Land Clearing Cost Breakdown Guide
The lines priced apart: labor and machine, tree and stump, debris hauling, and rough grading.
Orange County, CA · Updated 2026 · Costs shown as ranges — your quote will vary by installer and scope
The lines, priced apart by frame
| Cost line | Frame A reading | Frame B reading |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing labor line, per hour | $110-$250 | no hourly labor line in Frame B |
| Machine and equipment line | $150-$3,000 | inside the per-acre density rows |
| Tree line | $200-$2,000 per acre, related list | $400-$1,200 per tree |
| Stump line | $100-$150 per stump | $100-$400, adder $30-$60 per additional stump |
| Debris hauling and disposal line | waste removal $130-$370 | no separate hauling line in Frame B |
| Rough-grading line | grading and leveling $1,000-$3,300 | leveling or grading $2,000-$5,000, small site |
Frame A prints its labor, machine, and grading lines beside a clearing band of $250 to $2,800 per half-acre and $500 to $5,600 per acre. Frame B prints its tree and stump lines beside a density band of $1,200 to $8,000 per acre. No Frame B line is summed into a Frame A total. The job whole prices on the land clearing hub.
The adder lines, priced apart
| Adder line, as published | Frame | 2026 reading |
|---|---|---|
| Permits, building permits | Frame A | $200-$2,500 |
| Dumpster rental, 10-yard / 20-yard / 40-yard | Frame A | $225-$575 / $275-$700 / $350-$800 |
| Land survey | Frame A | $800-$5,500 |
| Land survey | Frame B | $500-$1,500 and up |
| Excavation, named apart | Frame A | $1,660-$6,730 |
| Demolition, named apart | Frame A | $3,600-$15,100 |
The permit, dumpster rental, and land survey readings print only where a frame prints them, each apart. The land survey lines here price the survey purchase as an adder beside a clearing ticket; the survey hub prices surveys alone, named apart from land clearing itself.
The totals behind the lines, by frame
| Total, as published | Frame | 2026 band |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing, per half-acre / average | Frame A | $250-$2,800 / $1,525 |
| Clearing, per acre / average | Frame A | $500-$5,600 / $3,050 |
| Land clearing contractor projects | Frame A | $1,400-$6,175 |
| Forestry mulching | Frame A | $400-$1,500 |
| Clearing, per acre by density | Frame B | $1,200-$8,000 |
| Brush clearing, per acre | Frame B | $800-$3,000 |
| Light-woods clearing, per acre | Frame B | $1,200-$2,500 |
Totals are separate countings of one clearing ticket. Named apart, never a line here: slope repair, stabilizing an eroded or slumped slope; tree removal as a single-tree purchase on its own hub; excavation and grading as standalone earthwork, beyond the rough-grading line above; and junk removal, hauling loose debris only.
Reading a breakdown quote
- Line named beside every figure
- Each line read on its own frame
Frequently asked questions
What is the labor and machine line in a land clearing breakdown, as reported?
Frame A prints labor at $110 to $250 per hour and equipment at $150 to $3,000, apart from its clearing bands of $250 to $2,800 per half-acre and $500 to $5,600 per acre. Frame B prints no hourly labor or machine line; its counting stands in per-acre density rows at $1,200 to $8,000.
What do the tree and stump lines print at, as reported?
Frame A prints tree removal at $200 to $2,000 per acre in its related list and stump removal at $100 to $150 per stump. Frame B prints tree removal at $400 to $1,200 per tree and stump grinding at $100 to $400, with stump grinding carried as an adder at $30 to $60 per additional stump.
What do the debris hauling and rough-grading lines print at, as reported?
Frame A prints waste removal at $130 to $370 as its debris hauling and disposal reading, and grading and leveling at $1,000 to $3,300 as its rough-grading line. Frame B prints leveling or grading at $2,000 to $5,000 for a small site and no separate hauling line, brush apart at $800 to $3,000 per acre.
What do the permit, dumpster rental, and land survey adder lines print at, as reported?
Frame A prints building permits at $200 to $2,500, dumpster rental at $225 to $575 for a 10-yard unit, $275 to $700 for 20-yard, and $350 to $800 for 40-yard, and a land survey at $800 to $5,500. Frame B prints a land survey at $500 to $1,500 and up, light woods apart at $1,200 to $2,500 per acre.
Can the breakdown lines be added into one total?
No. Totals stand as printed -- Frame A contractor projects at $1,400 to $6,175, forestry mulching at $400 to $1,500, excavation at $1,660 to $6,730 and demolition at $3,600 to $15,100 named apart, Frame B clearing at $1,200 to $8,000 per acre -- and no combined total prints here. Slope repair and junk removal are separate purchases, named apart.