Starting a Land Clearing Business as a Teen and Thriving | Lindner Land Services

Judson Lindner is running Lindner Land Services out of Giddings, Texas, the town he was born and raised in. One year in, he's doing land clearing, excavation, site prep, pad building, stock tanks and cattle guard restoration across Central Texas, and he's staying booked! Josh sits down with Judson to talk about how a teenager actually breaks into the dirt world. Nobody's going to finance an 18 year old, so his parents played the bank. His girlfriend's parents sold him a starter skid steer and excavator package for what they still owed on it. Now he rents a dozer about four times a month and runs a 150 mile radius. They get into how Judson splits the business between ranch work around Giddings and commercial pad work up near Bryan and College Station, why he prices those two markets differently, and how to build a stock tank that actually holds water (the last builder on one of his jobs put it on a hill). Judson also breaks down cattle guard restoration, a service most contractors never advertise, and how word of mouth has turned it into steady work. On the sales side, they cover why you shouldn't try to compete with the cheap guys, how warranties and written contracts build trust with landowners, and why sending daily photo updates sells more jobs than any pitch. Then they look ahead: Judson's first full time hire, why sales has to stay out front as you scale, Josh's "shadow me, I shadow you, then I release you" approach to training operators, and where Lindner Land Services will be in five years. If you're young and thinking about starting your own land clearing or excavation business, this one's for you. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Judson Lindner of Lindner Land Services 01:21 One year in: machines, crew and services 02:38 From an insurance desk job to the dirt world 03:28 The starter equipment deal that launched the business 04:33 Financing a land clearing business at 18 05:17 Skid steer, excavator and renting a dozer 06:28 Landing the first job 07:41 A 150 mile service radius 08:16 Diesel costs and raising the day rate 09:55 Ranch work in Giddings, commercial work in Bryan 11:17 Marketing tip: look at what's inside (and just outside) your radius 13:18 Rodeo roping and staying busy 13:44 How to build a stock tank that holds water 16:32 What a stock tank costs 16:54 Favorite jobs: fence line clearing vs. road building 18:00 Selling to ranchers and landowners 19:23 Don't compete with the cheap guys 22:40 Warranties on tanks and culverts 26:16 Pricing land clearing: day rate vs. per acre 27:30 Why Bryan pays more than Giddings 29:48 Stacking services into turnkey jobs 31:23 Cattle guard restoration explained 33:23 What a cattle guard restoration costs 34:49 Communication, contracts and showing up on time 36:44 Part time operators for bigger jobs 38:03 Leading a crew at 19 and an entrepreneur's risk tolerance 41:23 Biggest mistake so far 43:35 Work life balance when you're 19 and hustling 44:45 First full time hire: operator or sales? 45:47 Why sales has to stay out front as you scale 48:39 Founder syndrome and the fear of hiring 49:08 Shadow me, I shadow you, I release you 50:00 Lindner Land Services five years from now 50:37 Start young: investors invest in the person 52:42 Advice for young guys getting into the dirt world 53:46 Where to find Judson CONNECT WITH JUDSON Website: https://www.lindnerlandservices.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lindner-Land-Services/61582528013688/ **THE LAND IT PODCAST** Every episode, guest links and show notes in one place. https://thelanditpodcast.com/ **WANT TO BE A GUEST?** Have a story another dirt world owner could learn from? Tell Josh about it. https://thelanditpodcast.com/guest **GET THE BOOK** Land It in the Dirt World, the marketing playbook for land clearing, excavation and demolition contractors. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6698DPX **LIST YOUR COMPANY** The Dirt World Directory, a national directory for land clearing, excavation and demolition contractors. https://dirtworkdirectory.com/ **MORE FOR DIRT WORLD CONTRACTORS** Guides, tools and marketing help from Blue Goat Land Leads. https://www.landclearinginsights.com/