Forestry Mulching Cost: What Sets the Price Per Acre

Brush density

How thick the brush is decides how fast the machine can move. These are our crew's typical production numbers:

Dense brush takes a lot longer than light brush, so it costs more per acre. Most properties are a mix: a thick strip along the back, lighter brush toward the house. Our guide on how long it takes to clear an acre walks through the timing.

What else changes the price

• Slope. Steep banks can need our remote-controlled mulcher, and slopes run slower than flat ground.
• Access. Gate width, tight spots between houses, soft ground and how far the machine travels from where we unload.
• Tree size. Mulchers handle brush and small trees up to about 8 inches across. Bigger trees are separate work.
• What's hiding. Old fence wire, rocks, trash and ditches slow the machine and sometimes need hand work.
• Working around keepers. Clearing selectively around trees and buildings takes longer than clearing everything.
• Getting the machine there. Hauling, unloading and loading take the same time on a half-acre job as on a three-acre job, so small jobs cost more per acre.
• The finish. A rough opening and a lawn-ready yard are different jobs. Grading, topsoil and seeding are separate work. Ask about power raking or seed-and-fertilize if you want grass.

Fixed price or day rate?

We give you a fixed price before we start, so you know the number up front. Some contractors charge by the hour or day instead. That isn't wrong, but a day rate is only a good deal if the job finishes in the days you expect.

If you're comparing a day rate to a fixed price, ask the day-rate contractor how many days they expect, what happens if it runs long, and what will be finished at the end of each day.

How to compare quotes

Two quotes are only comparable when they cover the same work. Check each one for:

• The same area. A map or marked photos, not "clear the back."
• The same finish. How low it's cut, what's left behind, how it'll look.
• What's included. Getting the machine there, hand work around tight spots, cleanup around buildings.
• What isn't. Stump grinding below ground, hauling, grading, seeding and regrowth treatment.
• Trees you're keeping. Marked and agreed on before the work starts.
• How changes are handled. What happens if they find buried wire or you add an area.
• Insurance and equipment. What machine they're bringing and proof they're insured.

Our guide to hiring a clearing crew has the full list of questions to ask.

Ways to keep the cost down

• Clear only what you'll use. A trail or a 30-foot edge costs a lot less than the whole woods.
• Mark it before we come. Flag the boundary and the trees you're keeping.
• Make access easy. Open gates, move vehicles and trailers.
• Do it in one trip. Adding another area to the same visit spreads out the cost of getting the machine there.
• Pull what you know about. Old fencing, tires and trash you can reach by hand.