A clearing job can mean pine woods with a saw palmetto understory, scattered oaks, or pasture that has grown back to brush. A contractor will want to know how many acres, how dense, and what happens to the debris.
Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto is a small palm, up to about 6.6 to 9.8 feet tall, that grows as understory in pine woods and sandy areas and usually forms clumps or dense thickets. It's extremely slow-growing and long-lived; some Florida plants may be 500 to 700 years old.
Rules that come first
- Local tree rules. We didn't find St. Cloud's or Osceola County's tree removal rules published in a form we could cite. Ask the city if you're inside city limits, or Osceola County if you're not.
- Risky trees on home lots. Under Florida Statutes 163.045, a documented unacceptable-risk tree on a single-family home lot needs no local permit, fee or replanting. The documentation comes from an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect.
- Stormwater. Clearing and grading that disturb 1 acre or more and drain to surface waters or a storm sewer system need Florida DEP's Construction Generic Permit, with the Notice of Intent filed at least 2 calendar days before work.
- Burning. Land clearing debris needs a Florida Forest Service burning authorization. See burning brush.
Published prices
| Clearing | Lawn Love, Dec 2025 |
|---|---|
| Most jobs | $1,565 to $4,520 |
| Lightly forested | $580 to $2,100 per acre |
| Heavily forested | $3,300 to $5,600 per acre |
| Forestry mulching | about $450 per acre |
| Brush removal | $330 to $630 per acre |
| Stump removal | $130 to $350 per stump |
Angi's Orlando guide notes that a heavily wooded lot has to be cleared before any digging can start, so price both together.
Stumps and buried debris
WKMG's 2025 sinkhole explainer lists rotting tree stumps and buried debris among the things that can create depressions that look like sinkholes. Ask how stumps and roots will be removed and what fill goes back in their place.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Serenoa (saw palmetto)
- Florida Statutes 163.045 (2024): Tree pruning, trimming, or removal on residential property
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Construction Activity (stormwater Construction Generic Permit)
- Florida Forest Service: Forest Fire Laws & Open Burning Regulations (DACS-P 00149, revised 5/2015)
- Lawn Love: How much does it cost to clear land? (Sinziana Spiridon, updated December 27, 2025)
- Angi: How much does excavation cost in Orlando, FL? (updated June 17, 2026)
- WKMG ClickOrlando: Do you live in Florida's Sinkhole Alley? (Anthony Talcott, July 17, 2025)
Reviewed October 20, 2026. Rules, prices and contacts change, so check the source before relying on it.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to clear an acre near St. Cloud?
We don't have local data. Lawn Love's December 2025 guide lists $580 to $2,100 an acre for lightly forested land and $3,300 to $5,600 for heavily forested land.
Do I need a permit to clear land in St. Cloud?
We didn't find the city's or Osceola County's tree rules published in a form we could cite, so ask the city (inside city limits) or the county. Disturbing 1 acre or more can also require Florida DEP's stormwater permit.
Get your clearing quoted
Ring the number or use the form, and a contractor working in Osceola County follows up. Quotes cost nothing.
If the call goes to voicemail, say your name, number, where the property is and what needs doing.