Wisconsin custom rates, 2024 survey
Sigurd Lindquist, CCA · numbers from University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
What farmers and custom operators in Wisconsin said they charged or paid for custom work, as the Custom Rates for 2024 Wisconsin Farm Operations (2024 Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey) printed it. Rates are survey averages; your local custom operator may charge more or less.
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| Job | Average | Range | Answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land tillage | |||
| Chisel plowing | $21.69 per acrerange $12.00 to $30.00 | $12.00 to $30.00 | 16 |
| Disk with ripper | $21.92 per acrerange $10.00 to $30.00 | $10.00 to $30.00 | 12 |
| Disking with harrow or cultipacker | $21.88 per acrerange $16.00 to $30.00 | $16.00 to $30.00 | 8 |
| Field cultivating | $17.80 per acrerange $10.00 to $30.00 | $10.00 to $30.00 | 20 |
| Vertical tillage | $21.02 per acrerange $14.00 to $30.00 | $14.00 to $30.00 | 21 |
| Finishing disk | $20.46 per acrerange $10.00 to $29.10 | $10.00 to $29.10 | 11 |
| Offset disk | $20.33 per acrerange $15.00 to $27.00 | $15.00 to $27.00 | 6 |
| Row cultivating | $19.22 per acrerange $12.00 to $40.00 | $12.00 to $40.00 | 8 |
| Row cultivating with fertilizer | $22.39 per acrerange $15.00 to $50.00 | $15.00 to $50.00 | 7 |
| Subsoiling (16-20 inches deep) | $26.22 per acrerange $18.00 to $35.00 | $18.00 to $35.00 | 10 |
| Strip tillage | $29.90 per acrerange $18.00 to $50.00 | $18.00 to $50.00 | 10 |
| Drilling | |||
| Drilling alfalfa, conventional | $18.57 per acrerange $10.00 to $28.00 | $10.00 to $28.00 | 15 |
| Drilling soybeans, conventional | $19.15 per acrerange $13.00 to $26.00 | $13.00 to $26.00 | 17 |
| Drilling small grains, conventional | $20.41 per acrerange $10.00 to $32.00 | $10.00 to $32.00 | 16 |
| Drilling alfalfa, no-till | $22.71 per acrerange $14.00 to $30.00 | $14.00 to $30.00 | 14 |
| Drilling soybeans, no-till | $22.40 per acrerange $15.00 to $30.00 | $15.00 to $30.00 | 21 |
| Drilling small grains, no-till | $22.75 per acrerange $15.00 to $32.00 | $15.00 to $32.00 | 24 |
| Planting | |||
| Planting corn (with fertilizer), conventional | $24.99 per acrerange $18.00 to $35.00 | $18.00 to $35.00 | 31 |
| Planting corn (without fertilizer), conventional | $23.36 per acrerange $14.00 to $35.00 | $14.00 to $35.00 | 14 |
| Planting alfalfa, clover, etc., conventional | $21.73 per acrerange $15.00 to $28.00 | $15.00 to $28.00 | 11 |
| Planting corn (with fertilizer), no-till | $25.02 per acrerange $17.00 to $33.00 | $17.00 to $33.00 | 26 |
| Planting corn (without fertilizer), no-till | $22.54 per acrerange $14.00 to $28.00 | $14.00 to $28.00 | 12 |
| Fertilizer and chemical application | |||
| Bulk dry fertilizer, broadcast | $8.90 per acrerange $5.75 to $17.00 | $5.75 to $17.00 | 43 |
| Liquid fertilizer, broadcast | $9.00 per acrerange $4.50 to $10.50 | $4.50 to $10.50 | 11 |
| Liquid side-dressing with drop nozzles | $13.35 per acrerange $8.00 to $17.50 | $8.00 to $17.50 | 20 |
| Lime application | $17.14 per acrerange $12.00 to $31.00 | $12.00 to $31.00 | 7 |
| Lime application | $20.41 per tonrange $5.00 to $65.00 | $5.00 to $65.00 | 11 |
| Fungicide, ground application | $11.90 per acrerange $8.00 to $20.00 | $8.00 to $20.00 | 41 |
| Herbicide, boom sprayer | $11.48 per acrerange $6.75 to $40.00 | $6.75 to $40.00 | 42 |
| Herbicide, broadcast or banded (only) | $9.66 per acrerange $6.75 to $11.50 | $6.75 to $11.50 | 8 |
| Harvesting and combining (flat rate) | |||
| Combining corn | $38.39 per acrerange $26.00 to $76.00 | $26.00 to $76.00 | 46 |
| Combining soybeans | $37.13 per acrerange $26.00 to $55.00 | $26.00 to $55.00 | 46 |
| Combining small grains from swath | $39.17 per acrerange $32.00 to $46.00 | $32.00 to $46.00 | 6 |
| Combining small grains, straight | $36.80 per acrerange $26.00 to $46.00 | $26.00 to $46.00 | 30 |
| Harvest corn (combine, grain cart, haul local to farm) | $47.36 per acrerange $35.00 to $65.00 | $35.00 to $65.00 | 14 |
| Harvest soybeans (combine, grain cart, haul local to farm) | $47.07 per acrerange $35.00 to $65.00 | $35.00 to $65.00 | 14 |
| Harvest wheat (combine, grain cart, haul local to farm) | $46.50 per acrerange $38.00 to $65.00 | $38.00 to $65.00 | 8 |
| Corn stalks, large bales | $13.90 per balerange $10.50 to $17.00 | $10.50 to $17.00 | 5 |
| Forage harvesting | |||
| Mowing hay | $16.20 per acrerange $13.00 to $22.00 | $13.00 to $22.00 | 10 |
| Mowing and conditioning hay | $15.42 per acrerange $10.00 to $20.00 | $10.00 to $20.00 | 19 |
| Raking hay | $9.46 per acrerange $4.00 to $16.00 | $4.00 to $16.00 | 12 |
| Tedding hay | $10.57 per acrerange $5.50 to $18.00 | $5.50 to $18.00 | 10 |
| Windrowing hay | $12.58 per acrerange $10.00 to $17.50 | $10.00 to $17.50 | 6 |
| Chopping only | $789.79 per hourrange $300.00 to $1,100 | $300.00 to $1,100 | 7 |
| Self-propelled chopper | $887.40 per hourrange $707.00 to $1,000 | $707.00 to $1,000 | 5 |
| Trucking, 1 man 1 truck | $132.74 per hourrange $113.70 to $150.00 | $113.70 to $150.00 | 5 |
| Crop hauling and trucking | |||
| Hauling corn (average maximum one-way trip 22 miles) | $0.17 per bushelrange $0.08 to $0.29 | $0.08 to $0.29 | 32 |
| Hauling soybeans (average maximum one-way trip 21.69 miles) | $0.18 per bushelrange $0.10 to $0.29 | $0.10 to $0.29 | 27 |
| Hauling wheat (average maximum one-way trip 20.83 miles) | $0.18 per bushelrange $0.10 to $0.25 | $0.10 to $0.25 | 15 |
| Extra charge per 10 miles over base mileage, corn | $0.05 per bushelrange $0.02 to $0.10 | $0.02 to $0.10 | 6 |
| Miscellaneous | |||
| Corn drying | $0.10 per bushelrange $0.02 to $0.20 | $0.02 to $0.20 | 6 |
| Corn drying | $0.06 per bushel per pointrange $0.04 to $0.07 | $0.04 to $0.07 | 8 |
| Liquid manure applied by drag line | $14.90 per 1,000 gallonsrange $10.00 to $30.00 | $10.00 to $30.00 | 10 |
| Skid steer loader rental | $50.83 per hourrange $35.00 to $85.00 | $35.00 to $85.00 | 6 |
Online survey launched March 2025; 161 respondents who performed, hired or knew 2024 custom rates in Wisconsin. The custom rates reported in this survey include fuel cost unless otherwise stated. Average is the simple average of all reported rates; Range is the minimum and maximum reported values. The range is the lowest and highest answer. Rows whose unit or grouping the report leaves unclear (the baling lines in the forage table, the seeding sub-rows and the first corn harvest line) are left out.
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, the survey. AGSIST did not set these rates and does not adjust them. Bordering states with a survey here: Iowa (2026).
Questions
What does custom combining cost in Wisconsin?
In the Custom Rates for 2024 Wisconsin Farm Operations (2024 Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey), combining corn averaged $38.39 per acre ($26.00 to $76.00, 46 answers) and combining soybeans averaged $37.13 per acre ($26.00 to $55.00, 46 answers). Rates are survey averages; your local custom operator may charge more or less.
What is the custom planting rate in Wisconsin?
Planting corn (without fertilizer), conventional: $23.36 per acre in the 2024 survey ($14.00 to $35.00, 14 answers). The survey's other planting lines are in the table above.
What does custom spraying cost in Wisconsin?
Herbicide, boom sprayer: $11.48 per acre in the 2024 survey ($6.75 to $40.00, 42 answers). Chemical is not included.
Who set these rates?
Nobody set them. They are averages of what farmers and custom operators told University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension they charged or paid. AGSIST copied them from the survey and links it. Your local custom operator may charge more or less.
What is included in a custom rate?
The custom rates reported in this survey include fuel cost unless otherwise stated. Average is the simple average of all reported rates; Range is the minimum and maximum reported values.
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