Lot and land clearing around Columbus
Wooded lots and acreage, and the tree plan that may come first.
Clearing a wooded lot or a few acres is tree removal at a different scale: the trees, the brush, the stumps and the haul-off, often ahead of a house or a driveway. In Columbus the city's tree ordinance applies to development sites, so the paperwork can start before the first tree comes down.
Published prices
| Clearing | Lawn Love, Dec 2025 (national) |
|---|---|
| Typical job | $1,565 to $4,520 (about $2,900 average) |
| Lightly wooded | $580 to $2,100 per acre |
| Heavily wooded | $3,300 to $5,600 per acre |
| Brush only | $330 to $630 per acre |
| Forestry mulching | about $450 per acre |
| By the hour | $120 to $265 |
| Clearing permits | $200 to $250 |
Columbus's tree ordinance on development sites
As adopted in 2002, Columbus's Tree Preservation and Replacement Ordinance covers all development sites except simple renovations, and on sites of 2 acres or less, additions over 5,000 square feet. Before a Site Development Permit or Residential Development Permit is issued, a tree protection and planting plan has to be approved. It sets tree density standards per acre for single-family zones, ranging from 4 to 12 units, 10 units per acre for commercial and industrial sites, and generally bars trenching inside tree protection areas without the City Arborist's approval. The ordinance has since been folded into the Unified Development Ordinance and amended, so ask the city's planning staff what applies to your parcel today.
Pine stands on acreage
On larger tracts, a clearing job may really be a pine stand question. The Georgia Forestry Commission's Southern Pine Beetle Prevention and Restoration Cost Share Program helps landowners in specified areas pay for thinning, prescribed burning and replanting, with thinning taking stands to a basal area of 80 square feet or less. Your GFC county forester can say whether a tract qualifies. See pine beetles.
Debris and stumps
Columbus's collection page says contractors must remove the solid waste they accumulate through their work, and construction and demolition material, which it says includes trees, concrete and dirt, is not picked up curbside and goes to the Pine Grove Landfill. Grubbing out stumps and roots is digging, so a Georgia 811 ticket comes first. See stump grinding.
Have ready
- The parcel: address or tax ID, and whether it's in Columbus, Harris County or Alabama.
- Acreage and roughly how much is pine, hardwood or brush.
- The plan: a house pad, a driveway, pasture or just open ground.
- Any permits or site plans already started.
Common questions
How much does it cost to clear an acre?
For lightly wooded ground, Lawn Love's December 2025 guide gives $580 to $2,100 per acre; thick woods run $3,300 to $5,600 per acre.
Does Columbus have rules about clearing trees for new construction?
Yes. As adopted in 2002, its tree ordinance requires an approved tree protection and planting plan before a site or residential development permit. Ask the city's planning staff about your parcel.
Get the clearing quoted
Phone us, or use the form, and a contractor based near Columbus will arrange to see the tree and give you a number. Nothing is charged for that.
If the voicemail picks up, say your street, what kind of tree it is, and whether it's still standing or already down.