How much does it cost to clear an acre of land in South Carolina?

We found no state price list, so national cost guides are the closest numbers. They put a lightly wooded acre at about $580 to $2,333. A heavily wooded acre runs about $3,300 to $6,155, and brush-only ground about $20 to $630.

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

Both show up. One national guide says most land clearing pros charge by the acre or the square foot. Another puts hourly clearing at $120 to $265 an hour. Hours can build up fast on complicated land, that guide notes.

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

One national guide says pros can clear a lightly wooded acre in two to four hours. Heavily wooded or sloped land can take a full day or more. Thick growth and steep ground also raise the price.

Does land clearing include pulling stumps?

It depends on the quote, so ask before you compare. One national guide says basic clearing may not include stump removal. We pull small stumps with the grapple as part of our clearing. Bigger stumps need a grinder, and stump grinding is a separate trade.

Does piling the brush cost less than hauling it off?

Piling skips the hauling charge, but the piles stay on your land. One national guide puts hauling at about $135 per cubic yard of debris. Some contractors include hauling in the price, another guide notes, and others leave the piles. Ask which one your quote covers.

Do I need to call 811 before clearing land in South Carolina?

When the work moves soil, the law calls for notice first. South Carolina's dig law covers grading and digging, and pulling stumps moves soil too. Whoever does the digging notifies South Carolina 811 at least 3 full working days ahead. Utility companies mark only their own lines.

Is this what Blackwell's charges?

No. These ranges come from national cost guides, not our price list. Every piece of land is different, so we look at yours and put the quote in writing. Call or text (864) 747-5946 to set up a time.

How Much Does Land Clearing Cost per Acre in South Carolina?

National cost guides put land clearing at about $580 to $2,333 an acre on lightly wooded land. Heavy woods run about $3,300 to $6,155 an acre. Ground covered only in brush costs the least, at about $20 to $630 an acre.

We found no state price list for South Carolina, so these national guides are the closest public numbers. They are market numbers, not our price list. We handle land clearing in Duncan and across the Upstate. We look at the land first, then put the quote in writing.

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

The guides sort land by how thick the growth is. Their ranges overlap, but they do not match.

What covers the acre	First guide (2025)	Second guide (2026)
Brush only, few or no trees	$330 to $630	$20 to $200
Light woods: brush with scattered small trees	$580 to $2,100	$733 to $2,333
Heavy woods: thick stands of trees	$3,300 to $5,600	$3,395 to $6,155

The first guide puts a typical job of half an acre to 2 acres at $1,565 to $4,520 in total. Its national average job comes to $2,900.

Both guides give national numbers. A local bill can land above or below the range, the second guide says.

Brush-only ground shows the widest gap between the guides. If your land is mostly open field with tall grass and briars, bush hogging may be all it needs.

What Makes One Acre Cost More Than Another?

Two acres of the same size can price far apart. The growth on them and the ground under them make the difference.

Brush or small trees. The brush cutter takes briars and saplings down fast. Small trees take longer, and each one leaves a stump behind.
Stumps. We pull small stumps with the grapple as part of the clearing. Bigger stumps need a grinder, and stump grinding is a separate trade.
Haul off or piles. Some contractors include hauling in the price, and others leave the piles for the owner, the first guide notes. Hauling adds truck loads and disposal fees. Piling skips that charge, but the piles stay on the land until debris removal and haul off takes them away.
The way in. A machine needs a clear path to the work. A narrow gate or a wet creek bottom slows it down. Creek-bottom soils along the Tyger Rivers can hold water near the surface from November to April, NRCS soil data shows.
Slope. The first guide says hillside land that is hard to reach pushes prices toward the top of the range. Slopes are common around Duncan. The federal soil survey puts at least a quarter of the land in Duncan on 10 to 25 percent slopes.
Big trees. Big timber is a different job from clearing. A tree service or a logger takes big trees down first. If the timber is worth selling, a sale can offset part of the bill, the first guide notes.
Size of the job. A national cost estimator builds the machine’s trip to the site and a three-hour labor minimum into small clearing jobs. So a small lot can price higher per acre than a big tract.

What Else Can Show Up on a Land Clearing Bill?

Some costs sit outside the per-acre price. These figures come from national cost guides.

Line item	Published range
Stump removal, priced per stump	$130 to $350 a stump (first guide)
Stump removal, priced by count	$326 for the first stump, then $40 to $83 for each one after (second guide)
Hauling debris away	About $135 per cubic yard (a third national guide)
Clearing billed by the hour	$120 to $265 an hour (first guide)
Land grading after clearing	$800 to $4,000 (first guide)
Land survey for a half-acre lot	$310 to $750 (first guide)

Ask what each quote includes before you compare them. One quote may pull the stumps and haul everything off, while another leaves both behind.

What Should You Check Before Clearing Land in South Carolina?

Pulling stumps and grading both move soil. South Carolina’s dig law covers machine work that moves soil, so notice to South Carolina 811 comes first. Whoever does the digging gives that notice 3 to 12 full working days ahead. The day of the notice does not count, and neither do weekends or legal holidays.

Utility companies mark only their own lines, South Carolina 811 says. Private lines, such as an electric line to a detached garage, are not marked. Point those out before the machine starts.

Clearing for construction can need a state stormwater permit. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) requires one when construction clearing and grading disturb 1 acre or more. A smaller site can need one too when it is part of a larger plan, such as a subdivision.

County rules add their own steps. Greenville County’s Land Development Division says land clearing projects that disturb the ground fall under its permit rules. Spartanburg County runs its own land disturbance permit process. Inside a town’s limits, the town’s office may handle it instead, and we point you to the right office.

Know where your property lines run before the brush comes down along them. A land surveyor can find and flag the corners.

How Does a Written Land Clearing Quote Work?

We price each job after we look at the land. The acreage, the growth, the stumps and the slope all count. The way in for the machine matters too.

You choose what happens to the debris: hauled off, or piled where you want it on the land. Then the price and the work come to you in writing before anything starts.

Have these ready for the visit:

Where your property lines run, from a plat or a survey
What the open ground is for, such as pasture or a house site
Which trees stay, marked with ribbon
How a machine gets in, including the gate width

On a house lot, the clearing is often the first of several jobs. Site prep and house pads can follow once the ground is open.

Ready to Price Your Land Near Duncan?

Duncan sits at the center of our service area, which reaches about 50 miles across the Upstate. Greer, Taylors, Spartanburg and Greenville are part of it.

Read more about our land clearing work around Duncan, or call or text (864) 747-5946. We look at the land, then put the quote in writing.