Land clearing cost per acre in Oregon runs $1,000 to $5,000 for light brush and $6,000 to $25,000 for heavily forested ground. Land clearing is the removal of trees, brush, stumps, and surface debris to make a site usable for building, farming, or access. Portland metro owners average around $2,887 an acre, though the average hides the two things that actually decide the bill: what is standing on the ground, and what the City of Portland charges you for taking it down.
That second cost is the one most quotes never mention. Portland’s tree code can add more to a development site than the clearing work itself, and a 30 inch Douglas fir you cannot preserve carries a $14,160 fee. Our crews have cleared lots where the fee in lieu was the largest single line on the project. This guide covers both halves so your budget survives contact with the permit counter.
Land Clearing Cost Per Acre by Vegetation Density
Every clearing bid starts with what is growing on the ground. These are the ranges across Oregon in 2026.
| What is on the land | Cost per acre |
|---|---|
| Light brush and grass | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Moderate vegetation, scattered growth | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Heavy brush and small trees | $3,500 to $15,000 |
| Heavily forested | $6,000 to $25,000 |
| Old growth and very large trees | $10,000 to $40,000 |
For the Portland metro specifically, most property owners land between $1,529 and $4,244 per acre with an average near $2,887, which reflects a mix weighted toward suburban lots with moderate growth. A wooded acre with mature firs and stump removal passes $7,000 on its own.
Portland’s Tree Fees Can Exceed the Clearing Itself
Portland regulates tree removal under Title 11, and the fees are published. These rates come from the Urban Forestry Title 11 fee schedule effective July 1, 2025.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Preservation Fee in Lieu, private tree 12 to under 20 inches diameter | $1,888 per tree |
| Preservation Fee in Lieu, private tree 20 inches diameter and over | $472 per diameter inch |
| Planting and Establishment Fee in Lieu | $472 per diameter inch |
| Planting and Establishment Fee in Lieu, per on-site tree | $712 |
| Programmatic permit application | $7,150 |
| Urban Forestry hourly rate | $160 |
| Development violation inspection | $359 |
| Civil penalty for unpermitted removal | $1,000 per tree, per day |
| Restoration fee, tree removed | $472 per diameter inch |
| Restoration fee, Heritage Tree removed | $944 per diameter inch |
Run the arithmetic on a real lot. Four 24 inch firs that cannot be preserved cost 96 diameter inches at $472, which is $45,312 in fees against a clearing bill that might be $8,000. That ratio is why a developer who prices land clearing alone and skips the tree plan gets a very unpleasant surprise at permit review.
When Title 11 applies to your site
The trigger is smaller than most owners expect. Chapter 11.50 applies once development involves any ground disturbance or construction staging over 100 square feet on unpaved ground inside the root protection zone of a private tree 12 inches in diameter or larger, or a City tree 6 inches or larger. A staging area for equipment counts, so parking a machine under a mature tree can pull the whole site into review.
Your building permit application then needs a tree plan drawn to scale documenting every on-site tree 6 inches in diameter and up, every street tree 3 inches and up, and every Heritage Tree regardless of size. An arborist report is required when you submit a land division, when you propose alternative tree protection, or when you revise an approved plan after construction has started. Emergency removal can proceed ahead of approval only if a revised application follows within seven days.
Price the Trees Before You Price the Clearing
We walk the lot, measure what is standing, and tell you which trees pull your site into Title 11 review before you commit to a number. That conversation costs nothing and has saved our clients five figures more than once.
Site Conditions That Change the Price
Two identical wooded acres can be quoted $10,000 apart. These are the conditions that do it.
| Condition | Effect on the base price |
|---|---|
| Moderate slope, 10 to 25 percent | Add 20 to 40 percent |
| Steep slope, over 25 percent | Add 50 to 100 percent |
| Wet or marshy ground | Add 30 to 60 percent |
Slope slows equipment and makes it less safe, forces material to be walked to a loading point, and turns erosion control into a real line item. Wet ground is the Portland version of this problem, since rain runs steadily from October through May and saturated soil will not carry a loaded machine. A lot bid in August and cleared in January is a different job, and scheduling the work for the dry months is the cheapest change most owners can make.
Access matters as much as terrain. A lot reachable only through a narrow easement, a shared driveway, or a soft shoulder limits you to smaller machines and multiplies the hours. Overhead power lines across the parcel add clearance requirements and coordination time, and our PGE certification lets us work near energized lines where other crews have to wait on the utility.
Where the Debris Goes, and What That Costs
A heavily forested acre produces 10 to 20 truckloads of material or more. Hauling and disposal are priced per load, so on a wooded lot the debris line often comes close to the clearing line. You have three real options, and the site plan usually picks for you.
- Grind and spread on site. The cheapest route when the plan allows mulch to stay, and it keeps organic material out of the landfill.
- Haul to a disposal facility. Priced by the load and by the trip distance, so a site far from a facility pays twice.
- Sell merchantable timber. Worth exploring on acreage with mature conifers, where log value can offset part of the clearing cost.
Ask any bidder how the debris is handled before you compare totals, since a quote that leaves the material in a pile on your lot is not comparable to one that hauls it away.
Clearing Does Not Make a Lot Build-Ready
Clearing removes what is growing. A foundation needs more than that, and the gap catches first-time developers regularly. After the trees come down, a building site still needs grubbing to pull root balls that would otherwise settle under a slab, topsoil stripping, cut and fill to the design grade, compaction to spec, and erosion control that holds through a Portland winter.
Those belong in your budget as site preparation and grading, priced separately from clearing. On larger parcels where the dirt volume is the main cost, the work becomes mass excavation and earthwork instead. Utility runs to the building pad are a third scope again, handled as utility trenching.
How to Read a Land Clearing Bid
Bids on the same parcel arrive far apart, and scope explains most of the gap. Check each proposal for these before you compare the bottom line.
- Acreage and density assumption. Confirm which density tier the bidder priced, since the difference between moderate and heavily forested doubles the number.
- Stumps. Cut at grade or fully grubbed out. A building site needs grubbing, and a bid that only fells trees will read cheaper for the wrong reason.
- Debris handling. Ground and spread, hauled off, or left on site, with disposal fees named.
- Tree fees. Whether Title 11 fees are included, billed at cost, or excluded entirely. Most contractors exclude them, and the owner pays.
- Erosion control. Required on most Portland sites and frequently missing from a clearing quote.
- Rock and unsuitable material. Get the unit rate in writing up front, because a change order negotiated mid-job is negotiated at the contractor’s number.
- Final condition. Rough cleared, grubbed, or graded. Three different prices, and three different starting points for your builder.
Get a Land Clearing Estimate in Portland
Angelo Underground clears lots and prepares sites for developers, general contractors, and property owners across the Portland metro area. We walk every parcel before quoting it, because acreage on a listing sheet tells you very little about what the machines will meet. We are PGE certified and an Avetta Consortium member, which qualifies us for public works packages and for work near energized lines.
See our land clearing services in Portland for what the work covers, our construction excavation page for the build phase that follows, and our completed projects for sites we have taken from raw ground to build-ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to clear an acre of land in Oregon?
Clearing an acre in Oregon runs $1,000 to $5,000 for light brush and $6,000 to $25,000 for heavily forested ground. Portland metro property owners average about $2,887 an acre, with most paying between $1,529 and $4,244. Slope, standing water, and how far the debris has to travel move that number more than acreage does.
Do you need a permit to clear land in Portland?
Portland requires a tree plan with your building permit whenever development disturbs more than 100 square feet of unpaved ground inside the root protection zone of a private tree 12 inches in diameter or larger, or a City tree 6 inches or larger. The tree plan has to document every on-site tree 6 inches and up and every street tree 3 inches and up. Clearing before that plan is approved exposes the owner to a civil penalty of $1,000 per tree per day.
How much does Portland charge for removing a tree during development?
Portland charges a Preservation Fee in Lieu of $1,888 per tree for private trees between 12 and 20 inches in diameter, and $472 per diameter inch for trees 20 inches and larger. A 30 inch Douglas fir that cannot be preserved therefore costs $14,160 on top of the clearing itself. These are the Title 11 rates in the Urban Forestry fee schedule effective July 1, 2025.
Why is land clearing more expensive on a sloped lot?
A moderate slope of 10 to 25 percent adds 20 to 40 percent to the base clearing price, and a slope over 25 percent adds 50 to 100 percent. Equipment works slower and less safely across a grade, material has to be walked uphill to a loading point, and erosion control becomes a larger part of the job. Wet or marshy ground adds another 30 to 60 percent.
Is stump removal included in land clearing?
Stump removal is quoted separately on most bids, and the distinction matters on a building site. Cutting trees at grade leaves root balls that will settle under a slab or a driveway, so a lot headed for construction needs full grubbing and not a simple cut and haul. Confirm in writing which one your bid covers before comparing prices.
Does clearing a lot make it ready to build on?
Clearing removes the vegetation and leaves ground that still needs work before a foundation goes in. Grubbing, topsoil stripping, cut and fill to the design grade, compaction, and erosion control all come after the trees are down. Budget those as a separate site preparation line so the clearing quote does not read as the whole cost of getting to build-ready.
How much debris does clearing an acre produce?
A heavily forested acre produces 10 to 20 truckloads of debris or more. Hauling and disposal are priced per load, so the debris line often rivals the clearing line on a wooded Portland lot. Grinding material into mulch and leaving it on site cuts that cost when the site plan allows it.
Get a Real Number for Your Parcel
Ranges tell you what to expect. A site walk tells you what you will pay, which trees trigger a fee, and what the lot needs after the clearing to be build-ready. Angelo Underground is PGE certified and an Avetta Consortium member, and we quote clearing, grubbing, and grading as one scope so the number you approve is the number you pay.
Serving Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Happy Valley, and the surrounding metro area.
