How Much Does Bush Hogging Cost in California?

University custom-rate surveys put pasture mowing at $12 to $50 an acre. A national lawn-care marketplace guide puts relatively open pasture near $100 an acre. By the hour, that guide lists $85 to $120 for a tractor with a 6-foot rotary cutter. These are market numbers, not our price list.

Heavier growth costs more. A 2026 university survey puts brush chopping at $25 to $200 an acre. Many operators also set a 2 to 3 hour minimum or a flat show-up fee. On a small field, that minimum can raise the cost per acre.

Bush hogging, brush hogging, brush mowing and field mowing all name the same work. An Extension forestry guide notes that a rotary cutter is commonly called a bush hog. Most published rates assume a farm tractor pulling that cutter. Cruz Land Management is based in Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula and runs a rotary brush mower on a compact track loader. See how brush mowing in Monterey works with that setup.

What does bush hogging cost per acre and per hour?

The rows below come from university and Extension custom-rate surveys and one national pricing guide. The tractor row is a tractor number.

The 2025 Extension survey’s rates include the machine, fuel and labor. It drew 61 custom operators and farmers. Both surveys come from farm states in the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic, not California.

Location matters too. A Forest Service cost model for California found mechanical fuel reduction costs more where homes meet wildland. It also found higher costs in metro areas, where labor costs are higher. Read the farm-survey rows as a starting point for Central Coast work, not a quote.

Why do bush hogging quotes vary so much?

Years since the last cut come first. A field mowed every year carries grass and weeds. A field left for several years fills with brush and saplings, and the price moves from the pasture rows toward the brush row.

Stem size decides the tool. An Extension forestry guide says a standard-duty rotary cutter does fine on non-woody growth. Bigger material calls for a medium-duty or heavy-duty cutter. Once saplings and woody brush take over, the job becomes mastication. Forestry mulching covers that work, and our forestry mulching cost guide has those numbers.

Slope, rocks and buried obstacles come next. The marketplace guide says rocks, slopes or debris push operators toward the upper end of the hourly range. The 2025 Extension survey also names location, topography and field size and shape as reasons rates vary. On a Carmel Valley hillside or a ranch parcel in the Salinas hills, slope and rock can set the pace.

Access matters too. The machine needs a way onto the field, and a narrow gate or a locked road changes the plan. Tell us about gates and the road in when you call or text.

Acreage spreads the trip. A 2 to 3 hour minimum weighs heavily on a half-acre field. A national cost guide says mowing prices per acre decrease as the lot size increases.

Poison oak changes the method. UC’s pest note on poison oak says mowing can release oil particles into the air, similar to burning. We masticate poison oak instead of mowing it.

When should fields in Monterey County be mowed?

Annual grass that is green in winter dries out in spring. Fire agencies set their deadlines for late spring, so fields get mowed ahead of fire season. Inside a home’s defensible space, California’s rules call for annual grasses cut to a maximum of 4 inches in Zone 2.

Vacant lots and city parcels often get a weed abatement notice as well. Our weed abatement cost guide covers the notice side and what agencies charge. For the cutting itself, see our weed abatement service.

Pastures, road frontage and orchard edges follow the same calendar. Calling early in spring gives you more choice of dates.

Should you rent a bush hog or hire the job out?

Renting looks simple on a small field. You still need a machine sized to run the cutter, a way to move it and time on the seat. Call a rental yard for a current number before you compare.

Safety is part of the math. An Extension forestry guide names three main sources of rotary cutter injury: PTO entanglement, contact with moving blades and thrown objects. Tall grass can hide rocks, wire and old fence posts.

Hiring the job out makes sense when the ground is steep or the field has gone years without a cut. It also makes sense when brush has moved in and the job needs a masticating head as well as a mower.

How do you get a written quote for brush mowing?

Published ranges only go so far. Your acreage, the growth, the slope and the access set the real number.

We are based in Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula. We work across the Salinas area and up the coast to Santa Cruz. We look at the property, or you send photos, and put the quote in writing.

Call or text (831) 200-5377, or see how our brush mowing service works.