How Much Does Land Clearing Cost per Acre in Texas?

National cost guides put land clearing at about $500 to $2,333 an acre for lightly wooded land. Heavy woods run about $3,000 to $6,155 an acre in the same guides. Forestry mulching averages about $400 to $600 an acre in those guides. Texas dozer clearing averages about $144 to $176 an hour in the extension service’s 2026 survey.

These are market numbers, not our price list. Where your acre lands depends on the method and the growth on the ground. Our page on land clearing in Hillsboro shows how we work with a skid steer and a forestry mulching head.

What do national cost guides say an acre costs?

Three national cost guides publish per-acre ranges by how wooded the land is. They were updated between January 2025 and October 2026.

Every guide prices heavy woods far above light woods. They split on brush alone, from $20 an acre at the low end to $630 at the top. One guide notes that dense brush or rough ground pushes the price toward the top. The newest guide says its prices are national averages. Grading is a separate trade, and that guide leaves it out of its forest figures.

For Texas figures, the AgriLife Extension Service publishes a 2026 custom rates survey of farm and ranch work. It asked providers and customers what they paid or charged from August through October 2025. It prices dozer work by the hour and grubbing by the acre.

How does the clearing method change the price?

Each method bills its own way and leaves different ground behind.

Forestry mulching. A mulching head cuts brush and small trees and grinds them into mulch that stays on the ground. The state forest service notes that mulch made on site costs nothing beyond labor and machine time. It also warns that large rocks or steep, very wet ground may not suit machine mulching. Read about forestry mulching for what the work leaves behind. For thick cedar, see what mulching costs per acre in Texas.

Dozer and root rake. The survey prices dozer clearing by the hour, with root plowing and raking as separate jobs. Extension research says a root rake reaches 6 to 10 inches into the soil to pile roots and stumps. A root plow runs 12 to 14 inches deep and tears out much of the grass. Reseeding is often advised. The land ends up bare, and the piles still need burning or hauling at extra cost. The survey’s hourly rates include labor and fuel, but each rate rests on 6 to 26 replies.

Hand crews. Chainsaws and hand tools fit small plots and light growth, one national guide says. The state forest service’s wildfire grant caps hand cutting at $750 an acre and mulcher work at $2,000. Those are reimbursement ceilings, not prices, and the program says its funds may not cover the whole job.

What drives the price on a Texas acre?

• Density and trunk size. Brush and saplings take less machine time than a stand of trees. That is why heavy woods cost far more in every guide.
• What grows there. Ashe juniper, which locals call cedar, does not sprout from its roots, extension research says. Mesquite sprouts back from buds at its base, so it can need grubbing below them, 6 to 14 inches down.
• The ground. Rock and steep or soggy ground slow every machine. One guide says rugged land with many trees may clear at an acre a day or less. A flat field with light growth can go two to four acres a day.
• Wet weather. The state forest service advises against running machines on saturated soil. In NOAA’s normals for Hillsboro, May and October are the wettest months.
• Access. Machines need road access to the work area, the state forest service notes. A narrow gate or a soft creek crossing adds time.
• Job size. One guide says pricing often starts at a half acre or a full acre. Ask how a small spot is priced.
• What you want left. Mulched ground with roots in place suits pasture and trails. A house pad usually gets dirt work after clearing, and that is a separate trade. See what clearing a building lot covers.

Which permits and rules should you check first?

Each office answers for its own rules. Start with these.

• Call 811. Texas law calls for 811 at least two business days before machine digging. It covers digging that disturbs soil 16 inches deep or more. Lines that serve only you on your own land fall outside that law, so point them out yourself.
• City, ETJ or county. Inside city limits, ask the city first. Waxahachie, for one, wants owners to contact its City Engineer before tree clearing or grading. Near a town, ask whether the land sits in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
• Burn rules. State air rules allow burning brush on the property where it grew in many counties, with limits. A fire may start no earlier than an hour after sunrise. It must be out an hour before sunset, and someone must stay with it while it burns. County burn bans are common in dry spells and can run up to 90 days per order. Ennis requires a permit for land clearing brush piles, after a fire marshal inspection. Mulching leaves nothing to burn.
• Building on it. TCEQ’s construction stormwater permit covers construction that disturbs an acre or more of soil. It calls for a stormwater plan before construction starts, so ask your builder how the site is covered.

How do you get a real number for your land?

Published ranges help you plan. They cannot see the cedar on your hill or the creek you need to cross.

We clear brush and small trees with a skid steer and a forestry mulching head. Hillsboro sits at the center of our service area. It runs along I-35 between Waco and the south Dallas Fort Worth suburbs.

We look at the job and put the quote in writing. Read how our land clearing around Hillsboro works, then call or text (817) 937-1506.