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Land Clearing · Done Right

Land Clearing in Austin
& the Texas Hill Country

Clear Ground clears land in Austin and the Texas Hill Country: brush, trees and stumps grubbed and prepped for building. Full-site clearing runs $3,000–$8,500 per acre. Lots under an acre run $4,500–$12,000 per lot. Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval and finish in days. Mulching in place is a separate service with its own price card.

Serving Austin & Hill Country Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk Lots to multi-acre $2M per occurrence / $5M aggregate general liability

Get a Free Quote See Pricing
or call TX(512) 880-8888

    Request a Quote

    Send us a message for a free quote. We answer the same business day.

    Looking for some more info on our equipment and rates? See our pricing

    48hr Written quote after the walk We answer the same business day
    2 Ways to clear Grub and haul, or mulch in place. Stated in the bid.
    $2M General liability per occurrence COI and additional-insured endorsement before work starts
    1 Call to scope Clearing, grading and rock work from one crew
    What we do

    Land Clearing Services

    Eight ways to clear land, each matched to an outcome. Land clearing (grub, haul and prep) and forestry mulching (mulch in place) are different services on different price cards. We tell you which one fits on the site walk.

    Brush & Cedar Clearing

    A forestry mulching head on the CAT 299D3 XE cuts and grinds cedar, juniper and brush at ground level. The mulch stays on site. No haul-off and no burning. This is forestry mulching, priced per acre by density.

    Mulched in place · Soil stays · Native grass can return
    $2,000–$5,200 per acre
    Light brush to dense cedar. Density and terrain set the price.
    Brush & Cedar Clearing
    Compact track loader with a mulching head clearing cedar on a Hill Country property (illustration)

    Full Site Clearing

    For sites of one acre and up where the goal is bare ground for a pool, foundation or new build. Trees cut, stumps grubbed, debris hauled or mulched, and the site rough-graded to your plan.

    1 acre and up · Grub, haul and prep
    $3,000–$8,500 per acre
    Light to heavy vegetation. Density and terrain set the price.
    • Tree and stump removal, grubbed or ground
    • Debris haul-off or on-site mulching, stated in the bid
    • Rough grading to your plan
    • Ready for pool excavation or foundation pad prep
    Full Site Clearing
    Cleared multi-acre site with stumps grubbed and debris stacked for haul-off (illustration)

    Lot Clearing
    (Construction-Ready)

    Complete vegetation removal and grubbing to bare dirt on lots under one acre. Trees, brush and roots come out to construction-ready spec. The lot is delivered clean and ready for the next trade.

    Under 1 acre · Typically 1–3 days
    $4,500–$12,000 per lot
    0.25–1 acre lot, Austin metro and Hill Country.
    What moves the price: lot size and vegetation density first. Old fencing, dumped material and off-site disposal add to the base price. Grubbing stumps costs more than grinding them flush and is what construction-ready spec calls for.
    Lot Clearing (Construction-Ready)
    Residential lot cleared to bare dirt with stumps removed (illustration)

    Residential lot
    prep clearing

    Careful clearing on tight urban infill lots, with setbacks and protected-tree root zones respected. See the infill developer page for how this fits a build schedule.

    Urban infill
    $4,500–$12,000 per lot
    Same lot-clearing card. Tight access can add a day.
    What moves the price: narrow access, careful material staging, work close to existing structures, and root-zone flagging near protected trees.
    Residential lot prep clearing
    Aerial view of a cleared infill lot ready for construction (illustration)

    Rough Grading
    to Spec

    Cut and fill to your engineered drainage plan or construction-ready grade. Finish grade is checked against your plan before handoff. Often bundled with clearing in one mobilization.

    Cut and fill to plan · Grade check at handoff
    $2,500–$8,000 per lot
    Residential lot, to $12,000+ with rock.
    What moves the price: elevation change, drainage features such as swales, and rock. Rock shifts the work to rock excavation rates.
    Rough Grading to Spec
    Graded residential lot with a positive slope away from the building pad (illustration)

    Selective Clearing +
    Heritage Tree Preservation

    Austin protects trees 19 inches and larger, and heritage species at 24 inches and larger. We flag root zones before clearing starts, work around the trees you keep, and coordinate with your arborist when the City asks for an assessment. The full rules are on the Austin tree rules page.

    Root-zone flagging · Arborist coordination · Photo record
    $5,000–$12,000 per site
    Scope depends on tree count, root-zone overlap and clearing area.
    What moves the price: the number of protected trees. One oak at the edge is a straightforward flag and clear. Four trees with overlapping root zones mean slow passes and more hand work. Arborist fees, if required, are paid at the arborist's rate.
    Selective Clearing + Heritage Tree Preservation
    Live oak with flagged root zone left standing in a cleared lot (illustration)

    Rock Milling /
    Rock Crushing

    Surface limestone can stay on site. A rock-milling head, rented for the job, processes it in place into aggregate that becomes drainage base, road sub-base, driveway material or retaining wall backfill. That saves the haul-off and the imported base you would otherwise pay for.

    In-place processing · Surface rock, shallow depth
    Deeper rock: excavator with hydraulic hammer
    $2,500–$6,000 per acre
    Per acre of surface rock milling. Rock depth and hardness set the scope.
    What moves the price: rock hardness and depth. A thin cap of limestone across a small lot mills quickly. A thick shelf over an acre takes days. Rock too deep to mill moves to the excavator and hammer, which is priced by the cubic yard on the limestone rock excavation page.
    Rock Milling / Rock Crushing
    Limestone surface rock milled in place into a crushed aggregate layer (illustration)

    Rock-Milled
    Access Roads

    Limestone milled on site becomes a firm road surface for ranch and maintenance traffic, without importing base. Roads are priced by the linear foot.

    Ranch roads · Access pads · Hardstands
    $12–$28 per linear foot
    Road width and rock hardness are the main variables.
    What moves the price: harder limestone mills slower. Width past 16 ft adds material per foot. Grade changes add grading. Soft or wet soil under the rock may need stabilizing first. Culverts and low-water crossings are quoted with the road.
    Rock-Milled Access Roads
    Rock-milled ranch access road running across a Hill Country pasture (illustration)
    Land Clearing Cost Calculator · Austin & Hill Country

    What will clearing
    your land cost?

    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.

    01 Select Your Service
    02 Property Size
    Acres
    0.25 ac20+ ac
    Typical project: 0.5 – 5 acres
    03 Site Conditions
    Vegetation Density
    Primary Vegetation
    Surface Limestone / Rock Visible?
    04 Optional Add-Ons
    Your Estimate
    $4,000—$10,400
    Default: 2 acres of forestry mulching. The full rate table is below the calculator.
    Included in Every Quote
    • Free site walk
    • Written, itemized quote
    • Insured crew ($2M per occurrence / $5M aggregate general liability)
    • Operator and fuel
    Please enter your name
    Please enter a valid email
    No spam · Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk · Your data is safe

    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.

    Who we work for

    Your Project. Our Scope.

    Three kinds of buyers hire us for land clearing. Here is how we approach each one.

    Pool Builders

    Austin MSA · Texas Hill Country

    Hit limestone at 18 inches? That is a Hill Country Tuesday. We clear the lot to construction-ready spec, mill or hammer the rock, and protect heritage trees. Rock is found with test holes and probing before the pool dig, and your dig starts on a lot that is ready for it.

    See how we work with pool builders

    Infill Developers

    Austin MSA · Infill Builders

    A tree violation stalls a permit. A failed drainage review blows a pro forma. We handle selective clearing, root-zone flagging and rough grading in one mobilization, with a photo record your engineer can use for City review.

    See how we work with developers

    Estate & Ranchette Owners

    Mulch in place · No burning · Trees flagged first

    You want a park-like result, not a clear-cut. Mulch stays on the ground. Topsoil is protected. Trees you want to keep are flagged before we start. Yearly vegetation management is available.

    Estate Owners page
    Predictable, not estimated
    HOW MUCH DOES LAND CLEARING COST
    IN CENTRAL TEXAS?

    We price by vegetation density and acreage. Land clearing (grub, haul and prep) and forestry mulching (mulch in place) are separate services with separate price cards. Your site walk sets the final number.

    Land clearing: grub, haul and prep
    Service Typical duration Typical size Unit Range
    Light land clearingSet by density1 acre and upPer acre$3,000–$4,200
    Moderate land clearingSet by density1 acre and upPer acre$4,300–$5,900
    Heavy land clearingSet by density1 acre and upPer acre$6,200–$8,500
    Lot clearing (construction-ready)1-3 daysUnder 1 acrePer lot$4,500–$12,000
    Selective clearing + heritage tree preservation1-4 days1 sitePer site$5,000–$12,000
    Rough grading to spec1-3 daysUnder 1 acrePer lot$2,500–$8,000
    Rock milling1-3 days0.25-2 acresPer acre$2,500–$6,000
    Rock-milled access roads1-5 days500 ft - 1 milePer linear foot$12 – $28
    ROW / easement clearing1-5 daysMilesPer acre of corridor (length × width)$1,600–$2,400 mowing, $2,000–$5,200 mulching
    MobilizationHalf day or lessPer jobPer job$725 typical
    Forestry mulching: mulch in place
    Service Typical duration Typical size Unit Range
    Forestry mowing0.5-1 day0.25-2 acresPer acre$1,600–$2,400
    Light brush and small cedar0.5-1 day1-10 acresPer acre$2,000–$2,800
    Moderate cedar and brush1-3 days1-10 acresPer acre$2,800–$3,900
    Dense cedar and mixed trees1-5 days0.5-5 acresPer acre$4,000–$5,200
    Mesquite and other resprouters, roots pulled0.5-3 days0.5-5 acresPer acre$5,000–$8,000
    Wildfire defensible space3-10 days5-50 acresPer acre$3,000–$4,500

    Prices reviewed: September 2026. Ranges for Austin and Central Texas; your site walk sets the final number. Rock outside the milling range is priced as excavation. Hauling debris off instead of mulching in place is priced separately. See all pricing.

    Included Site walk and written quote
    Included Fuel and operator
    Included Before-and-after photos
    Add-on Drone topo scan, $500–$1,500
    Recurring Maintenance
    WHAT DOES YEARLY VEGETATION
    MAINTENANCE COST?

    Land that has been cleared fills back in. Ashe juniper returns from seed, and mesquite and other resprouters come back from the roots. A yearly agreement keeps your defensible space and views open on a set schedule. Single visits run $2,000–$3,500 per visit.

    Tier 01
    Buffer
    Perimeter fire break maintenance
    $2,000 / year
    Billed annually
    Coverage1-acre perimeter
    Frequency1× annual
    IncludesDefensible space zone
    RecordYearly before-and-after photos
    Tier 02 · Most Popular
    Protection
    Selective clearing + view maintenance
    $4,800 / year
    Billed annually
    Coverage3-acre selective
    Frequency2× annual (spring + fall)
    IncludesView corridors + fence lines
    RecordSeasonal photos
    Tier 03
    Estate
    Full property + quarterly maintenance
    $12,000 / year
    Billed quarterly
    CoverageFull lot (5+ acres)
    Frequency4× annual (quarterly)
    IncludesFull property management
    RecordQuarterly photo record
    Every quote starts with a site walk.
    We walk your property, agree the density with you and send a written quote. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk.
    Typical Project Flow

    Land clearing is often phase one of a larger project. One crew carries it through each phase.

    01
    Site Walk
    Trees, rock and access
    walked with you
    02
    Land Clearing
    Clear, grub, mill
    to construction-ready
    03
    Rough Grade
    Cut and fill to plan
    04
    Excavation
    Pool shell, pad prep
    or foundation dig
    05
    Handoff
    Photo record
    to the next trade
    Equipment

    The iron behind
    the work.

    Clearing & milling
    CAT 299D3 XE

    High-flow compact track loader with an FAE forestry mulching head. Handles clearing and stump grinding.

    Excavation & rock
    CAT 305.5E2 and Kobelco SK75

    A compact-radius mini excavator and a Kobelco SK75, each with a hydraulic hammer. They handle grubbing, grading, hard rock and boulder removal on tight lots.

    Optional drone scan
    DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise

    RTK-positioned drone for orthomosaics and surface models. Models processed in Pix4D; cut/fill checked in InSite Elevation Pro. Our drone scans measure surfaces, quantities and grades. They are not a boundary survey or a sealed survey by a licensed surveyor, and a drone cannot see below the ground surface.

    Dozers, larger excavators and compaction equipment are rented locally when a job needs them.

    What the finish looks like

    Before & After

    Illustrations of the two finishes we deliver: a mulched, park-like property and a graded, pad-ready lot.

    BeforeDense cedar (illustration)
    AfterMulched in place (illustration)
    BeforeOvergrown infill lot (illustration)
    AfterCleared and graded (illustration)
    Service Overview

    From raw lot
    to construction-ready.

    Land clearing takes an overgrown or abandoned lot and delivers it construction-ready: cleared to bare dirt, grubbed and rough-graded to your plan. It is the first phase of most pool builds, infill projects and new construction in the Austin and Hill Country market.


    Unlike forestry mulching, which leaves a park-like finish with the soil intact, land clearing prepares ground for what comes next. Vegetation is removed, stumps are grubbed and surface limestone is milled in place or excavated. Mulching is priced separately.

    Typical "clear and grub"
    Rock found after the machine is on site
    Grade checked by eye
    Protected trees found mid-job
    No record for the next trade
    VS
    Clear Ground
    Rock found with test holes and probing before we quote firm
    Finish grade checked against your plan
    Root zones flagged before the first pass
    Photo record handed to the next trade

    A drone models the ground surface. Rock, footings and buried lines below the surface are found with test holes, probing, 811 locates and GPR where needed.

    Why Clear Ground
    Land clearing
    is the easy part.
    Scoping it honestly
    is where we
    earn the job.
    A written quote in 48 hours
    Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk. We answer the same business day.
    Method matched to outcome, in the bid
    Mulch in place or haul it out. Hammer or mill. Selective or full clear. It is in writing before the first pass.
    One crew, our own equipment
    CAT 299D3 XE with mulching head, a CAT 305.5E2 mini excavator, a Kobelco SK75 and a drone for optional scans. Larger machines are rented locally when a job needs them.
    Common Questions

    Land Clearing Questions

    Straight answers, with prices.

    What is the difference between land clearing and forestry mulching? +
    Land clearing removes everything for bare, build-ready ground: trees cut, stumps grubbed, debris hauled or ground, and the site prepped. It runs $3,000–$8,500 per acre. Forestry mulching grinds vegetation where it stands and leaves the mulch on the soil. It runs $2,000–$5,200 per acre. They are different services on different price cards.
    How much does land clearing cost per acre in Austin? +
    Grub, haul and prep runs $3,000–$4,200 per acre for light vegetation, $4,300–$5,900 per acre for moderate and $6,200–$8,500 per acre for heavy. Lots under an acre run $4,500–$12,000 per lot. See pricing or the land clearing calculator.
    Do you haul everything away? +
    Your choice, stated in the bid. Full-site and lot clearing include hauling or grinding the debris. Mulching in place leaves it on the ground and skips the haul. Hauling debris off a mulching job is priced separately.
    What if I hit limestone or caliche? +
    It is standard in Hill Country work. Rock is found with test holes and probing, since a drone sees only the surface. Shallow rock is milled in place ($2,500–$6,000 per acre). Harder or deeper rock is broken with an excavator and hydraulic hammer at $35–$90 per cubic yard. Call 811 at least two business days before any digging.
    Will you protect the trees I want to keep? +
    Yes. We flag them before the machine starts. Inside Austin, trees 19 inches and larger are protected and heritage species are protected at 24 inches and larger. See the Austin tree rules page for thresholds and root-zone limits.
    Do I need a permit to clear land in Austin? +
    It depends on the address and the trees. Inside Austin city limits, protected trees trigger City review. Disturbing one acre or more generally falls under the TCEQ Construction General Permit (TXR150000), held by the site owner or operator. Nearby cities have their own rules. We tell you what applies on the site walk.
    How big a job do you take? +
    From under a quarter acre to ranch tracts of 10 acres and more. Very large acreage is considered case by case, and dozers are rented locally when the job needs one.
    How long does a quote take, and when can you start? +
    We answer the same business day. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk. Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval.

    How we work

    The 5-Phase Process

    Every Clear Ground land clearing project, from a quarter-acre lot to a 10-acre ranchette, follows the same steps. That is why the outcome matches the bid.

    Phase 01

    Site Walk & Scope

    We walk the site with you: vegetation density, terrain, existing structures, protected trees and signs of rock. On larger jobs an optional drone flight adds an aerial map of the surface.

    Optional drone scan
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    1/5
    2/5
    3/5
    4/5
    5/5
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    Land clearing process step (illustration)
    Related services

    Get a Written
    Quote.

    We walk the site, agree the scope with you and send a written quote. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk. Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval.

    Request a Quote Call (512) 880-8888