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Land Clearing Cost in New York
Most land clearing in New York is taking back ground that used to be farmed. Old hayfields and pasture across the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier have grown up into thick brush and young maple, and owners want them open again for a house site, a view, or hay. In the Adirondacks and Catskills the work is heavier timber on thin, rocky soil, and everywhere the season is shorter, with frozen ground in winter and mud in spring.
New York parcel data
9,555,431
parcels we've mapped in New York
0.27 ac
median lot size
6.0 ac
average parcel size
What you're clearing in New York
Expect northern hardwoods: sugar and red maple, American beech, yellow and black birch, and white ash, much of it dead or dying from emerald ash borer. Old fields fill in with gray dogwood, common buckthorn, bush honeysuckle, and multiflora rose, and buckthorn and honeysuckle thickets slow a mulcher more than their stem size suggests. Stone walls and glacial boulders hide under the brush on a lot of old farm ground.
What it costs in New York
New York falls in the calculator's Northeast region, about 15 percent over the national average for labor, insurance, and fuel. Rock is the other big cost: glacial till, ledge, and buried stone walls chew up teeth, so a lot of upstate ground deserves the rocky setting even when it looks flat. Season matters too. Wet spring ground can shut a job down for weeks, and some contractors prefer frozen winter ground on wet sites because the machine leaves fewer ruts.
Permits and rules in New York
The DEC regulates freshwater wetlands, and a wetland plus the 100-foot adjacent area around it can need a DEC permit before you clear. The state changed its wetland rules in 2025 and now leans less on the old wetland maps, so if a site is wet, ask DEC whether it is regulated even if nothing shows on a map. Inside the Adirondack Park, the Adirondack Park Agency can require its own permit for some clearing and development on top of your town's rules. Projects that need a local approval also go through SEQR, the state environmental review. Towns set their own site plan, clearing, and steep-slope rules, so check with the town code office before you start.
Frequently asked questions
How much does land clearing cost per acre in New York?
In New York, an overgrown hayfield or light brush on flat ground often runs $800 to $2,000 per acre, and thick buckthorn, honeysuckle, and young maple around $2,500 to $5,000. Mature hardwood on rocky Adirondack, Catskill, or hill-country ground can reach $6,000 to $10,000 per acre once rock and travel are figured in.
Do I need a permit to clear land in New York?
It depends on where the land is. Clearing in a regulated freshwater wetland or its 100-foot adjacent area can need a DEC permit, and inside the Adirondack Park the Park Agency may need to review the work. Most other rules come from your town, so check with the town code office first.