Leaf Removal Cost Calculator: Per Bag, Hour, Yard & Price

Q: How much for leaf removal on a 1/4-acre or 1/2-acre lot?

For a 1/4-acre lot (~10,000 sq ft of lawn) with moderate leaf coverage, professional leaf removal costs between $220 and $380 (or $350 to $520 if roof gutter cleaning is included). For a 1/2-acre lot (~20,000 sq ft of lawn), expect to pay between $380 and $650 depending on tree density and whether leaves are hauled off-site or blown into perimeter woods.

Q: What is the typical leaf removal cost per bag vs. vacuum truck pickup?

Most lawn care pros charge a leaf removal cost per bag of $5 to $10 (which covers the $0.75 biodegradable kraft bag, manual stuffing labor, and dump fees). If your yard generates more than 25 to 30 bags of leaves, hiring a crew with a trailer-mounted debris loader (vacuum truck) or blowing leaves to the street line for municipal vacuum collection usually saves $75 to $180 over hand-bagging.

Q: What is the average leaf removal cost per hour for a landscaping crew?

The industry-standard leaf removal cost per hour is $55 to $85 per man-hour. A solo operator with a handheld blower typically clears 2,500 to 3,500 sq ft of moderate leaves per hour, whereas a two-person crew using commercial 75cc backpack blowers and a walk-behind wheeler blower can clear 10,000 sq ft in under 2 hours.

● Interactive 5-Zone Yard & Gutter Cleanup Blueprint

Leaf Removal Cost Calculator: Per Bag, Per Hour, Gutter & Haul-Off

Tap any property zone on the blueprint below to calculate backpack blowing, landscape bed detailing, roof gutter flushing, bag counts, and vacuum truck disposal.

1. Yard / Lawn Area 0.23 Acres

Clearable Lawn (sq ft)

Roof Gutter (lin ft)

2. Leaf Coverage & Condition

Determines 30-gallon bag yield and backpack blower speed.

3. Cleanup & Disposal Method

Compare full off-site hauling vs. mower mulching.

4. Hourly Crew Rate / Mode $65/hr per tech

$40/hr (Solo) $65/hr (Avg Pro) $110/hr (Metro)

Interactive Property Cleanup Blueprint (Tap Any Zone)

Gutters Main Lawn Beds/Hedges Bags/Haul

Include Roof Gutter & Downspout Leaf Cleaning Include Landscape Bed & Shrub Line Detailing Include Fallen Stick, Acorn & Pine Cone Pickup Include Final Mulching Mower Turf Pass

Active Property Zone: 2. Main Turf Lawn Blowing & Raking Click below to customize this zone:

ESTIMATED LEAF REMOVAL COST 25 Bags • $6.00/bag

Total Cleanup Estimate

$446

Range: $379 – $526

Without Gutter Add-On

$296

4.2 Man-Hours ($65/hr)

Main Lawn Blowing & Tarp Labor (2.7 Man-Hrs) $176

Bagging, Curb Vacuum or Dump Haul-Off (25 Bags @ $6) $150

Garden Beds, Sticks & Finish Mow (Beds + Mow) $120

Roof Gutter & Downspout Flushing (150 Lin Ft) $150

5. Leaf Volume, Bag Count & Hourly Crew Analyzer 2-Tech Crew: ~2.1 Hrs

30-Gal Lawn Bags 25 Kraft Bags

Loose Leaf Volume 3.7 Cu Yds

Shredded Mulch Vol 0.37 Cu Yds

💡 Landscape Efficiency & Gutter Verdict: Loading leaf removal cost analysis…

Itemized Zone-by-Zone Leaf Removal Estimate Sheet

Complete breakdown of hourly blowing labor, per-bag disposal fees, bed detailing, and gutter cleaning

5 Property Cleanup Zones Calculated

Property Zone	Cleanup Operation	Scope / Volume	Est. Man-Hours	Equipment Used	Unit Rate	Line Total	Inspect

Stop Repeated Gutter Cleaning & Recycle Yard Leaves into Mulch

★ Highlighted guides match your active property cleanup zones

Eliminate Gutter Scooping

LeafFilter Gutter Protection Review

Paying $150 to $300 every autumn to scoop wet leaves out of your gutters? See how 275-micron surgical stainless steel mesh blocks pine needles, shingle grit, and oak leaves permanently.

Read LeafFilter Protection Guide →

Micro-Mesh vs. Reverse Curve

LeafFilter vs. LeafGuard Comparison

Compare the two biggest names in leaf-free gutter systems side by side—including heavy downpour handling, roof warranty protection, and installed price per linear foot.

Compare LeafFilter vs. LeafGuard →

Perforated Aluminum vs. Mesh

Shur Flo vs. LeafFilter Gutter Guards

Looking for a low-profile gutter guard under heavy shade trees? Compare Shur Flo perforated aluminum panels against LeafFilter micro-mesh for airflow leaf shedding and cost.

Compare Shur Flo vs. LeafFilter →

Turn Leaves into Organic Mulch

Mulch Installation Cost Calculator

Shredding autumn leaves at a 10:1 ratio creates nutrient-rich organic bed insulation. Calculate how much bark mulch your shredded leaf volume replaces across your flower beds.

Launch Mulch Cost Calculator →

How Much for Leaf Removal? About This Interactive Leaf Removal Cost Calculator

When homeowners ask “how much for leaf removal”, quotes from local lawn care companies can range from $150 for a quick curbside blow to $700+ for a heavily wooded half-acre property requiring hand-raking in flower beds, 30-gallon biodegradable bagging, off-site dump hauling, and roof gutter flushing. Instead of relying on rough guesswork, our interactive leaf removal cost calculator breaks your property into five distinct maintenance horizons so you can see the exact leaf removal cost per hour, leaf removal cost per bag, and total crew time before booking a fall or spring cleanup.

1. Hourly Labor + Per-Bag Hauling Engine

Landscapers bill leaf cleanup using a combination of leaf removal cost per hour ($45 to $90/hr per technician with commercial backpack blowers) plus a leaf removal cost per bag ($4 to $10 per 30-gallon kraft bag) or vacuum-truck dump fee. Our calculator computes both simultaneously.

2. Interactive 5-Zone Property Blueprint

Click directly on any zone in the SVG cross-section—Roof Gutters & Valleys, Main Turf Lawn, Landscape Beds & Shrubs, Mulching Mower Pass, or Bagging & Haul-Off—to customize terrain slope, bed density, and disposal method.

3. 10:1 Leaf Shredding & Mulch Value Analyzer

Running leaves through a commercial mulching mower or shredder vac reduces volume by 10-to-1—turning 3.7 cubic yards of loose leaves into 0.37 cubic yards of nitrogen-rich garden mulch while eliminating off-site hauling charges.

How to Use the Leaf Removal Cost Calculator (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Enter Your Lawn Square Footage & Gutter Length Input your clearable turf area in square feet (for example, 10,000 sq ft for a typical 1/4-acre lot) or select a preset lot size, and enter your roof gutter linear footage if you want gutters flushed at the same time.

Step 2: Select Leaf Coverage Depth & Cleanup Method Choose between Light Scatter (1″–2″), Moderate Blanket (3″–4″), Heavy Carpet (5″–7″), or Wet/Matted Leaves. Then pick whether you want leaves bagged and hauled, blown to the curb, mow-mulched, or blown into perimeter woods.

Step 3: Tap Blueprint Zones to Customize Rates Click Zone 1 (Gutters) to adjust for 1-story vs. 2-story roofs, Zone 3 (Landscape Beds) to account for delicate perennials and fence lines, or Zone 5 (Haul-Off) to set your local leaf removal cost per bag.

Step 4: Compare Total Yard Cost & Print Your Quote Review your itemized breakdown showing both full property total and lawn-only cost. Click “Copy Cleanup Quote” or “Print / PDF” to save your estimate checklist.

Average Cost for Leaf Removal: Per Hour, Per Bag & By Lot Size

Across the country, the average cost for leaf removal on a standard 1/4-acre suburban yard (roughly 8,000 to 10,000 sq ft of turf) is $220 to $480 for a full-service blow, bag, and haul-away visit. When contractors price jobs by time, the standard leaf removal cost per hour ranges from $50 to $80 per hour per crew member (or $100 to $160/hr for a two-person crew equipped with high-CFM backpack blowers and walk-behindBilly Goat blowers). When billed by volume, the typical leaf removal cost per bag is $5 to $8 per 30-gallon biodegradable paper bag if the bags are left at the curb for municipal pickup, or $8 to $12 per bag if the landscaper loads and hauls them to a green-waste composting facility. For larger properties, expect to pay $350 to $650 for a 1/2-acre lot and $600 to $1,200+ for a 1-acre wooded lot.

Frequently Asked Questions (Leaf Cleanup & Disposal Pricing)

How much for leaf removal on a 1/4-acre or 1/2-acre lot? +

For a 1/4-acre lot (~10,000 sq ft of lawn) with moderate leaf coverage, professional leaf removal costs between $220 and $380 (or $350 to $520 if roof gutter cleaning is included). For a 1/2-acre lot (~20,000 sq ft of lawn), expect to pay between $380 and $650 depending on tree density and whether leaves are hauled off-site or blown into perimeter woods.

What is the typical leaf removal cost per bag vs. vacuum truck pickup? +

Most lawn care pros charge a leaf removal cost per bag of $5 to $10 (which covers the $0.75 biodegradable kraft bag, manual stuffing labor, and dump fees). If your yard generates more than 25 to 30 bags of leaves, hiring a crew with a trailer-mounted debris loader (vacuum truck) or blowing leaves to the street line for municipal vacuum collection usually saves $75 to $180 over hand-bagging.

What is the average leaf removal cost per hour for a landscaping crew? +

The industry-standard leaf removal cost per hour is $55 to $85 per man-hour. A solo operator with a handheld blower typically clears 2,500 to 3,500 sq ft of moderate leaves per hour, whereas a two-person crew using commercial 75cc backpack blowers and a walk-behind wheeler blower can clear 10,000 sq ft in under 2 hours.

Is it better to mulch leaves into the lawn or bag and remove them? +

If your leaf layer is light to moderate (under 3 inches deep and dry), double-pass mowing with a mulching blade chops leaves into dime-sized pieces that sift down between grass blades, returning organic carbon and trace minerals to the soil while cutting your bill by 35% to 45%. However, if you have a thick 5-to-7-inch carpet of wet oak or maple leaves, they must be blown and removed so they do not smother turfgrass or breed snow mold over winter.