How much does bush hogging cost per acre?
Bush hogging runs $50 to $250 per acre in the Southeast, and the condition of the ground picks the end of that range. A maintained field mows for $50 to $75 an acre. Waist-high growth runs $75 to $150. Chest-high growth with saplings runs $150 to $250. Parcels under an acre usually price as a flat visit, $150 to $350.
Same acre, three prices. Here is why, and how to keep your parcel at the cheap end.
What sets the price on a mowing job?
Density and height, mostly. Contractors price bush hogging off how hard the cutter has to work, and the multiplier is steep: waist-high ground costs about twice what a maintained field does, and chest-high ground with woody stems costs three to four times as much.
| Ground condition | Per-acre range |
|---|---|
| Flat, maintained field | $50 – $75 |
| Waist-high overgrowth | $75 – $150 |
| Chest-high growth with saplings | $150 – $250 |
| Under 1 acre | $150 – $350 flat |
Hourly pricing shows up too. Posted South Carolina rates run $60 to $75 per hour for grass, up to about $100 per hour once saplings get involved. Most outfits carry a $150 to $250 minimum per visit because loading and hauling the tractor costs the same for one acre as five, and many discount 15 to 20 percent for a standing recurring cut.
Production explains all of it. A six-foot rotary cutter at field speed covers about 2.5 acres an hour on clean ground. Thick growth drops that pace, and the price per acre climbs to match.
Why does uncut Pee Dee ground get expensive fast?
Because our growing season barely stops. Florence averages a 236-day freeze-free period, among the longest in the state’s interior, and the state climatology numbers for Darlington, Lake City, Sumter and Bishopville all land within a few days of it. Ground that sits gets two or three growing pushes a year.
The pattern on old fields is documented and predictable: broomsedge takes an abandoned field into continuous cover within four or five years, and blackberry and saplings follow it. Once stems pass the two-to-three-inch mark, a rotary cutter is the wrong tool and you are pricing forestry mulching at $1,200 to $3,500 per acre instead of mowing at $50 to $250. The cheapest brush control you can buy is the cut that keeps you on the mowing side of that line. Our brush hogging service handles one-time knockdowns and standing yearly cuts both.
Can a town make you mow an overgrown lot?
In South Carolina, yes. State law lets municipalities cut an overgrown lot themselves and attach the cost to the property as a lien, collected like taxes. Thresholds and notice periods vary by town, and some add an administrative fee on top of the actual cutting cost. If a letter shows up about a lot you own around Florence, a scheduled cut is cheaper than the town’s version of the same mow, and it usually needs to happen within the notice window.
Questions people ask
How much does bush hogging cost per acre? A maintained field runs about $50 to $75 per acre in the Southeast. Waist-high growth roughly doubles that at $75 to $150, and chest-high growth with saplings runs $150 to $250. Small jobs price by the visit, usually $150 to $350 total.
How much do people charge per hour for bush hogging? Posted South Carolina rates run $60 to $75 per hour for grass and light fields, $70 to $90 for growth up to two inches, and around $100 per hour when saplings get involved.
How many acres can you bush hog in an hour? A six-foot cutter at field speed covers around 2.5 acres per hour on decent ground. Tall or thick growth cuts that pace down fast. That production math is why dense ground costs more per acre.
How often should land be bush hogged? Around Florence, once or twice a year keeps a parcel from sliding backward. Our growing season runs about 236 freeze-free days, so ground left alone moves from grass to briar to saplings quickly.
What happens if a field is left uncut too long? It stops being a mowing job. Rotary cutters handle stems up to about two or three inches, and growth past that needs forestry mulching or clearing at several times the price.
Put a number on your field
If the grass is past your knees, the clock is running. We mow fields, lots and acreage across Florence, Darlington, Lake City and the Pee Dee, one-time or on a schedule. Request a free quote or call (217) 741-6050.