SERVICES

Brushcutting and Mowing
Here in the Northwest, world-class, grand champion brush and blackberries grow prolifically due to soil and weather conditions. This brush is difficult for the homeowner or small privately owned road association to manage, and Austin’s Lend-A-Hand has the equipment, experience, and expertise to get and keep things under control.

The trackhoe boom has a 17’ reach, whether needed overhead, out in front, or down- or uphill. The brush mower head at the end of the boom takes care of serious brush problems, leaving the ground covered with chopped mulched brush and poison-free. No toxic sprays are used, nothing is removed from the site, and the mulch is left to compost naturally.

Brushcutting is required by many different parts of our community: residential work is done for homeowners, private road associations employ our services to maintain the brush which would otherwise take over the roads, and commercial, municipal, and utility entities contract with us to maintain their properties.

Excavating & Grading

Austin’s Lend-A-Hand Corporation started as an excavating contractor. While brushcutting has become a major service, the excavation remains an important part of the company’s menu.

Some examples of common excavating and grading work are:
• Driveways & grading
• Excavating for building slabs and footings
• French drains
• Horse arenas
• Limited access work (especially between closely-built homes)
• Underground utilities

Harley Raking

Sometimes called “power raking” or “rock raking”, the Harley rake is a powerful implement mounted to the compact track loader which allows old fields or lawns to be completely transformed. The old sod is chewed, rocks are swept to one side in rows, and the final product is a velvety-smooth field with rocks and clumps removed to a predetermined location either on the property or hauled away.

Harley raking is an extremely cost-effective way of conditioning the existing soil to prepare for a new lawn or ground cover without the additional cost of possibly hundreds of yards of topsoil.

Another advantage of Harley raking your property is that the implement leaves approximately 1” dimples in the soil, which retains a very small amount of water when new seed is watered. The success rate of new seed is usually significantly higher than when seeded without the benefit of the Harley rake dimpling.

Hauling

Local pits normally have minimum loads required of 10 yards or more for delivery, or some higher price for lesser loads. Our smaller dump trailer is perfect for delivery of topsoil or loads of rock of 4 cubic yards or less.

Storms in the Northwest can bring down all sorts of branches and debris. Cleanup is far easier with the help of a dump trailer and one of our machines to pick up the larger downed wood.

Block Retaining Walls

Beautiful, level retaining walls are possible and affordable. They can be straight, curved in or out or both (S-shaped), and they can be one level or several terraces. The change is almost always dramatic improvement, and can be accomplished in far less time than customers usually expect.

24-Hour Response

Storms, accidents, and unpleasant surprises like burst water mains, can happen any time of day or night. Please call regardless of the hour in cases of true emergency. We WILL respond. The most common emergencies are snowstorms, storms that bring down trees and block people in and emergency services out, and flooding.

Land Clearing

Austin’s Lend-A-Hand equipment is compact but powerful. For most jobs, the equipment is more than adequate, it’s specialized and effective. However, when a land clearing job includes larger tasks (i.e., very large trees), larger equipment is rented and the costs passed on to the customer. Operator hours are charged at low rates compared to most of the larger companies. When a tricky situation is encountered, no chances are taken, and a tree expert is called in as a subcontractor to insure that the tree(s) in question are removed safely.

Snow Removal

While our community receives relatively rare snows, it does indeed receive them. Many of our streets are privately owned and the county plows will not tend them. Our tractor-mounted plow and large, powerful snow blower are available to the Camano and Stanwood communities when needed. A one-hour minimum, rather than the usual two-hour minimum, applies to snow removal rates.

Snow removal is most effective when accomplished prior to the snow being compacted into an icy surface by being driven on by cars. If at all possible to plow prior to such driving, that is what is done. Weather reports are constantly monitored and actual weather checks are done when snow is predicted, and the plow and blower are out working as soon as the snow appears to be sticking, regardless of the hour.