If you have a stump sitting in the middle of your lawn, or a row of them left over from a cleanup job, the first question is almost always how much stump grinding costs. The honest answer is that it depends on the diameter, access and amount of strains you are dealing with. Below you’ll find what the rigs actually charge, what a rental runs per day, how long each stump takes, and where buying a grinder attachment for the machine you already own stops being an expense and starts being the cheapest option.
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Professional stump grinding typically costs $100 to $400 per stump, or $2 to $5 per inch of stump diameter, with a common minimum charge of about $100. Renting a stump grinder costs between $100 and $190 per day, so DIY is worth it when you have several stumps to remove.
What professional stump grinding cost
Most owners pay between $100 and $400 to own a single stump. Crews quote this number in two ways: a flat price per log or a rate per inch of log diameter. Which one you get usually depends on how many stamps are on the ticket.
Price per strain
- Small stumps, less than 12 inches. About $100-$150. Many companies won’t roll a truck for less than $100, so a small log often costs the same as a medium log.
- Medium trunks, 12 to 24 inches. About $150 to $250. This is the most common residential range.
- Large trunks, 24 to 36 inches. Around $250-$400 depending on root and access.
- Large or multiple logs, 36 inches and larger. $400 or more, and usually only quoted after someone looks at the site.
Price per inch
The per-inch rate is $2 to $5 per inch, measured at ground level through the widest point of the stump, not the diameter of the trunk you remember from when the tree was standing. A 20 inch log at $3 per inch equals $60, which is exactly why the minimum charge exists. Per-inch quotes make more sense once a crew is already on site and moving from stump to stump.
Price by volume
The ride, set-up and takedown are the same whether a crew grinds one stump or eight. Second and subsequent strains on the same visit typically drop 30 to 50 percent below the first, which is the biggest leverage you have in a multi-strain property.
What makes one strain cost more than another?
- Root diameter and width. A wide, buttressed flare on an oak or cottonwood can double the grinding area without changing the log measurement.
- Wood hardness. Oak, walnut and elm cut slower and eat more teeth than pine or poplar.
- access A stump behind a 36-inch gate or between a fence and a foundation requires a smaller machine and more manual work.
- Grinding depth The standard is 4 to 6 inches below grade. Replanting or pouring a slab requires 10 to 12 inches or more, and the price goes up.
- Soil, rock and hidden metal. Rocky terrain and old fence teeth of wreck carbide, which is why some quotes carry a rock clause.
- Cleaning and filling of shavings. Listing listings on the site is free. Pulling them out and filling them with topsoil typically adds $50 to $150 per stump.
- to travel Rural addresses carry a travel charge that has nothing to do with the strain.
What exactly is stump grinding?
Stump grinding uses a rotating steel wheel equipped with carbide teeth to chew the stump and upper root mass into chips. The wheel sweeps from side to side, taking a few inches per pass, until the remaining wood is below grade. You are left with a shallow depression of shavings and soil, ready to be raked, filled and seeded.
Stump removal is different: it means digging out the entire root ball with a stump bucket or backhoe. It leaves a crater and costs considerably more, but it’s the right call when the ground needs to be really clear for feet or a driveway. For a lawn, fence or landscape bed, grinding is faster and cheaper.
How much does it cost to rent a stump grinder?
Rent changes the math in your favor as soon as you have more than a strain or two. Typical daily rates look like this:
- Walk behind the pinwheel. $100 to $190 per day, or $70 to $110 for half a day. Good for one or two small stumps with good access.
- Trailer behind the windlass. $150 to $250 per day, plus a tow vehicle and a hitch rated for it.
- Skid steer attachment or skid steer grinder. $250-$400 per day if you already own the carrier, or $400-$600 per day if you rent the machine along with it.
Budget for extras that never appear in the advertised rate: delivery and pickup $50 to $100 each way, a 10 to 15 percent damage waiver, fuel and a deposit. Confirm hydraulic requirements before booking, because most reel attachments want high flow, and a standard flow machine turns a 30-minute stump into a two-hour one. Our guide to what a thumbnail is and how it’s classified includes where to find these numbers.
How long does it take to grind a stump
Grinding time scales with diameter, wood hardness and how much machine you have behind the wheel. Approximate planning numbers, once the machine is positioned:
- Less than 12 inches. 15 to 30 minutes with a walk behind, 5 to 10 minutes with a hydraulic attachment.
- 12 to 24 inches. 30 to 60 minutes with a walk behind, 10 to 20 minutes with an attachment.
- 24 to 36 inches. An hour or two with a walk back, 20 to 40 minutes with an accessory.
- Setting, repositioning and raking. Add 15 to 30 minutes per spot regardless of stump size.
The gap is reduced to weight and hydraulic flow. A loader pushes the wheel through the cut with the entire machine behind it instead of an operator leaning on the handlebars.
Rent, lease or own: where the balance comes in
- A stump, easy access, no equipment at hand. rent it You’ll pay between $100 and $250 and spend nothing on transportation, fuel, or Saturday.
- Two to five strains. Rental A one-day rental at $150 covers work that would otherwise be quoted between $400 and $900, and you can do the entire property in one pass.
- Six or more strains, or strains that keep appearing. Buy the attachment. If you already use a skid steer, skid steer or tractor, the cost of the carrier is already sunk in.
The math of property is simpler than people expect. A miniature stump grinder attachment generally costs $4,000 to $9,000, depending on wheel size and flow rate. At an average outsourcing price of $200 per stump, that’s roughly 25 to 45 stumps to break even—often a single season for a landscaper or tree crew that has been subcontracting the work. If you’re weighing the machine itself and not just the attachment, check out our breakdown of the cost of a skid steer.
Fit a grinder with the machine you already have
- First hydraulic flow. Match the gallons per minute to the attached file. High-flow attachments on standard flow machines cut slowly and get hot.
- Box drain Most reel motors need one. If your charger doesn’t have one, get a quote for the kit and see our note on what a case drain is.
- Wheel size and depth. Larger wheels reach more depth in fewer passes.
- Dental availability. Teeth are consumable. Choose a grinder whose teeth ship in two days, not six weeks.
- Carrier size. Compact machines have dedicated options, including mini skid steer stump grinders.
For information on operation and model selection, see our miniature stump grinder guide and our roundup of the best miniature stump grinders.
See stump grinder accessories
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to grind a 24 inch stump?
Expect about $150-$250 for a 24-inch stump as a stand-alone job, or $50-$120 if it’s one of several stumps during the same visit. Hardwood, a heavy root flare, or a tight access pushes it to the top of that range.
Is it cheaper to grind a stump or dig it?
Grinding is almost always cheaper. Excavating a stump requires an excavator or loader with a stump bucket, takes longer, leaves a large hole to fill, and usually costs two or three times the price of milling. Excavation is only worthwhile when the ground needs to be structurally clear.
How much does it cost to rent a stump grinder?
A ride behind the stump grinder rents for $100-$190 per day, or $70-$110 for half a day. Trailing units cost $150-$250 per day, and a hydraulic attachment for a machine you already own costs $250-$400 per day. Delivery, fuel and a damage waiver are usually extra.
How deep is the stump grind?
Standard grinding removes wood 4 to 6 inches below grade, which is sufficient for lawn, mulch, or gravel. If you plan to replant a tree or pour concrete in the same spot, ask for 10 to 12 inches or more in depth and expect to pay more.
Does stump grinding kill the remaining roots?
Grinding removes the stump and upper root mass, and without foliage the tree cannot photosynthesize, so the remaining roots die and decay over several years. Some species, such as poplars and locusts, can send up suckers from surviving roots and may need follow-up treatment.
