Custom farming rates are prices charged when one farm business hires another business to do field work with its own machines and operator. The customer pays for a defined operation, such as combining, planting, or spraying, usually by the acre. The rate normally covers the machine, fuel, repairs, ownership costs, and operator labour.
A rate that looks high for one operation can be fair for another, and a low rate can still lose money if the job takes far longer than expected. The difference comes down to what is included and how fast the work can be done.
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What custom farming rates cover
Custom farming means hiring a machine and operator for a specific job, rather than owning the machine. The operator brings the tractor or self propelled machine, the implement, the fuel, and the skill to run it. The customer usually supplies the land, the crop, and access to the field.
The arrangement suits farms that need a machine for a short window. A clear written agreement matters, because both sides must agree on the operation, the area, the timing, and the price basis. Combining alone is a different job from complete harvesting, which in Iowa means combine, grain cart, and haul to farm storage.
| Operation | What it usually includes | Usual price basis |
|---|---|---|
| Tillage | Chisel plowing, disking, field cultivating | Per acre |
| Planting | Planting with a planter, with or without attachments, no till planting | Per acre |
| Spraying | Ground spraying with a self propelled sprayer, drone spraying | Per acre |
| Combining | Combining corn or soybeans, with a standard head or a chopper or draper head | Per acre |
| Complete harvesting | Combining plus grain cart and haul to farm storage | Per acre |
| Custom farming all operations | Tillage, planting, spraying, and harvest for one crop on one field | Per acre |
How to read a custom rate survey
A custom rate survey is a guide, not a price list. Each state survey here was built from replies by farmers and custom operators who reported the rates they charged or paid. The survey team then summarised those replies as an average, a median or most common value, a range, and a count of replies.
The average is the mean of the reported rates. It can be pulled up by a small number of very high rates. The median is the middle value when all rates are placed in order, so it is less affected by extremes. The most common value is the single rate reported most often.
The range shows the lowest and highest rates reported. In Iowa in 2026, corn combining ranged from $25.00 to $80.00 per acre, while the average was $46.05 and the median was $45.00. That wide range reflects field size, crop condition, machine size, travel distance, timeliness, and local competition.
The count, shown as n, tells you how many rates sit behind a figure. A figure based on 119 replies is more stable than one based on a handful. The Iowa 2026 survey was sent to 1,122 people in early February 2026, and it is based on 205 responses and 4,698 custom rates. It assumes diesel at $2.89 per gallon as of February 2026, and rates include fuel, repairs, depreciation, interest, operator labor and all other machinery costs unless otherwise noted.
How custom farming rates are built
A sound rate must cover five kinds of cost, plus a margin for risk and profit. If one is left out, the operator can lose money over a season.
- Fuel and lubricants, which move with diesel prices.
- Repairs and maintenance, which rise with machine age and hours.
- Ownership costs: depreciation, interest, insurance, and housing.
- Operator labour, including wage and benefits.
- Travel, setup, and overheads, sometimes charged separately.
Ask which items a rate includes. A rate that includes fuel and labour is not comparable with one that excludes them. Test a rate against your own costs with the Cost Per Acre Calculator, which turns an hourly cost into a cost per acre once you know acres per hour.
Custom farming rates 2026 across states
The 2026 surveys point in the same direction across states. Combining is the largest single operation charge, planting sits in the middle, tillage is lower per acre, and spraying is the lowest of the main operations shown here.
Sources: Iowa landing page and Iowa PDF from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, File A3 10, FM 1698, Revised March 2026; Nebraska PDF from University of Nebraska Lincoln, EC823, 24 April 2026, based on 108 responses, reflecting late winter 2025 and early 2026; Kansas PDF from Kansas Department of Agriculture with Kansas State University, covering 2025 to 2026.
Custom combining prices differ by head type as well as by state. In Iowa, corn combining with a chopper head averaged $50.60 per acre, and soybean combining with a draper head averaged $48.20 per acre. Complete harvesting in Iowa averaged $82.00 for corn and $77.40 for soybeans, for combine, grain cart, and haul to farm storage.
Custom harvest rates in Kansas are shown below as flat rates. Ohio figures below are secondary only, from FarmProgress on 2 Sept 2026, reporting the Ohio State University Extension winter 2026 survey, about 343 respondents, not verified in the Ohio State University PDF itself.
| State and crop | Average per acre | Median or most common | Range per acre | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa corn combining | $46.05 | Median $45.00 | $25.00 to $80.00 | 119 |
| Iowa soybean combining | $43.05 | Median $42.00 | $24.00 to $70.00 | 94 |
| Nebraska dryland corn combining | $49.29 | Most common $45 | $30 to $82 | 42 |
| Nebraska soybean combining | $50.87 | Most common $40 | $28 to $85 | 38 |
| Kansas corn harvest | $41.87 | Not reported | $18 to $58 | 82 |
| Kansas soybean harvest | $38.67 | Not reported | $18 to $55 | 79 |
| Kansas wheat harvest | $34.37 | Not reported | $22 to $51 | 52 |
| Ohio corn combining only, reported by FarmProgress | $37.35 | Not reported | Not reported | About 343 survey respondents in total |
| Ohio soybean combining only, reported by FarmProgress | $35.54 | Not reported | Not reported | About 343 survey respondents in total |
Planting and spraying figures follow. In Iowa, planting averaged $26.50 without attachments and $29.10 with a no till planter. Spraying averaged $9.35 for ground spraying with a self propelled sprayer and $12.50 by drone. In Nebraska, spraying for weed control averaged $9.85, and field cultivating averaged $19.28. Ohio figures reported by FarmProgress for all machinery operations were $165.39 for corn and $155.53 for soybeans.
| Job | Average per acre | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corn combining with chopper head, Iowa | $50.60 | Head choice raises the rate |
| Soybean combining with draper head, Iowa | $48.20 | Head choice raises the rate |
| Complete harvesting corn, Iowa | $82.00 | Combine, grain cart, haul to farm storage |
| Complete harvesting soybean, Iowa | $77.40 | Combine, grain cart, haul to farm storage |
| Planting without attachments, Iowa | $26.50 | Planter only |
| Planting no till planter, Iowa | $29.10 | No till planter |
| Chisel plowing, Iowa | $20.75 | Tillage |
| Disking tandem, Iowa | $19.80 | Tillage |
| Field cultivating, Iowa | $19.20 | Tillage |
| Field cultivating, Nebraska | $19.28 | Tillage |
| Spraying ground self propelled, Iowa | $9.35 | Ground spraying |
| Spraying weed control self propelled, Nebraska | $9.85 | Ground spraying |
| Spraying drone, Iowa | $12.50 | Drone spraying |
| Custom farming all operations corn, Iowa | $177.85 | Median $165.00, range $74.50 to $375.00, n 64 |
| Custom farming all operations soybean, Iowa | $161.70 | Median $155.00, range $65.00 to $353.00, n 63 |
| Corn all machinery operations, Ohio reported by FarmProgress | $165.39 | Secondary, reported by FarmProgress |
| Soybeans all machinery operations, Ohio reported by FarmProgress | $155.53 | Secondary, reported by FarmProgress |
Worked example: acres per hour and the combining rate
A per acre rate only makes sense when you know how many acres the machine covers in an hour. Acres per hour equals width in feet times speed in miles per hour times efficiency, divided by 8.25. Efficiency is the share of time spent covering new ground, after turning, unloading, overlap, and stops.
A 30 foot combine header at 4.5 miles per hour and 75 percent efficiency covers 12.27 acres per hour. The maths is 30 times 4.5 times 0.75, divided by 8.25. Run the same numbers in the Harvesting Acres Per Hour Calculator, and read more in the Combine Harvester Productivity guide.
At the Iowa corn combining rate of $46.05 per acre, 12.27 acres per hour gives about $565.03 per hour. A 160 acre field needs about 13.04 hours, and costs $7,368.00. For soybeans at $43.05, the same productivity gives about $528.22 per hour, and a 160 acre field costs $6,888.00.
That hourly figure is gross revenue, not profit. At 65 percent efficiency, the same header covers only 10.64 acres per hour, so hourly revenue falls even though the per acre rate stays the same.
How to compare a quoted rate with survey figures
Use the survey as a starting point, then adjust for your own job. A quote near the average may still be high or low for your field.
- Match the operation exactly, including head type and cart and haul.
- Match the state and the year.
- Look at the median and the range, not just the average.
- Check whether fuel, labour, and travel are included.
- Convert the quote to time and total cost using acres per hour.
- Ask about minimum charges and weather terms before work starts.
The contractor pricing guide walks through the same conversion from hourly cost to per acre price. Use it alongside the survey figures, because your own costs and productivity should drive the final price.
Per acre, per hour, and per bushel pricing
Per acre pricing is simple, because the total is area times rate, and it rewards efficient work. Its risk is that slow conditions cut hourly revenue, as the worked example shows. Per hour pricing protects the operator when conditions are uncertain, but it makes budgeting harder for the customer.
Per bushel pricing links the charge to yield, but needs a clear method for measuring yield. No basis is right for every job. Write down the operation, the area, the machine, and the inclusions. The home page of the Acres Per Hour Calculator gives the core formula and worked examples, which helps both sides agree on realistic productivity before a price is set.
Common mistakes and limitations
The first mistake is treating the average as a fixed price. The Iowa corn combining range of $25.00 to $80.00 per acre shows how wide real prices can be. A low rate may reflect a large field, while a high rate may reflect a small field or a specialist head.
The second mistake is comparing unlike jobs, or ignoring time. Combining with a chopper head, complete harvesting, and combining alone are three different Iowa corn prices, at $50.60, $82.00, and $46.05 per acre. A rate that looks fair at 12.27 acres per hour can lose money at 8 acres per hour.
The third mistake is using an old survey, or one state survey as a national price. Use the survey closest to your area, check what is included, and keep a written record of the agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What are custom farming rates?
A: Prices for hiring a farm business to do a defined field operation with its own machines and operator, usually charged per acre, covering machine, fuel, repairs, ownership costs, and operator labour.
Q: What is a typical custom combining rate in 2026?
A: In Iowa, corn combining averaged $46.05 per acre and soybean combining averaged $43.05. In Nebraska, dryland corn averaged $49.29 and soybeans $50.87. In Kansas, corn harvest averaged $41.87 and soybean harvest $38.67.
Q: What does custom farming for all operations cost per acre?
A: In Iowa in 2026, it averaged $177.85 for corn and $161.70 for soybeans. The medians were $165.00 for corn and $155.00 for soybeans. Ohio figures reported by FarmProgress were $165.39 for corn and $155.53 for soybeans.
Q: How do acres per hour affect a custom rate?
A: Acres per hour turns a per acre rate into hourly revenue and total time. A 30 foot combine at 4.5 miles per hour and 75 percent efficiency covers 12.27 acres per hour.
Q: Are custom rate surveys a fixed price?
A: No. Surveys are guides, and ranges are wide. In Iowa, corn combining ranged from $25.00 to $80.00 per acre in 2026. Use the average, median, range, and reply count together, and agree the price basis in writing.
Q: Should I use a 2025 custom farming rate in 2026?
A: No. Use the latest survey year and check its fuel assumption. In Iowa in 2026, corn combining averaged $46.05 per acre and soybean combining averaged $43.05.
