A Breakdown of DIY Land Clearing Costs

How much does it cost to clear land? Let's get into it

Almost every rural property owner is doing to do land clearing at some point.

Whether you're clearing hundreds of square feet of land or something smaller for an outbuilding like a shed or barn, there are multiple ways to do it while being cautious about your land clearing costs. 

Between hiring a professional, doing the job yourself and a mix in between, here is how you can bring down your tree removal costs as well as do cheap landscaping on your own.

How much does land surveying cost?

Land surveying can be an incredibly important step, especially if you have hundreds of acres of land, as it can help you tell what's on your property and what isn't.

But even if you only have half an acre of land a surveyor can help determine if the land you're clearing is even on your property. This will help resolve any disputes regarding property lines with neighbors should they occur.

While it depends on the size of your property, land surveying can cost anywhere between $500 USD to a few thousand, but at the highest end you could be paying $20,000+, and oftentimes these costs are required before project development can begin.

How do I do brush removal on my own?

Brush removal and general cleanup can easily be done on your own with the help of a Woodland Mills wood chipper.

Smaller models like the WC46 are helpful in cleaning up debris around forested land while larger models with Twin Flywheel like the TF810 PRO will be great for larger quantities of bigger branches that are fresh and green.

Just use a chainsaw to trim or prune trees that are in your way, or to clear branches from fallen trees. It beats paying for a land clearing service to come in and do something as simple as cleaning up wood.

While a wood chipper may cost you $3,000+ it's a worthwhile investment for routine tree debris removal.

If you want a smaller model and don't own a tractor with a PTO then your other option is the TFG55 GAS, a gas-powered gravity-fed wood chipper. It's an affordable model too, making it even easier for you to manage your land clearing prices annually.

How do I remove trees when doing land clearing?

You can quickly, easily and cheaply remove trees from your own property, however make sure you are properly qualified and have the equipment and experience to do it. Trees that are large, splitting or near power lines or buildings may be too risky to take down on your own.

A land clearing company can come in and help clean up your forested land but it may cost up to $1,000 or more per acre. This could also mean paying a tree care company to come in but this can range from $300 to $1,000 per tree, with larger and more dangerous trees costing significantly more.

If you own heavily forested land it may be worth investing in the equipment to this task yourself, that way you're trained and able to do it on your own. But even for lightly forested land having the tools available means you're ready to do any tree clearing should you need it.

A chainsaw, wood chipper and a stump grinder combined will cost anywhere from $9,000 or more altogether but if you already own any of these pieces of equipment then you can reduce them from your total costs.

And once you've gotten them you can then offer to do paid land clearing for neighbors or friends and recoup some of your costs.

How do I remove stumps from my property?

With the tree removed and the branches chipped then all that's left is stump removal. This is also a service some tree care companies offer but can also be done cheaply on your own.

PTO stump grinders like the WG28 PRO are useful tools that can turn a pesky tree stump into mulch within minutes. This is a great tool to clear land because it doesn't only clean up the stump above ground but also tears out the roots underground. That means when you're done there will be no evidence that your acreage was ever wooded land.

What other land clearing costs are there?

Other expenses for when you want to prepare land include land grading. This means moving around earth to flatten and level and area for building. With the right tractor and a bucket you can do small to moderate-scale landscaping on your own.

Don't forget that land clearing consists of environmental fees at times, which includes permit fees and fulfilling all requirements needed for site preparation with your local government. It may also require certification from a land surveyor. You may also be required to do soil testing, but be sure to check your local authorities for confirmation before starting any land clearing or construction projects.

But once you've gotten all your approvals you're ready for your new construction project.

Doing a land clearing project and site preparation can be an expensive process, and the average cost can vary wildly, but if you decide to tackle some of the tasks yourself, the cost to clear can rapidly go down, saving you a ton of money. Even just being able to take down large trees and save yourself the cost of an arborist can go a long way to save landowners paying to clear their land.