Township, PA
In Aston Township, paving, filling, stripping or grading any land needs a township permit first.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Aston Township, PA. In Aston Township, paving, filling, stripping or grading any land needs a township permit first, and a grading permit covering more than one acre requires a bond set by the Township Engineer before the permit is granted. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Aston Township code says
Aston Township covers about 5.8 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 8 miles from our Chadds Ford base. These are the town rules that most often shape a clearing, mulching or grading scope here, quoted from the code itself.
- 1.
Permit to grade or strip land
Section 1224.03 of Chapter 1224, Erosion and Sedimentation Control reads: “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to pave, fill, strip, grade or regrade any land within the township without first securing a permit as hereunder provided.”
Source: Aston Township Code, Chapter 1224, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Section 1224.03
- 2.
Bond above one acre
Section 1224.04 of Chapter 1224, Erosion and Sedimentation Control reads: “All applicants for a permit involving an area greater than one acre shall, before any permit is granted, post a bond with the township, in a sum to be determined by the Township Engineer, with corporate surety to be approved by the Township Solicitor”
Source: Aston Township Code, Chapter 1224, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Section 1224.04
- 3.
Steep slopes start at 15 percent
Section 1288.04 of Chapter 1288, Steep Slope Conservation District reads: “Areas of steep slope have a vertical slope greater than or equal to 15%, and up to 25%.”
Source: Aston Township Code, Chapter 1288, Steep Slope Conservation District, Section 1288.04
- 4.
Vegetation on steep slopes
Section 1288.01 of Chapter 1288, Steep Slope Conservation District reads: “Protecting the natural vegetative cover in the Steep Slope Conservation District, thereby reducing runoff and flooding potential”
Source: Aston Township Code, Chapter 1288, Steep Slope Conservation District, Section 1288.01
Offices for a Aston Township site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Delaware County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | Aston Township office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
Aston Township questions, answered
Does Aston Township require a grading permit?
Paving, filling, stripping or grading any land needs a township permit first (Section 1224.03).
Can steep slopes be cleared or graded in Aston Township?
The Steep Slope Conservation District treats slopes of 15 percent or more as steep (Section 1288.04).
Cost, permits and the ground
Code summaries are general guidance, not legal advice; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each parcel before work.
What shapes the cost of land clearing in Aston Township, PA?
Density and stem size, ground and terrain, access and staging, finish standard, resource plan, stewardship and schedule. Haul-off of non-organic debris, stump grinding below grade, permits and licensed applications are quoted as separate visible lines. Every job is priced in writing after a private site walk, and the walk carries no charge inside the service region.
Do I need a permit for land clearing in Aston Township, PA?
Often. Pennsylvania requires a written erosion and sediment control plan for earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more (25 Pa. Code § 102.4), and the Delaware County Conservation District reviews plans and NPDES coverage for larger disturbances. The Aston Township rules on this page come on top of that. Whether a mulching-only scope counts as earth disturbance is a question for the township and the district, and we confirm it for each parcel before work.
Is forestry mulching better than bulldozing?
For most brush and small-tree work, yes. Mulching leaves roots in the ground and a chip layer on the surface, so slopes stay put, stream-adjacent ground stays stable, and there are no burn piles or haul-off loads. A buildable surface, root-ball removal, grading or drainage work may call for a broader clearing or excavation plan.
More about Aston Township, Delaware County, PA
Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.
Who approves land clearing or earth disturbance in Aston Township?
The Delaware County Conservation District handles Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control and NPDES permits under delegation from PA DEP, with the NPDES trigger at one acre of disturbance. Aston Township also runs its own permit and zoning process through its Building / Code Department, so start there. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Aston Township?
Pennsylvania burning rules are set by each municipality. Huntly found no posted burning rule for Aston Township online. Call the municipal office at 610-494-1636 or the local fire company before lighting anything. Huntly's mulch-in-place method grinds brush where it stands, so it needs no burn permit and leaves no smoke. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What grows wild and takes over land around Aston Township?
Typical for Delaware County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. They fill fence lines, old pastures and woodland edges fast. Huntly's forestry mulcher clears the thickets, and the stumps and regrowth plan is quoted in writing after the site walk.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Aston Township?
There can be. USDA NRCS EQIP, run through the Delaware County USDA service center, cost-shares brush management by mechanical means for large shrubs (practice 314); the per-acre rate is set each year in the Pennsylvania payment schedule, so ask the district conservationist for the current figure. The Delaware County Conservation District's Grants page lists ACAP, Trees for Watersheds and mini-grants. Those agencies set eligibility, and Huntly does not file applications for you. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Aston Township, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Aston Township sits inside Huntly's Brandywine Valley service region, based in Chadds Ford. The site walk is free. After the walk, every job gets a fixed price in writing, with mobilization shown on the estimate if the haul is long. Call (484) 486-7272 or email hello@huntlyland.com. Hours are Mon to Sat 8 to 4.
Do I need a permit or special timing to cut trees in Aston Township?
As general guidance for Pennsylvania, tree cutting is commonly timed Oct 1 to Mar 31 to avoid roosting bats. Pennsylvania Chapter 102 sets a written erosion plan at 5,000 square feet of disturbance and an NPDES permit at one acre. Mulching often disturbs less soil than grading does. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Who maintains parks in Aston Township, PA?
Aston Township's website says its Department of Public Works maintains township parks, including Veterans Memorial Park, Weir Park and Collins Park. Brush or storm debris on park land is a township matter, so call the township at 610-494-1636. Huntly works on private land and confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Who do I call in Aston Township after a storm knocks down trees?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees blocking lanes, fields and fence lines. We clear with a grapple and low-ground-pressure tracks. If a tree is on a house or on power lines, call a tree service or the utility first; we handle the cleanup after.
Official site: astontownship.net
Sources: delcopa.gov (permitting) · delcopa.gov (conservation district home) · astontownship.net · astontownship.net (building code department) · astontownship.net (fire marshal) · astontownship.net (community parks) · dep.pa.gov (default) · nrcs-prod.azureedge.us (PA Bulletin 440 26 06 PA Published Cost List and Payment caps for FY 26) · attorneygeneral.gov (home improvement contractor registration)
Where these facts come from
Sources: Aston Township Code, Chapter 1224, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Section 1224.03 · Aston Township Code, Chapter 1288, Steep Slope Conservation District, Section 1288.04 · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Aston Township can need a sediment and stormwater plan or a local approval. Start here:
Send us the details.
hello@huntlyland.comSend the town, rough acreage and two or three photographs. We reply by email with site-walk times, and a written scope follows the walk.
Office hours Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On call 24/7 for storm and emergency cleanup. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.