Stump grinding pricing: what to charge
Stump grinding is the cleanest job in the trade to price, because there is a standard unit almost every crew uses: the inch of diameter. Measure across the stump at ground level, multiply by a per-inch rate, apply a minimum, and adjust for the handful of things that make a grind slower. This guide covers the method, the rate, and the details, root flare, grind depth, backfill and access, that separate a profitable stump line from one that eats an afternoon.
Published June 19, 2026 / 8 min read
The per-inch-of-diameter method
Measure the stump's diameter in inches at ground level, across the widest point, and multiply by a per-inch rate. This is the standard across the trade because it scales with the work: a wider stump has more wood to grind and a bigger root flare to chase.
Stump price = Diameter in inches × Per-inch rate, or the minimum charge, whichever is higher, + adders for depth, roots and access
A common per-inch rate runs $3 to $5, with $2 to $3 in low-cost rural markets and $5 to $7 in high-cost metros or for hardwood. Set yours to cover the machine, the fuel, the teeth, the travel and your margin.
| Stump diameter | At $3/inch | At $4/inch | At $5/inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 in | $36 (below minimum) | $48 (below minimum) | $60 |
| 20 in | $60 | $80 | $100 |
| 30 in | $90 | $120 | $150 |
| 40 in | $120 | $160 | $200 |
Always set a minimum charge
Towing a grinder to a property, unloading it, and towing it home has a fixed cost no matter how small the stump. A single 10 in stump at $4 an inch is $40, which does not cover the round trip. Set a minimum, commonly $100 to $150 for a single-stump visit, and charge it regardless of diameter. If the customer has one small stump, the minimum is the price; if they have several, the per-inch total usually clears it.
Measure the flare, not just the trunk
The number that matters is the diameter at ground level, including the root flare, not the diameter of the trunk higher up. A tree that measures 18 in on the stem can flare to 30 in where it meets the soil, and you have to grind the whole flare. Measure at the ground, across the widest span, and quote from that. Under-measuring here is the most common way stump work loses money.
Grind depth: agree it before you quote
How deep you grind changes the time and the price. Standard practice is 4 to 6 in below grade, enough to plant grass over. Deeper is needed if the customer intends to replant a tree in the same spot, lay a patio, or pour a footing.
- Standard (grass over): 4 to 6 in below grade, base price.
- Replanting or hardscape: 8 to 12 in or more, add 25 to 50 percent for the extra passes.
State the depth on the quote so there is no dispute afterward. "Grind to roughly 6 in below grade" is a line the customer can hold you to and you can price to.
Surface roots and multiple leaders
Some trees, maples, poplars, willows, send out long surface roots that the customer wants gone along with the stump. Chasing surface roots is grinding by another name and should be priced by the linear foot or as a flat adder, not thrown in. So should a multi-stemmed or clumped stump, which is effectively several stumps in one footprint.
- Surface root grinding: $2 to $4 per linear foot, or a flat $50 to $150 adder.
- Multi-stem or clumped stump: measure the total footprint, or price as multiple stumps.
Grindings and backfill: decide who owns the hole
Grinding a stump produces a mound of wood chips and soil, and a depression once it settles. Cleanup is a real cost and a common source of end-of-job friction. Spell out on the quote which of these you are doing:
- Leave the grindings mounded: the cheapest option, and the default. The customer spreads or removes them.
- Rake and spread grindings, leave level: a modest adder for the labor.
- Haul grindings off site and backfill with topsoil: a larger adder; grindings are bulky and topsoil is a material cost.
Access and hidden hazards
A grinder has to reach the stump. A narrow gate, a steep slope, a stump in a back corner behind a fence, or a soft, wet lawn all slow the job or force a smaller walk-behind machine. Two hazards deserve their own note on the quote:
- Rocks and debris. A stump grown up around rocks, wire or old concrete will chew teeth. Note that unseen obstructions may add cost, and mean it.
- Buried utilities. Call the national 811 locate service before grinding near a property line or drive. Hitting a gas or fibre line is a serious, expensive event; the locate is free and belongs in your process, not your price.
Pricing a stump you did not fell
Grinding a stump left by another crew, or one that has sat for a year, is often harder, not easier. A seasoned stump can be rock-hard, and you have no idea what the previous crew left in the flare. Price these at your normal per-inch rate but lean toward the higher end, and note that aged or unknown stumps may carry a surcharge if you hit obstructions.
A worked example
A single oak stump, 26 in across the flare at ground level, in an open back yard reachable by the grinder. The customer wants it ground to grass depth and the grindings raked level, and there is one surface root running about 8 ft toward a bed.
- Diameter: 26 in at $4 per inch = $104
- Compare to minimum ($125): the per-inch total is higher, so use $104... but this crew's minimum is $125, so the floor applies: $125
- Surface root, 8 ft at $3 per foot: +$24
- Rake and spread grindings level: +$40
- Quote: about $189
Notice the minimum did the work here: at 26 in the raw per-inch number was just under the floor, so the floor set the base. On a wider stump the per-inch number would take over.
What crews get wrong
- Measuring the trunk, not the flare. Grind the flare, quote the flare.
- Skipping the minimum. A single small stump at the per-inch rate loses money on the tow alone.
- Not agreeing depth. "Grind the stump" is not a spec. Name the depth on the quote.
- Giving away the grindings cleanup. Hauling chips and backfilling is real labor and material. Price it or leave it mounded and say so.
- Grinding before an 811 locate. Free, fast, and it keeps you off the wrong end of a struck gas line.
Put it on the same quote as the removal
Stump grinding is nearly always sold alongside a removal, and it belongs as its own line so the customer sees exactly what the stump costs. The TreeWork Pro calculator on the home page prices stump grinding per inch of diameter at your own rate, adds it to the removal, and produces one branded PDF that covers the whole job.