How Much Does Land Clearing Cost Per Acre in New York?
National cost guides put land clearing at about $500 to $8,000 per acre. Light brush and small trees sit near the bottom of that range. Dense woods with big trees sit near the top, and steep or rocky ground pushes a job higher.
New York runs above the national average. Two national guides put the average New York clearing job about 17 to 24 percent above their national averages. These are market numbers, not our price list. For a number on your own land, our land clearing service starts with a free estimate.
What does land clearing cost per acre?
The table pulls together figures from three national cost guides. Each row shows the low and high ends they report.
| Type of work | Market range |
|---|---|
| Light clearing: brush and small trees | $500 to $2,500 per acre |
| Moderate clearing: thick brush and medium trees | $2,500 to $4,500 per acre |
| Heavy clearing: dense woods and large trees | $3,300 to $8,000 per acre |
| Forestry mulching | $400 to $2,000 per acre |
| Machine and operator by the hour | $110 to $400 per hour |
| Stump removal | $80 to $400 per stump |
| Debris dumpster, 10 to 40 yards | $225 to $800 |
| Minimum or move-in fee | $150 to $600 |
Per-acre prices drop a little as the job grows. One guide notes that a single acre costs more per acre than five. Some contractors price by the hour instead, and on rough land those hours can add up past a per-acre price.
Why does wooded land cost more than brush?
Trees take more machine time than brush, and big trees take the most. One guide notes that hardwoods like oak and maple take longer to cut and remove than pine.
Land that is mostly brush comes in under the wooded rates. If a field just needs a cut, brush hogging may handle it without a full clearing. Our brush hog cuts saplings and trees up to 4 inches across.
Does forestry mulching cost less than clearing and hauling?
Per acre, it often does. One national guide lists forestry mulching at $400 to $800 an acre, and up to $2,000 for dense growth. Its land clearing guide puts light clearing at $1,200 to $2,500 an acre.
The savings come from what stays on site. A forestry mulching head grinds brush and small trees into mulch on the ground, so nothing gets hauled. The roots stay in the soil, which suits fields and trails.
A house site is a different job. The same guide says mulching is not suited to building sites. Clearing for a house or a driveway takes out the stumps and roots too, and that is excavator work.
What do stumps add to the bill?
Stumps often get their own line on a quote. National guides put stump removal at about $80 to $400 per stump. One guide prices digging a stump out with a backhoe at $80 to $190 each, plus a minimum fee.
A pulled stump leaves a hole, and filling it is an added cost, one guide notes. Our tree and stump removal work pulls stumps out with their roots. Stump grinding is a separate method, quoted by a stump grinding service rather than an excavator.
Pulling stumps also counts as digging under state law. New York’s one-call rule lists tree root removal as excavation, so the job starts with a call to 811. The call to UDig NY goes in at least two working days ahead, and no more than ten. The day of the call does not count.
How do slope and rock change the price in the Catskills?
Guides list land condition among the biggest cost factors. Steep ground slows the machines and can keep the biggest ones off the site. Rocks hidden under the brush slow the work too. One guide lists large rock removal at $650 to $1,200 an acre.
That matters in Greene County. Federal soil surveys show much of the county is glacial till over shallow bedrock. Two common soils there, Arnot and Halcott, reach bedrock within 20 inches of the surface. Ask how a quote handles rock and ledge before you compare prices.
Access counts as well. A hard-to-reach lot can mean smaller machines or more trips. Cutting a trail just to reach the work adds cost.
Where do the brush and wood go?
Debris is its own cost question. One guide notes that some contractors include disposal in the base price, and others charge for it separately. Hauling means trucks or a dumpster, and one guide puts a 10 to 40 yard dumpster at $225 to $800.
Burning is the other option, and New York limits it. The state’s open burning rule allows brush burning only in towns under 20,000 people. Brush there means limbs and branches under 6 inches across and 8 feet long. The rule also bans brush burning from March 16 through May 14 each year, with an exception for farmland.
Do you need a permit to clear land in New York?
Ask your town’s building department or code enforcement officer first, since rules differ by town. In Durham, which takes in Oak Hill, digging or filling in a mapped flood zone needs a floodplain development permit. Windham’s zoning law requires a town permit to clear or grade an acre or more, with farm and forestry exceptions. Hunter requires a timber harvest permit to cut trees for lumber or firewood sales.
The state has a one-acre line too. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) runs a construction stormwater permit. Work that disturbs an acre or more of soil needs that coverage before it starts. The coverage calls for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, and farm projects are among the exceptions.
Wet ground needs its own check. Clear cutting in a DEC-regulated wetland, or in the 100-foot adjacent area around it, takes a DEC permit. The DEC’s online maps are for information only, so a landowner can ask the DEC for a jurisdictional determination.
What should a written land clearing quote include?
A clear quote lets you compare bids line by line. Look for these items:
- The area to clear, on a sketch or marked on the ground
- The method: mulched in place, or cleared with the stumps pulled
- What happens to the stumps and the holes they leave
- Where the brush and wood go, and whether disposal is in the price
- The machine for the job and how long the work should take
- Any minimum or move-in fee
- Who calls 811, and who checks with the town about permits
How do you get a land clearing quote for your property?
Doberman Excavation and Services clears land around Oak Hill, across Greene County and the northern Catskills. We clear with a forestry mulcher or with an excavator and hauling, whichever fits the job. Send a few photos of the land and tell us where it is. With the approximate acreage, we can discuss the best approach for your property.
If you live out of the area, we can talk it through by phone and send photos. We look at the job and put a free estimate in writing. Call or text (518) 281-8003, or see how lot and acreage clearing works on our service page.