Clearing means more than one tree: a wooded lot opened up for a house, an overgrown back acre, or pine and scrub taken out ahead of a fence or a garden. Several state rules apply once machines and acreage are involved.
Published prices
| Clearing | Lawn Love, national (Dec 2025) |
|---|---|
| Typical job | $1,565 to $4,520, about $2,900 on average |
| Lightly forested | $580 to $2,100 |
| Heavily wooded, per acre | $3,300 to $5,600 |
| Brush, per acre | $330 to $630 |
| Forestry mulching, per acre | about $450 |
| Each tree | $385 to $1,070 |
| Each stump | $130 to $350 |
State rules to know
- Timber harvests and later building: under G.S. 160D-921, cities and counties can't regulate forestry on land taxed at present-use value or cut under a registered forester's plan. They can, though, refuse development permits for up to three years after a harvest that removed trees their rules protect, or five years if the violation was willful.
- Contractor licensing: G.S. 87-1 requires a general contractor's license for jobs of $40,000 or more that build a building, highway, public utility, grading or any improvement or structure. Tree work isn't named in it, but a big clearing job that includes grading may cross the line; ask the contractor which license they hold.
- Burning: the NC Forest Service says to get a valid burn permit for debris burning and never to burn anything but vegetation; some communities forbid burning entirely, so check with the fire department or county ranger first.
- Digging: grubbing out stumps and roots is digging. Give NC811 three working days' notice.
City lots
Inside Fayetteville, development is governed by the Unified Development Ordinance. We couldn't retrieve its tree and landscaping sections in citable form, so ask Planning & Zoning at (910) 433-1612 what applies to your lot before clearing. See tree rules.
Where these facts come from
- Lawn Love (Sinziana Spiridon, updated Dec. 27, 2025): How Much Does it Cost to Clear Land in 2026?
- N.C. General Statutes 160D-921: Forestry activities
- N.C. General Statutes 87-1: "General contractor" defined; exceptions
- NC Forest Service: Fire safety outdoors
- NC811 (North Carolina 811)
- City of Fayetteville: Planning & Zoning
Each link was opened and read on October 27, 2026. The city, PWC and the state revise these pages without notice, so give the original a look before relying on a figure.
Common questions
What does clearing an acre of thick pine woods cost?
Lawn Love's national guide lists $3,300 to $5,600 per acre for heavily wooded land and $580 to $2,100 for lightly forested lots.
Can the city stop me building after I cut timber?
Under G.S. 160D-921 a local government can deny development permits for up to three years after a harvest that removed trees protected by its rules, or five years for a willful violation.
Get clearing priced
Phone the number or send the form. A contractor who takes tree jobs around Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Raeford and Eastover follows up, and the quote costs you nothing.
Got the voicemail? Leave a name, a number we can reach, the house address and a word about the tree.