Land Clearing Cost Calculator
for Austin & the Hill Country
Get a price range for Central Texas in 60 seconds. Pricing comes straight from our published rate card. A site walk sets the final number.
- Free site walk
- Written, itemized quote
- Insured crew ($2M per occurrence / $5M aggregate general liability)
- Operator and fuel
Planning estimate only. Final pricing is set after a site walk. Limestone, slope and access may shift price within the published range. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk.
What does land clearing cost in Austin?
These are the same ranges the calculator uses, for Austin and Central Texas. Everything on this page is readable without JavaScript.
| Service | Range | Per | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestry mulching (brush and trees ground up and left in place, nothing hauled) | |||
| Mowing, light brush | $1,600–$2,400 | acre | |
| Mulching, light density | $2,000–$2,800 | acre | |
| Mulching, moderate density | $2,800–$3,900 | acre | |
| Mulching, heavy density | $4,000–$5,200 | acre | |
| Land clearing (grubbed, hauled off and prepped) | |||
| Clearing, light density | $3,000–$4,200 | acre | |
| Clearing, moderate density | $4,300–$5,900 | acre | |
| Clearing, heavy density | $6,200–$8,500 | acre | |
| Lot clearing, build-ready | $4,500–$12,000 | lot | 0.25–1 acre lot |
| Separate lines and add-ons | |||
| Rock milling | $2,500–$6,000 | acre | Priced on top of clearing or mulching, not instead of it |
| Mesquite root extraction | $5,000–$8,000 | acre | dense mesquite to $12,000/acre |
| Rough grading | $2,500–$8,000 | lot | to $12,000+ with rock |
| Selective and heritage tree work | $5,000–$12,000 | site | |
| Mobilization | $725 | job | typical; varies with distance |
Prices reviewed: September 2026. Ranges for Austin and Central Texas; your site walk sets the final number.
Worked examples
- Example: 2 acres of moderate-density cedar, mulched in place. 2 acres x $2,800–$3,900 per acre = $5,600–$7,800. Nothing is hauled, so there is no haul line.
- Example: 3 acres of moderate-density brush, grubbed and hauled off. 3 acres x $4,300–$5,900 per acre = $12,900–$17,700. This is a different line from mulching because roots come out and material leaves the site.
- Example: 1 acre of light-density mulching plus rock milling on that acre. Mulching $2,000–$2,800 plus milling $2,500–$6,000 = $4,500–$8,800. A mobilization charge (typically $725) applies to each job.
How this estimate works
The calculator starts from the per-acre range for the service you pick. Vegetation density, species and surface rock move your number inside that range. Add-ons sit on top of a base service and are switched off when the base already includes them (for example, grading on a build-ready lot clearing). The result is a planning range. A site walk sets the final price.
Common questions
How much does land clearing cost per acre in Austin?
Forestry mulching runs $2,000–$5,200 per acre. Full clearing with grubbing and haul-off runs $3,000–$8,500 per acre. Density and rock decide where you land in each range.
What is the difference between mulching and clearing?
Mulching grinds brush and trees where they stand and leaves the chips as ground cover. Clearing pulls the roots, hauls the material away and leaves bare ground. They are two different price lines.
What is a lot clearing price in Austin?
A build-ready lot of a quarter acre to one acre runs $4,500–$12,000.
Do add-ons like rock milling or grading cost extra?
Yes. They are priced on top of a base service. Rock milling is $2,500–$6,000 per acre and rough grading is $2,500–$8,000 per lot.
How soon do I get a firm number?
Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk. We answer the same business day when you send a request.
Related services
Clear Ground · Austin, Texas