Clearing is a different kind of tree job: an overgrown back lot, a fence line swallowed by volunteer trees, a woodlot edge being opened up for a garden or a pole barn. It's priced by the area and the density of what's growing, not tree by tree.
Published prices
| Clearing | Angi, Sep 2026 (national) |
|---|---|
| Average project | $3,778 |
| Typical range | $1,396 to $6,174 |
| Lightly wooded, per acre | $500 to $2,000 |
| Heavily wooded, per acre | $3,600 to $5,600 |
| Brush clearing, per acre | $20 to $200 |
| Stump grinding, per stump | $120 to $400 |
Before the clearing starts
- Find the property line. A survey or the county's parcel records keep the work on your side.
- Mark any oaks you're keeping. Wounds on oaks from April 15 to July 15 invite oak wilt, per the Michigan DNR; schedule around them or protect them.
- Call MISS DIG 811. Pulling stumps or grading is digging. Give at least 3 business days' notice.
- Decide where the wood goes. Firewood, chips or haul-off. Don't move ash or oak firewood far from where it was cut.
The debris question
Battle Creek's Brice Pit compost site, at 715 W. River Road, is for residents only and doesn't accept contractor dumping or plastic bags. Curbside pickup takes branches only when they're cut to 4 feet or shorter and bundled. For a real clearing job, hauling or chipping should be in the quote.
Oak wood from a clearing
If oak wilt killed any of the oaks being cleared, the DNR says that wood can be burned on site, chipped, or debarked before April 15. Oak firewood that has dried for more than a year, or whose bark has loosened, can no longer spread the disease.