How Much Does Brush Clearing Cost in Tuolumne County? [2026 Real Pricing Breakdown]
What drives the price, how disposal choices change the bill, and what to expect.
So you've got a pile of brush. Or maybe a whole hillside of it. Maybe a tree came down last winter and now half your yard looks like a scene from a horror movie. Either way, you need it gone, and you want to know what it's going to cost.
Real talk: brush clearing prices in the Sierra foothills are all over the place. Across all the different kinds of jobs we see, prices can run anywhere from $300 on the low end up to $3,000 or more on the high end. The reason for the giant range is that "brush clearing" can mean a lot of different things. A small pile in the backyard is a totally different job than a thick hillside that needs chainsaws.
Let's break down exactly what drives the price so you know what a fair estimate looks like before anyone shows up at your property.
What Goes Into a Brush Clearing Job
When you ask for a price on brush clearing, you're not just paying for someone to cut stuff down. There are a lot of moving parts.
Here's what's actually happening on a typical brush job:
- Cutting the brush (sometimes with chainsaws, not just trimmers)
- Stacking or piling it up
- Loading it onto a trailer or truck
- Hauling it somewhere
- Paying dump fees to actually get rid of it
Every one of those steps eats time, fuel, and money. That's why brush jobs are almost always priced per project, not per hour. There are too many moving pieces to make hourly pricing fair to either side.
The 4 Things That Drive Your Brush Clearing Price
If you understand these four things, you'll know if an estimate is fair or if someone is trying to pad the price.
1. How Much Volume You Have
This is the big one. Brush clearing pricing comes down to how many cubic yards or trailer loads need to leave your property.
A small pile in your backyard is one thing. Five years of overgrown brush on a half acre lot is a totally different job. The crew has to figure out how many trips to the dump it'll take, and that drives the estimate.
2. What You Want Done With the Brush
This is where most homeowners get surprised. There are three main options for what happens to the brush after it gets cut:
Option A: Haul it away. This is the most common and the most expensive. The crew loads it up, drives to the transfer station, and pays dump fees. You're paying for labor, fuel, time, and dump fees all rolled into one number.
Option B: Burn it on site. Cheaper because there's no hauling. But there's more risk, so the crew (or whoever you hire) needs to actually know what they're doing. You also need a Cal Fire burn permit (more on that below).
Option C: Chip it. A wood chipper turns brush into mulch right on your property. No hauling, no dump fees. The catch? Most people don't own a chipper, and most companies that have one charge a premium because it's expensive equipment that could be making them money on other jobs.
Each of these options changes your final price by hundreds of dollars.
3. The Terrain
Flat ground is fast and cheap. A steep hillside is slow, dangerous, and might need different equipment.
If your brush is sitting on flat land where a trailer can pull right up, you're getting the best price possible. If it's halfway up a slope where the crew has to drag every branch by hand to get it to the trailer, expect the price to climb.
Steep terrain can bump the price by 30 to 50 percent depending on how gnarly it is.
4. The Type of Brush
Loose dry brush you can pull out by hand is the easiest to deal with. A pile of pine needles, dead branches, and small shrubs? Quick and clean.
Thick logs, fallen trees, or stuff that needs chainsaws to break down? That's a different story. Anytime the chainsaws come out, the price goes up. Chainsaw work is more dangerous, takes more skill, and usually means a bigger crew.
The Hidden Costs Most People Forget About
When someone gives you a brush clearing estimate, here's what's baked into that number that you might not see on paper:
- Gas to drive to and from the dump. Cal Sierra Transfer Station is on Camage Avenue in Sonora. If you live in Twain Harte, Columbia, Jamestown, Angels Camp, or San Andreas, that's real time and fuel.
- Dump fees. Tuolumne County charges a gate fee plus tipping fees on green waste. Multiple loads means multiple fees.
- Trailer wear and tear. Loading thorny, heavy brush is hard on equipment.
- Time spent loading and unloading. Two crew members spending an hour loading a trailer is two crew hours of labor.
Most companies just bake all of that into one flat number. But if you're comparing estimates and one is way cheaper, ask whether dump fees are actually included. They might not be.
Local Tip: Tuolumne County's Dollar Dump Days
Here's a cool thing most people don't know about. Tuolumne County does "Green Waste Dollar Dump Days" about three times a year (usually March, June, and September) where residents can dump up to 1 cubic yard of green waste for just $1.
The catch is it's residents only. No contractors or commercial businesses can use it. So if you've got a small pile and the time to haul it yourself, you can save real money by doing it on a dollar dump day.
If you have more than a cubic yard, regular dump rates kick in for anything over that amount.
You can find the next dollar dump day by calling Tuolumne County Solid Waste at (209) 533-5588 or checking the county website.
What About Burning Your Brush?
Burning is the cheapest disposal option, but it comes with real rules in our area.
Cal Fire requires a burn permit for any hazard reduction burning in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. The permit is free, but you have to apply through their website at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov and watch a short safety video first.
Burn permits get suspended during fire season (usually late spring through fall), so the window for legal burning is narrow. You also need to call your local air pollution control district to check if it's a permissive burn day before you light anything up.
If you decide to burn, make sure whoever does it has done it before. A burn pile that gets out of control is the kind of mistake that turns a small savings into a giant fine, or worse.
To Give You an Idea How We Do It
We didn't want to make this whole article about us, because there are several decent crews in the foothills and you should pick whoever fits your situation best. But if you're thinking about us, here's how we run things:
- We charge by the project, not the hour, so you know your price upfront
- Dump fees are included in our estimate, no surprises
- When you call, somebody picks up
- When you send a message, you get a real reply
- When we say we'll be there Tuesday at 9, we're there Tuesday at 9
That's pretty much it. We just try to do what we say we're going to do.
Ready for Your Free Estimate?
If you want to know what your brush clearing job would actually cost, the easiest way is just to ask. We'll come out, walk the property with you, and give you a real number with no pressure to book.
You can also call us anytime. We actually answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does brush clearing cost in Tuolumne County?
There's no flat price because every property is different. Light brush on flat land is on the lower end. Heavy brush on a slope, fallen trees, or anything that needs chainsaw work runs much higher. The best way to know your real number is to have someone walk the property with you and look at it in person.
Is it cheaper to burn brush or haul it away?
Burning is almost always cheaper because there are no dump fees and less hauling time. But it requires a Cal Fire burn permit, can only be done on permissive burn days, and is suspended during fire season. Hauling is more expensive but always available.
Do brush clearing companies include dump fees in their estimates?
Most do, but always ask before you book. Some lower estimates don't include dump fees, and you could end up paying an extra $50 to $200 in fees you didn't expect. A good crew will tell you upfront whether dump fees are baked in.
How long does brush clearing take?
A small backyard pile might take 1 to 2 hours. A typical half acre cleanup runs most of a day. Big jobs with steep terrain or chainsaw work can take multiple days. Most residential brush jobs in the foothills wrap up in one day.
Can I save money by hauling my own brush to the dump?
Yes, especially if you can hit one of Tuolumne County's "Green Waste Dollar Dump Days." Residents can dump 1 cubic yard for $1 about three times a year. Outside of that, regular green waste rates apply. Most homeowners find it's cheaper to pay a crew once than to make multiple trips themselves, but if you have time and a trailer, DIY hauling is the cheapest route.
When is the best time to clear brush?
Honestly, whenever you're ready to get it gone. But the sooner the better when it comes to fire safety. Dead brush sitting close to your home is one of the biggest fire risks in the foothills, especially heading into summer. Most folks try to handle it before fire season really kicks in.
