Free tool
Debris and disposal cost calculator
By Umair Nawaz, founder of Lirevon Updated How we test tools
Find what the brush, chips and logs from one job really cost you to get rid of. Enter your volumes, dump fees, haul trips and cleanup time. You get the disposal cost for the job, the cost per cubic yard, the net after wood value and a line you can put on the estimate. Every number is yours to change.
Related: job costing · chip truck · tree care guides by state · our offers.
1. Brush and chips
2. Logs
3. Dump fees
4. Haul trips and cleanup
Disposal summary
Tree job
Disposal cost for this job
–
Cost per cubic yard
–
Net after wood value
–
Total debris
–
Haul trips
–
Line for your estimate
–
Estimate only, built from the numbers entered. Not a quote. Check your dump's current rates.
Conversion helper
Type in any box. One full cord of stacked wood = 128 cubic feet = about 4.74 cubic yards (27 cubic feet in a cubic yard).
Loose brush to chips (rough)
Loose brush shrinks a lot when chipped, but how much varies with species, leaves, season and packing. The ratio below is only a rough starting point. Check it against your own chip box and change it.
About– yards of chips
How the math works
- Brush volume = chipper loads × load size, or the cubic yards you typed. The reused share is taken off before dump fees.
- Log volume = cords, or truck loads × cords per load. The share you keep is taken off before dump fees.
- Dump fees, per load = brush loads (rounded up) × brush fee + log loads (rounded up) × log fee.
- Dump fees, per ton = (brush yards dumped × tons per yard × brush fee) + (cords dumped × tons per cord × log fee).
- Haul cost = haul trips × cost per trip. Blank trips means one trip per dumped load.
- Cleanup labor = person-hours × loaded cost per hour.
- Disposal cost = dump fees + haul cost + cleanup labor.
- Cost per cubic yard = disposal cost ÷ (brush yards + cords × 4.74). Logs are counted as stacked yards.
- Net after wood value = disposal cost − (cords kept × value per cord).
- Estimate line = disposal cost (or net, if you tick the box) × (1 + markup).
Questions about debris and disposal
How much should I charge for debris removal on a tree job?
Start from what it costs you: dump fees, haul trips and cleanup labor. This tool adds those up with your own numbers and gives you one line for the estimate. Add a markup if you want debris handling to carry profit, or build it into your overall margin with the tree job estimator.
Should disposal be its own line on the quote?
Many owners like a separate line, because customers can see what haul-away costs and choose to keep the wood or chips. Others fold it into one price. Either way, the cost is real, so it needs to be covered somewhere.
How many cubic yards are in a cord of wood?
A full cord of stacked wood is 128 cubic feet. Divide by 27 and you get about 4.74 cubic yards. Loose, thrown-in logs take more space than stacked wood, so a truck holds less than the stacked number suggests.
How many yards of chips does a pile of brush make?
It varies a lot. Brush type, leaves, season and how tight it was packed all change the result. Use the helper on this page as a rough guide, then check it against your own chip box after a few jobs and change the ratio.
My dump charges by the ton. How do I estimate weight?
Pick "per ton" and enter the weight per cubic yard of chips and per cord of logs. The numbers in the boxes are only starting points. Green wood is much heavier than dry wood, and species matters. Your scale tickets are the best source, so use them once you have a few.
Does a chip drop really save money?
It saves the dump fee on those chips. It may still need a trip, and the drive can be shorter or longer than the drive to the dump. Put the reused share in the tool and adjust haul trips if the drop site is out of the way.
Should I take firewood value off the price?
That is your call. Some owners keep the wood value as extra profit. Others offer a lower price when they can sell the logs. The tool shows both: total cost, and net cost after wood value. Tick the box only if you want the estimate line to include the credit.
Why count cleanup labor in disposal?
Raking, blowing, loading the last brush and hauling it away all take paid crew time. If it is not in the price, it comes out of your profit. Count the person-hours, not just the clock hours.
Are there rules about dumping, burning or moving wood?
Yes, and they vary by town and state. Some places limit open burning, some restrict where green waste can go, and some states limit moving firewood because of tree pests. Check with your local landfill, town or state forestry office. Short explanation, not legal advice.
Is anything I type sent to Lirevon?
No. The math runs in your browser. Your numbers are only kept in this browser on this device so the form is filled in next time. Clear your browser data to remove them.
Every cost covered, every call caught
Price the haul-away. Then book the job.
Lirevon sets up missed-call text-back, an AI receptionist, follow-ups and review requests for tree companies, so the jobs you price well actually get booked.