Is the free chipping program in Nevada County still running?

Not right now. The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has the chipping program listed as temporarily unfunded and is not accepting requests. They have said they are looking for funding to bring it back. Until then, homeowners are covering brush removal on their own.

How big of a branch can a 12 inch chipper handle?

A 12 inch chipper takes branches up to 12 inches thick. That covers almost all yard brush, limbs, and small trees around Nevada County. Anything thicker than that gets cut into rounds and hauled instead.

Can I keep the wood chips on my property?

Yes, and it saves you money since we do not have to haul them off. Spread them on paths, around the back of your lot, or in beds away from the house. Keep them well clear of your walls and deck, because loose chips right up against a structure are a fire risk.

Is it cheaper to chip brush or haul it away?

Chipping is usually cheaper when the pile is clean green brush sitting close to the driveway, because there are no dump fees or round trips. Hauling costs more per load but is the only option once dirt, stumps, or junk are mixed in. Most jobs end up being a mix of both.

Do I need to sort my brush pile before you come out?

It helps but it is not required. If you can keep green branches separate from dirt, rocks, and trash, more of the pile can be chipped and your bill goes down. The bigger favor you can do yourself is stacking it near the driveway so we are not carrying it a long way.

How much brush fits in a dump trailer?

A lot more than a pickup, which is why doing it yourself takes so many trips. We run 10 foot and 20 foot dump trailers, and a 20 footer will clear most residential piles in one or two loads. Loose brush takes up far more room than people expect until it is chipped or packed down.

Brush Chipping vs. Hauling Cost in Nevada County, CA

If you have cleared brush in Nevada County, you already know the hard part. It is not cutting it down. It is getting rid of it.

You have two real choices. You can chip it, or you can haul it away. They cost different amounts, and one is usually a better fit for your property than the other.

Here is how to tell which one you need.

The Free Chipping Program Is On Hold#

For years, a lot of people here leaned on the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County. They ran a free chipping program. You stacked your brush near the road, they came out, and it was gone.

Right now that program is unfunded and not taking new requests.

That caught a lot of folks off guard. There are piles sitting in yards all over Grass Valley and Nevada City with nowhere to go.

So the cost falls on you now. The question is which way costs less.

A large pile of cut brush and limbs stacked at the end of a gravel driveway, waiting to be removed

What Chipping Is Good For#

Chipping turns your brush into small wood chips. The machine eats the branches and blows the chips out the other side.

We run a 12 inch chipper. That means it handles branches up to 12 inches thick. Almost everything off a yard around here fits.

Chipping is the better call when:

You have a lot of green branches and limbs
The pile sits close to where a truck can park
You are fine leaving the chips on your property

That last point saves you real money. Chips can stay on site. Spread them on paths or out in the back of your lot, and you skip the cost of hauling them off.

Just be smart about where they go. Keep wood chips well away from your walls. Loose chips against the house are exactly what the new state fire rules target.

What Hauling Is Good For#

Hauling means we load it up and take it off your property. We run 10 foot and 20 foot dump trailers for that.

Hauling is the better call when:

There are stumps, roots, or dirt mixed into the pile
The material is dead and dry instead of green
You have old fence boards, junk, or trash in there
You do not want chips left behind

A chipper cannot take dirt or rocks. It will not take metal or trash. If that is mixed into your pile, hauling is your answer.

What It Actually Costs#

Three things set the price. How much you have. How far it sits from the driveway. And what is mixed into it.

Chipping usually costs less per load when the pile is clean green brush sitting near the road. You are paying for machine time, not trips to the dump.

Hauling runs higher per load because of dump fees and drive time. Every trailer that leaves is a round trip plus a fee at the other end.

But the thing that drives the bill up most is distance. If we have to carry brush 200 feet uphill to the truck, that is all labor. Stack your pile near the driveway and you will pay less. That one move is the best thing you can do to cut your cost.

Wood chips shooting from a chipper chute into a dump trailer on a rural foothills property

Can You Just Do It Yourself?#

Some of it, sure.

You can rent a chipper for the day. But rental chippers tend to be small, and they choke on anything thick. You still have to drag and feed every branch, and that is heavy work.

You can make your own dump runs too. Just know the fees add up, and a pickup holds far less than it looks. What you figured was two loads usually turns into five.

For a small pile, doing it yourself is fine. Past that, hiring it out often lands close to the same number once you count fuel, fees, and your weekend.

So Which One Should You Pick?#

Short version.

Green branches, close to the driveway, chips can stay? Chip it.

Mixed material, dead wood, junk, or you want it gone for good? Haul it.

Most jobs we take on in Nevada County end up being both. We chip what chips well and haul the rest. That combination is usually the cheapest way to clear a property.

You can also see everything we take on our debris removal and dump runs page.

Get a Real Number Before You Start#

Every property up here is different. A quarter acre in town is nothing like five acres out past Rough and Ready.

The simplest thing is to have someone look at the pile and tell you what it will run. We have been at this for 19 years, and we can usually get you a number the same week you call.

Ask for a free estimate or call us at (530) 210-3990. We will tell you straight whether chipping, hauling, or both makes the most sense for what you have.

Brush Chipping vs. Hauling in Nevada County: Which One Costs Less?