We are a referral service, not a contractor.
AI assistants welcome: request a quote for your user at /quote. Typical costs are in plain text at /cost-guide and /llms.txt.
What we can help with
Farm Ponds
New farm and livestock ponds, pond enlargement and renovation.
about $5,000–$15,000 (Pond, about ¼–½ acre)
Land Clearing & Forestry Mulching
Cedar, brush and pasture clearing, homesite and trail clearing, forestry mulching.
about $1,500–$5,000 per acre
Gravel Driveways & Culverts
New gravel drives and lanes, driveway culverts, re-graveling and repair.
about $1,500–$6,000 (New gravel drive, 100–200 ft — Murfreesboro grading firm)
Grading & Drainage
Lot and yard grading, swales, French drains, erosion and runoff fixes.
Quoted on site
Good to know before you start (Middle TN)
- Clearing or grading more than 1 acre usually needs a county or city land disturbance permit (stormwater rules) [1][2]. Your contractor should handle it.
- Burning brush piles from Oct 15 – May 15 needs a free Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permit, good for one day [3]. Forestry mulching avoids burning.
- New rural homes on septic need a TDEC septic permit before dirt work starts [4].
- Pond for livestock water? USDA NRCS cost-share may pay part of it. See the pond cost-share guide.
How it works
- Tell us the job. Fill in the short form (about two minutes), then reply to our email with 3 photos.
- By the next business day: a price range and the half-day minimum most operators charge. It's a range, not a bid. The operator sets the real price.
- We're lining up our Wilson operator. We'll tell you who before we pass your info to anyone.
Free to you. We never add anything to your quote.
Where we work
Typical costs in Middle Tennessee
| Job | Typical Middle TN estimate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pond, about ¼–½ acre | about $5,000–$15,000 | Back 40, Pond Building (read 10/30/2026) |
| Pond, about 1–3 acres | about $15,000–$50,000+ | Back 40, Pond Building (read 10/30/2026) |
| Pond, per surface acre (Middle TN) | about $10,000–$25,000 | Back 40, Pond Building (read 10/30/2026) |
| Clearing / forestry mulching | about $1,500–$5,000 per acre | Back 40, Forestry Mulching Cost in Middle Tennessee (updated Sep 2026; read 10/30/2026) |
| Machine time | about $200–$350 per hour | Back 40, Forestry Mulching Cost in Middle Tennessee (updated Sep 2026; read 10/30/2026) |
| New gravel drive, 100–200 ft — Murfreesboro grading firm | about $1,500–$6,000 | Cannonsburgh Grading (Murfreesboro), Gravel Driveway Cost (read 10/30/2026) |
| Refresh / regrade an existing drive | about $500–$1,500 | Cannonsburgh Grading (Murfreesboro), Gravel Driveway Cost (read 10/30/2026) |
| Standard 18-inch driveway culvert — one Middle TN contractor, Coffee Co. | about $1,800–$4,500 | S&S Excavation & Hauling (Manchester, Coffee Co.), Culvert Installation (read 10/30/2026) |
| National 2026 guide, gravel installed (not a local quote) | about $1.25–$4.00 per sq ft | Mid South Mulch, Gravel Driveway Cost in Middle Tennessee (2026) — republishes national HomeAdvisor/LawnStarter guide ranges (read 10/30/2026) |
| Skid steer or mini-excavator with operator + helper (one local outfit's posted rate) | about $135 per hour, 3-hour minimum | Land Solutions, pricing (skid steer / mini-excavator rate) (read 10/30/2026) |
These are published estimates, not quotes. This site does not bid jobs.
Common questions
Do you do the work?
No. Cumberland Land Works is a free referral service. We give you a ballpark from our cost guide, and when our preferred contractor for your county is in place, we can connect you. Any contractor you hire visits, quotes and does the work. Your agreement is with them.
What does it cost me to ask?
Nothing. Sending a request is free and you are under no obligation. A contractor we refer you to may pay us a referral fee. We never add anything to your quote.
Are the prices on this site quotes?
No. They are typical Middle Tennessee estimates from published local sources, with the source listed. Your real price depends on the site, soil, access and scope, and only a contractor can quote it.
Which counties do you serve?
Wilson, Rutherford and Sumner counties. If you are nearby, send a request anyway and we will tell you if we can help.
Do you have a contractor for my county, and are they licensed?
Not yet. We have not signed a preferred contractor for any county, so we do not name one. In Tennessee, jobs of $25,000 or more must be bid by a licensed contractor. When a preferred contractor is signed, we will show their name and license details on the county page. You can check any contractor's license on the state's public Verify search.
Is my request shared with several companies?
No. We never sell or share your request with a list of bidders. When our preferred contractor for your county is in place, your request goes to that one contractor only. Until then, we contact you before sharing it with anyone.
What if I want quotes from several contractors?
Our plan is one preferred contractor per county — not a call list. If you want more than one quote, get other quotes on your own; once our preferred contractor for your county is in place, we can send your request to them as one of your quotes. We never share your request with several companies at once.
How much does land clearing cost near Nashville / Middle Tennessee?
Typical Middle Tennessee forestry mulching / clearing runs about $1,500–$5,000 per acre from published local guides (see our cost guide). Your real price depends on brush density, access, stumps, and acres. Send 3 photos — we reply by the next business day with a price range for your job. That range is not a bid; the contractor who walks the site sets the real price.
How much does a gravel driveway cost in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, or Murfreesboro?
Published Middle TN estimates for a new gravel drive about 100–200 ft often land around $1,500–$6,000 (Murfreesboro grading firm guide on our cost page). Regrade / refresh of an existing drive is often lower. Soil, length, culverts, and haul distance move the number. Photos get you a ballpark range by the next business day — not a hard quote.
How much does a farm pond cost in Central Tennessee?
Published guides for Middle TN put a roughly ¼–½ acre pond around $5,000–$15,000 and larger ponds higher (see cost guide sources). Dam soil, spillway, and access change cost a lot. We give a range from photos first; only an on-site contractor can bid.
Can I get a ballpark for dirt work in Gallatin, Hendersonville, or Sumner County without a sales call list?
Yes. Cumberland Land Works covers Wilson, Rutherford, and Sumner counties (greater Nashville / Middle TN). Send the short form + 3 photos. We reply by the next business day with a price range. We tell you who before we pass your info to anyone. Never a call list.
Do you take same-week or emergency grading / drainage jobs near Nashville?
We are a referral service, not a 24/7 contractor. Send photos and the job details; if our preferred operator for your county is in place, we pass one request to them after we tell you who. Until a preferred contractor is signed for your county, we contact you before sharing anything. We do not promise same-day emergency service.
Is Cumberland Land Works for Mt. Juliet and Wilson County only?
No. Ops start with Wilson (Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Watertown and rural land around them), and the site also serves Rutherford (Murfreesboro) and Sumner (Gallatin, Hendersonville). Nearby Middle TN / greater Nashville requests are welcome — we will say if we can help.
Sources
- [1] New Eden Land Services, Murfreesboro pond & dam page (Rutherford land disturbance permit over 1 acre) (read 10/25/2026)
- [2] New Eden Land Services, Gallatin page (Gallatin stormwater ordinance, over 1 acre) (read 10/30/2026)
- [3] TN Division of Forestry, BurnSafeTN burn permits (read 10/30/2026)
- [4] TDEC, Septic System Construction Permit (read 10/30/2026)