An honest 2026 guide to what land clearance, forestry mulching, felling and timber harvesting actually cost across Surrey, London & the South East — and the factors that move the price up or down.
"How much does it cost?" is the first question every landowner asks — and most websites dodge it. We won't give you a number we can't stand behind without seeing the site, but we can show you the honest ranges, explain what actually moves the price, and tell you how to get a job costed properly.
Use the figures below to budget, not to quote. Every site is different, and the only accurate number comes from a free survey.
Indicative South East ranges for budgeting only — not a quote. Saleable timber can reduce these figures; difficult access and disposal can increase them.
| Job | Typical scale | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry mulching | Light–medium scrub, per day | £900 – £1,600 / day |
| Scrub & bramble clearance | Overgrown paddock / plot | £1,200 – £4,000+ / acre |
| Site clearance (development) | Mixed vegetation & small trees | £3,000 – £12,000+ / acre |
| Commercial tree felling | Per day, crew & machine | £1,200 – £2,500 / day |
| Stump grinding / grubbing | Per stump, size-dependent | £60 – £400+ / stump |
| Woodland thinning | Per hectare, timber may offset | £800 – £2,500 / ha |
| Timber harvesting (CTL) | Plantation scale, often timber-positive | Crop-dependent — can pay you |
| Felling licence management | Per application | Often included in the job |
Figures are indicative 2026 South East ranges for budgeting only and do not constitute a quote. Actual cost depends on access, disposal, tree size, stumps, compliance and saleable timber value. The only accurate price comes from a free site survey.
Want a real number instead of a range? A free 48-hour survey gets you a fixed written quote.
We quote the whole job in writing — clearance, disposal, stumps, licence and all — so the figure you accept is the figure you pay. No day-rate creep, no surprise tip fees.
Because we own our Unimog, harvester, forwarder and mulcher fleet rather than hiring it in, we're not passing on a plant-hire margin or the risk of a machine sitting idle. That's usually the difference between our number and a subcontracting firm's.
And where your site carries saleable timber, we put a value on it and take it off the bill — occasionally turning a clearance cost into a timber cheque.
Get a fixed written quote →
Every job is run by one qualified crew on our own fleet. Explore the rest of the offshoot — or call and we'll point you to the right service.
Standing scrub and small trees turned to clean mulch in a single pass — no burning, no carting, ground left workable.
Learn more →Development plots, paddocks and brownfield cleared, grubbed and left workable for builders, groundworkers and planners.
Learn more →Section, dismantle and straight-fell at scale — plantations, shelterbelts, dangerous and oversized stems other firms decline.
Learn more →Mechanised cut-to-length harvesting and forwarding — timber stacked roadside and marketed to the best-paying mill or biomass yard.
Learn more →We check, apply for and manage your Forestry Commission felling licence, TPO and grant conditions so work stays legal.
Learn more →Part of our Surrey, London & South East forestry service.
Learn more →Our fleet is mobile across the region. Estates, farms, developers, local authorities and private landowners — wherever the access allows, we'll travel.
Guildford · Woking · Dorking · Reigate · Epsom · Farnham · Godalming · Cranleigh · Leatherhead · Camberley · Esher · Cobham
Richmond · Kingston · Wimbledon · Putney · Bromley · Croydon · Sutton · Greater London
Kent · West & East Sussex · Hampshire · Berkshire · the Home Counties
It varies enormously with what's on it. Light scrub mulched in a pass is at the lower end; dense woodland with large trees, stumps to grind and timber to cart is at the top. The single biggest cost driver is what happens to the arisings — chipping or mulching on site is far cheaper than carting and tipping.
Usually, yes — because the material stays on site as mulch, you avoid haulage and tip fees, which are often the largest line on a clearance bill. It's frequently the cheapest route to workable ground on scrub and small trees.
Yes. Where there's saleable timber we either buy it standing or offset its mill value against your quote, which can substantially reduce — occasionally cover — the cost of the work.
Access, disposal method, whether the firm owns or hires its machinery, and whether licence and TPO work is included. A cheap quote that excludes haulage, tip fees or the felling licence isn't really cheaper. We quote the whole job, fixed and in writing.
No — the figures on this page are indicative ranges to help you budget. Every site is different. The only way to get a real number is a free site survey, which we'll do within 48 working hours.
Indicative ranges only get you so far. Send the site details and we'll turn a range into a fixed written quote — survey within 48 hours.