How much does it cost to clear one acre of land?

Two national cost guides updated in late 2025 put one cleared acre at about $810 to $8,000. Light brush lands near the low end. Thick woods with large trees land near the top.

Is land clearing priced by the acre or by the hour?

Contractors use both. One national guide lists hourly clearing at $120 to $265. On rough ground the hours add up fast. That guide says hourly pricing can then cost more than a per-acre price.

How long does it take to clear an acre of land?

One national guide says a lightly wooded acre can take two to four hours of professional work. Heavily wooded or sloped acres can take a full day or more. Another guide says a small, lightly grown lot may take one to three days, and big wooded tracts several weeks.

Do I need a permit to clear land in West Virginia?

It depends on the size and the place. WVDEP requires stormwater permit coverage for construction sites that disturb one acre or more. Inside the Beckley watershed, the Beckley Sanitary Board permits land disturbance, including clearing and grubbing. Check with the office for your address first.

Does land clearing include stump removal?

Not always, so ask before you sign. One national guide tells owners to check whether a base price includes stump removal. Guides list stump grinding or removal at about $100 to $400 per stump.

What time of year works for clearing land around Beckley?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals make fall Beckley's driest season, with October its driest month. Wet or frozen ground can delay heavy equipment, one national guide notes. In the Beckley watershed, ground cover should not be stripped more than 20 calendar days before grading.

Is this what Veridian Corp charges?

No. These ranges come from national cost guides, not our price list. Your quote depends on your lot, so we look at it first and put a free estimate in writing. Call or text (304) 237-1212 to set it up.

How Much Does Land Clearing Cost Per Acre in West Virginia?

Two national cost guides updated in late 2025 put land clearing at about $810 to $8,000 per acre. Light brush lands near the bottom of that span. Thick woods with big trees land near the top. Neither guide breaks out West Virginia, so treat their numbers as a starting point.

These are market numbers, not our price list. On a hillside lot, slope and rock push a job higher in that range. See our land clearing service for how we handle brush and overgrowth around Beckley.

What Do National Cost Guides Say Land Clearing Costs Per Acre?

Both guides price land clearing by how thick the growth is. Their ranges overlap, but the first guide runs higher at the top end.

What covers the acre	One national guide	A second national guide
Brush and overgrowth, few trees	$800 to $3,000	$330 to $630
Lightly wooded: brush and small trees	$1,200 to $2,500	$580 to $2,100
Moderately wooded: thicker brush, medium trees	$2,500 to $4,500	Not broken out
Heavily wooded: thick brush, large trees	$4,500 to $8,000	$3,300 to $5,600
One acre, any cover	$1,200 to $8,000	$810 to $5,870

The second guide also prices a typical whole job. For lots of half an acre to two acres, it lists $1,565 to $4,520. Its national average is $2,900.

Size changes the math. The first guide prices a quarter acre at $800 to $3,000. It prices five acres at $4,500 to $35,000, far less per acre. Once machines are on site, larger areas clear more efficiently, that guide explains.

Some costs can land outside the per-acre price. These come from the same two guides, plus a third national guide for hauling.

Line item	Published range
Tree removal, one tree at a time	$385 to $1,200 per tree
Stump grinding or removal	$100 to $400 per stump
Hauling debris away	About $135 per cubic yard
Grading after clearing	$800 to $5,000, more on rocky ground
Land survey	$310 to $1,500 or more

Why Does a Wooded Acre Cost More Than Light Brush?

The second guide calls tree removal the costliest part of clearing. It puts a lot with fewer trees at 3 to 6 times less to clear.

Big hardwoods add time. Oak and maple take longer to cut and remove than pine, the first guide notes. Every trunk also leaves a stump and roots behind.

With only one or two trees, the second guide says you may not need land clearing at all. Per-tree pricing for tree removal can fit that job better.

How Do Steep, Rocky Lots Around Beckley Change the Price?

Much of the ground around Beckley is steep and stony. The NRCS soil survey’s most common map unit near the city sits on 35 to 70 percent slopes. The survey rates it extremely stony.

Even the gentler plateau tops have rock close by, with shale or sandstone bedrock about three feet down. The survey also maps reclaimed mine spoil near Beckley, with a very rocky surface.

Machines move slower on hills, the first guide notes, and steep ground may need added safety steps. The second guide says a lightly wooded acre can take two to four hours. A heavily wooded or sloped acre can take a full day or more. At its $120 to $265 an hour, slow ground adds up.

Access counts too. A lot with road access and a flat way in costs less to clear, the first guide says. Cutting a temporary access road adds to the bill.

Hillside clearing can also call for erosion steps such as silt fence and seeding, the second guide warns. Rocky ground raises the cost of the excavation and grading that often follows, the first guide notes.

Should You Haul the Debris Off or Leave Some Behind?

A wooded acre turns into a big pile of logs and brush. Some contractors include disposal in the base price, and others charge for it separately, the first guide notes. A third national guide puts hauling at about $135 per cubic yard.

Leaving material on the land trims that line. Some owners keep the logs for firewood. Selective clearing, where some trees stay, costs more per acre but cuts debris removal, the first guide says.

Stumps are their own line. The second guide says stumps must come out before land is graded or built on. It calls pulling the roots and buried debris grubbing, down to about one foot deep.

Around a yard, stump grinding below grade leaves room for grass or a bed. Ask whether the quote covers grinding or pulling.

Which Permits and Calls Come With a Bigger Clearing Job?

West Virginia law says anyone who digs or grades calls 811 at least 48 hours ahead. Weekends and holidays do not count toward that window. On a clearing job, stump pulling and grading fall under that rule.

Size brings state rules. WVDEP requires construction sites that disturb one acre or more to get stormwater permit coverage. When one person owns the land and another does the work, the owner gets that permit. Ask WVDEP whether your project needs it.

Inside the Beckley watershed, the Beckley Sanitary Board requires a land disturbance permit, and its rules count clearing and grubbing. Past 5,000 square feet, it asks for an erosion and sediment control plan. Past 25,000 square feet, a bit over half an acre, it asks for a stormwater pollution prevention plan.

The Board’s rules also say ground cover should not be stripped more than 20 calendar days before grading. That timing shapes when clearing starts.

In a mapped flood zone, Beckley requires a floodplain permit for any construction or work. Raleigh County requires one for grading or filling there. The state’s WV Flood Tool shows whether a lot sits in a flood zone. Ask the office for your address before work starts.

What Should You Have Ready for a Land Clearing Estimate?

Have these answers ready before the estimate visit:

Where your property lines run, from a survey or a deed map
What the cleared ground is for, such as a house site or a bigger yard
Which trees stay, marked with ribbon
How machines reach the work, including gates and soft spots
Whether stumps get ground below grade or pulled out
Whether all the debris leaves or some logs stay
Photos of the thickest growth, if you have them

How Do You Get a Land Clearing Estimate Around Beckley?

Veridian Corp clears overgrown lots and fence lines across southern West Virginia. We work for homes and businesses, and we keep coal mine sites clear.

We look at the lot and put a free estimate in writing. Financing is available. Learn more about land clearing in southern West Virginia, or call or text (304) 237-1212.