Beta Beta — hiring neighbors on Papalocal is new; what you see here is real, and it's still growing.
Brush clearing and field mowing Beta
A neighbor with the right equipment cuts back brush, overgrown fence rows and tall pasture or field grass on country property.
- How often
- Seasonal
- Where the work happens
- Outdoors
- Who it suits
- Best done by an adult
- Before you start
- Check local rules
These open your Papalocal account. You'll be asked to log in or sign up first.
Brush clearing and field mowing tame land a lawn mower can't handle: knee-high pasture grass, briars and saplings along a fence row, an overgrown trail, the edge of the woods creeping into a field, or a lot left alone for a few years.
Landowners mow pastures a few times a year, before selling or building, to keep tall growth back from buildings, or simply to see where the fence is again. Owners of empty lots hire it to keep weeds down.
A neighbor with a tractor and a rotary cutter, or a walk-behind brush mower, often lives a few miles away and can fit your field in on the way home from their own.
Also called: brush clearing, field mowing, pasture mowing, lot clearing, overgrown lot mowing, fence row clearing.
What's usually included
- Walking the area first for stumps, rocks, holes and buried hazards
- Mowing pasture, fields or lots with a tractor or brush mower
- Cutting saplings, briars and brush along fence rows and edges
- Clearing a path or trail
- Piling or chipping what was cut, as agreed
What to ask before you hire
- How big is the area, and how tall and thick is the growth?
- Are there stumps, rocks, ditches, old fence wire or wet spots to avoid?
- Should the cut brush be piled, chipped, hauled away, or burned where that's allowed?
- Whose equipment is used, and who is responsible if it's damaged?
- Which trees, plants or areas must not be cut?
Staying safe
- Rotary cutters throw rocks and debris, so keep people, pets and vehicles well back while mowing.
- Never drive a tractor across a steep slope, and use the rollover bar and seat belt every time.
- Wear chaps, eye and ear protection and gloves with a chainsaw or brush cutter, and never run a saw alone.
- Ask about snakes, wasp nests and soft ground before going into thick brush.
Local rules
Some counties have rules on burning brush, clearing near streams or wetlands, and running heavy equipment for hire, so check your local rules before you hire or offer it.
Brush clearing and field mowing by town
Questions people ask
Is this the same as lawn mowing?
No. Field mowing uses heavier equipment for tall grass and brush, and the result is a rough cut, not a manicured lawn.
Can you clear land for a building site?
Light clearing fits this service. Removing large trees and stumps or grading the ground is bigger work for a land-clearing company.
When should a pasture be mowed?
Many owners mow after grazing or before weeds go to seed, and avoid ground-nesting season when they can. Your county extension office can say what fits your area.
Can a teenager do brush clearing?
This one is for experienced adults, since it means tractors, cutters and saws. A teen who wants farm work is better suited to stacking firewood or mucking stalls.
Thinking of offering this yourself?
- This work takes real equipment (a tractor with a rotary cutter, a brush mower, a brush cutter or a chainsaw) and the experience to run it safely.
- Walk every new field before you mow it, because a hidden stump or rock can wreck a mower deck.
- Price by the acre or by the hour after checking what local land-clearing and mowing outfits ask, add for travel and thick brush, and make the call yourself.
- Pastures need mowing on the same calendar every year, which makes for natural repeat customers.
- Know when a job calls for a forestry mulcher or a bigger crew, and say so.
