Clearing timber and firewood from a property typically costs $1,500 to $6,000 per acre for light brush and small trees, and can exceed $10,000 per acre on dense bush with large mature trees requiring felling, removal and stump grinding. Treat every figure on this page as a starting point rather than a quote: on wooded ground the standing timber is what sets the price, and it needs to be looked at rather than described.
There is a distinction worth being clear on before getting quotes. Clearing land removes everything and leaves usable ground. Selective harvesting takes specific trees and leaves the rest standing. Firewood work is often somewhere in between — taking down what is dead, damaged or crowding better trees, and processing it into usable lengths. They are different jobs with different prices, and being specific about which you want avoids quotes that are not comparable.
Recommended Equipment
Skid steer with a forestry mulcher, plus an excavator for large trees and stumps. The mulcher handles brush, undergrowth and small trees in a single pass; the excavator is what comes in for mature trunks, for moving and stacking log-length timber, and for pulling stumps where the ground is going to be used afterward.
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What actually drives the price
Tree size and density set the baseline. Small-diameter regrowth mulches quickly and cheaply. Mature hardwood has to be felled individually, limbed, and cut to manageable lengths before anything can move it, and that is a slower, more skilled operation.
What happens to the wood is the decision that changes the economics most. Mulching everything in place is fastest and leaves organic matter behind. Processing it into firewood lengths and stacking it takes considerably longer but leaves you with something worth having. Merchantable timber can occasionally offset part of the clearing cost, though on a small residential acreage the volume is rarely enough to interest a mill.
Stumps are the second big decision. Leaving them is cheapest and is fine if the ground is going back to bush or rough pasture. Grinding or pulling them is necessary for anything that will be mowed, tilled or built on, and a mature hardwood stump is real excavator work.
Terrain and access decide what equipment can get in. Flat, dry ground lets machines work at full efficiency. Slopes, wet ground, rock outcrops, or a bush lot with no road in mean smaller equipment, more hand work and considerably more time.
Proximity to what stays requires care. Felling near buildings, fences, power lines or trees you are keeping means directional felling or sectional takedown, which is slower and more skilled. Anything near a power line is a utility matter and should not be attempted around it.
Regulation applies more often than people expect. Many municipalities have tree-cutting bylaws, woodlot conservation rules or permit requirements, and there are frequently seasonal restrictions during bird nesting periods. Conservation authority approval can also apply near water or on designated land.
A short checklist before you book
Walk the area and note the acreage, rough tree sizes and species mix. Decide whether you want everything cleared or specific trees taken. Decide what happens to the wood — mulched, processed to firewood, or hauled off. Decide whether stumps are staying or going. Check municipal tree bylaws and any conservation authority requirements. Ask about nesting season restrictions in your area. Identify anything near a power line and treat it separately. Confirm access for equipment and whether a route needs to be cut in. Confirm insurance, which matters more on tree work than on almost any other operation.
Costs vary by site conditions. Use the ranges here to sanity-check what you are quoted, then get a direct price for your own property.
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