LAND CLEARING COST
PER ACRE IN TENNESSEE
What forestry mulching and land clearing actually cost in 2026 — and the four variables that move the price the most.
In Tennessee, expect to pay roughly $1,800–$7,000 per acre to clear land in 2026. Forestry mulching usually runs $1,950–$5,500/acre. Brush hogging on open fields is cheaper — about $400–$850/acre. Full clearing with stump removal and haul-off sits at the top of the range. Every project has a $1,200 minimum.
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TENNESSEE PRICING AT A GLANCE
| SERVICE | TYPICAL RANGE | BEST FOR |
|---|---|---|
| Brush Hogging | $400 – $850 / acre | Open fields, pastures, light grass |
| Forestry Mulching (light) | $1,950 – $2,800 / acre | Saplings & brush under 4″ |
| Forestry Mulching (heavy) | $3,500 – $5,500 / acre | Dense hardwoods, cedar thickets |
| Full Land Clearing | $3,700 – $7,000 / acre | Homesites, pads, full debris removal |
| Trail / Fence Line | $3.25 – $4.50 / linear ft | Access trails, clean fence lines |
Ranges reflect CrossTimber's 2026 project history across Middle and East Tennessee. Your final price depends on the four variables below.
WHAT MOVES THE PRICE
The same acre can cost wildly different amounts depending on what's on it and how we get to it. These are the four levers we model directly in our pricing tool.
What's growing on it
Grass and weeds are quick. Saplings under 2″ are fast. Mixed brush with hardwoods 4–6″ doubles the time on the ground. Mature timber, cedar thickets, and vine-choked woods can push cost 1.5–2x over a light job. Density is the single biggest driver of your per-acre number.
Flat, rolling, or steep
Flat ground is baseline. Rolling Tennessee hills add roughly 15%. Steep slopes, hollows, and wet bottoms add 30–50% because the machine works slower and more carefully. Rocky ground also adds wear-and-tear that gets priced in.
How we get the machine to the work
A property with a gravel drive right to the work area is ideal. Long walks from the road, gates we have to remove, soft ground, and bridges that won't hold a 90,000 lb mulcher all add real cost. If we can't drive in, we may need a different machine or a temporary path.
Trucking the equipment in and out
Mobilization is a one-time fee to haul the mulcher, skid steer, and support trucks to your property and back. It's the same whether you clear one acre or ten — which is why per-acre pricing drops sharply on larger jobs. A 5-acre project usually costs less than 5x a 1-acre project.
FORESTRY MULCHING vs
TRADITIONAL CLEARING
Forestry mulching grinds standing vegetation into a mulch layer in a single pass. No burn piles. No debris haul-off. The mulch protects soil from erosion and slows regrowth. It's the right call for most Tennessee landowners reclaiming overgrown acreage, opening view corridors, or creating pasture and food plots.
Traditional clearing uses dozers and excavators to push, pile, and remove everything down to bare dirt — including stumps. It's the right call when you're building a house pad, a pond, or a road. It costs more because there are more steps, more machines, and a debris-disposal bill.
HOW TO BUDGET YOUR PROJECT
- Walk your acreage honestly. Estimate the densest third, the average third, and the lightest third. Most properties aren't uniform.
- Start with the baseline. Forestry mulching baselines at $2,800/acre for medium-density woods. Full clearing baselines at $4,200/acre. Brush hogging at $450/acre.
- Adjust for your conditions. Multiply by density (light 0.7×, medium 1.0×, heavy 1.45×, extreme 1.9×), terrain (flat 1.0×, rolling 1.15×, steep 1.35×), and access (road frontage 1.0×, gated 1.08×, remote 1.2×).
- Mind the minimum. Every CrossTimber project has a $1,200 floor — small jobs aren't priced strictly per acre because the cost of trucking the machine in and out is fixed.
- Get a real estimate. Our pricing tool uses these exact variables and returns a project-specific range in under two minutes.
SKIP THE GUESSWORK.
Tell us your acreage, density, and terrain. We'll return a real estimate built on Tennessee project history — no obligation, no sales call.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
- How much does land clearing cost per acre in Tennessee?
- $1,800–$7,000/acre for most projects, with a $1,200 project minimum. Brush hogging is cheapest ($400–$850), full clearing with stump removal is the most expensive.
- Is forestry mulching cheaper than traditional clearing?
- Almost always. One pass, no debris removal, no burn piles. Traditional clearing can run 1.5–2x more per acre.
- How long does it take to clear an acre?
- Light brush: 2–4 hours. Mixed woods: 6–10 hours. Heavy hardwoods or cedar thickets: a full day or more per acre.
- Do you work all over Tennessee?
- Yes — Middle and East Tennessee primarily, with mobilization quoted to your location.