How much does stump grinding cost?
So you got your tree removed a few years ago, and now you’re wanting that stump out of your yard that you keep tripping on. Or worse, you have to continually mow around it. Your first question is most likely how much is this going to cost? Just like most other tree services, the short answer is: it depends. Let’s talk about what exactly goes into the price of stump grinding and how Up North Outdoor Services determines how much it’s going to cost you.
How big is your tree stump?
As a rule of thumb, our stump grinding pricing is $6/inch. So, you think ok great I can measure my stump and get an idea on how much it will cost to get my stump ground out! You’re partially correct. There are a few other factors that can go into the pricing. Let’s talk about those other factors that affect stump grinding costs.
Where is your tree stump located?
The easiest location for a stump grinding job is in the middle of your yard with nothing surrounding it. If there are no barriers in the way such as other stumps, rocks, landscaping, etc. then this makes our job a whole lot easier.
Now, if your stump is located in your landscaping and it’s surrounded by landscape rock, then this can make removal a little more difficult. To grind a stump like this, we would need to remove the rock from the direct area surrounding the stump plus anything else standing in the way. This involves time and labor which could ultimately affect the price of your stump grinding job.
Another situation that can cause the price of your stump grinding job to increase is the location of underground wires and pipes. Most of the time in city limits there are going to be wires and water pipes running all over the place under your property. This isn’t a big deal, but we do have to be cautious of this while grinding the stump. Before we begin, we will call in a locate and a city official will come out and mark all the underground wires that you most likely didn’t even know were there. This isn’t necessarily a hassle, but it can also factor into your stump grinding pricing.
Do you want the shavings removed?
Your tree stump is made of wood, so when we grind the stump you will have a pile with a mixture of wood shavings and dirt left where your tree stump once stood. Some customers choose to have all the shavings removed from the site so that there is nothing left in the stump’s spot except a small amount of shavings to level the area. If you do choose to have the shavings removed this involves extra labor, gas, and time. Because of the extra expenses on our end, this will add a little bit more onto your stump grinding price. How much extra? It depends on the size of the stump and exactly how much work it will take to remove the shavings. Don’t want the shavings removed? That’s not a problem either. Once the stump is ground out we will leave the shavings neatly raked into a pile for you.
Shavings left onsite from a large stump grinding job.
What if I’m adding stump grinding onto my full removal job?
A lot of homeowners that are getting a full tree removal will choose to get their stumps ground at the same time of the removal. This is completely optional, but all of the same factors that go into a regular stump grinding job will still affect the final price of your stump grinding.
So what’s it going to cost me?
Remember when we said the short answer to pricing is it depends? Well this is where that answer comes into play. You won’t know exactly how much it will cost until we come out to give you an estimate and determine if there are any other factors that affect the process of grinding the stump. To get a final price, we’ll have to come out and physically look at your stump. If your stump is a small one, keep in mind that we do have a $100 minimum to cover our operating costs.
If you’d like an IDEA on how much your stump will approximately cost here’s what you can do:
Go out and look at your stump. Measure the diameter and multiply it by 6. This is just the APPROXIMATE STARTING price. Then consider the following that could potentially increase the cost:
-location
-objects surrounding the stump
-do you want the shavings removed?
All of which will add to the final price on your stump grinding job.
Stump marked for locate and the end results after it has been ground out.