Short answer
Charge for stump grinding by the visit: door-to-door hours at your loaded wage plus overhead, plus teeth and fuel, divided by (1 − margin). Price per inch is that total ÷ diameter. Example: one 18-inch stump taking 90 minutes prices at $139.64, or $7.76 an inch.
- Assumed: $30 wage, 20% burden and $25 of overhead make a $61 break-even hour, $87.14 at 30% margin.
- Price per inch is not constant: $12.93 on an 8-inch stump, $7.33 on a 24-inch stump, same rates.
- The minimum charge is the computed price of the shortest visit: $103.45 on these assumptions.
- Five stumps on one trip price at $81.55 each against $139.64 for one, because the drive is shared.
- The same prices as two parts: a $72.62 visit charge plus an amount for each stump.
On this page
- How do I quote a stump grinding job? The formula
- Stump grinding cost calculator (opens on one 18-inch stump)
- Stump grinding price per inch: 8, 12, 18, 24 and 36 inches
- What should the minimum charge for stump grinding be?
- How much to charge for several stumps on one trip
- How to measure a stump, and what roots, access and depth add
- Grinder cost per hour: owned, rented, and the teeth
- Call 811 and protective gear: what the quote must allow for
- Excel formulas for a stump price sheet, and the markup mistake
- Calculator, free sheet or custom build: where to keep the price sheet
- Step-by-step
- FAQ
How do I quote a stump grinding job? The formula
Price the hours the visit takes, add what the machine uses up, then divide by one minus your margin. Diameter does not enter the formula; it changes the minutes.
- Hours on the job = (drive and load + setup + stumps × (positioning + grinding + cleanup)) ÷ 60.
- Materials = grinding hours × teeth and fuel per grinding hour.
- Break-even = hours × (loaded wage + overhead per hour) + materials.
- Price = break-even ÷ (1 − margin).
- Price per inch = price ÷ diameter in inches. It is an output.
I build pricing maths; I do not run a grinder. Every minute and dollar below is an assumption for one operator working alone. Replace each with your own.
| Line | Minutes (assumed) |
|---|---|
| Drive there and back, load and unload: once per visit | 40 |
| Walk the site, check utility marks, set chip shields: once per visit | 10 |
| Position the machine: per stump | 5 |
| Grind an 8-inch stump | 5 |
| Grind a 12-inch stump | 10 |
| Grind an 18-inch stump | 25 |
| Grind a 24-inch stump | 45 |
| Grind a 36-inch stump | 100 |
| Rake the chips back into the hole: per stump | 10 |
Rates (assumed): a $30 hourly wage you pay yourself plus 20% burden (taxes and insurance on that wage; take your own figure from your accountant) is $36. Overhead is $38,000 a year ÷ (190 billable days × 8 hours = 1,520 hours) = $25 an hour. Break-even is $61 an hour; divided by 0.70 for a 30% margin, each hour sells at $87.14. That is your stump grinding price per hour, door to door.
Teeth and fuel (assumed): $9 of tooth and pocket wear plus $6 of fuel is $15 for each hour the wheel turns. It goes in the materials box.
Stump grinding cost calculator (opens on one 18-inch stump)
Enter hours, wage, burden, materials, overhead and margin to get break-even and the price to quote. It opens on the example, so it shows $139.64.
Hours are 90 minutes ÷ 60 = 1.5. Materials are 25 grinding minutes ÷ 60 × $15 = $6.25.
Worked example: One 18-inch stump, one operator: 40 min drive and load + 10 setup + 5 positioning + 25 grinding + 10 cleanup = 90 minutes (1.5 hours); materials = 25 grinding minutes of teeth and fuel at $15 an hour (all inputs are assumptions)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $30.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 20% |
| Materials (input) | $6.25 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $38,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 190 |
| Target margin % (input) | 30% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 15 |
| Hours on the job (input) | 1.5 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $36.00 |
| Crew-hours | 1.5 |
| Labour cost | $54.00 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $25.00 |
| Overhead share | $37.50 |
| Break-even cost | $97.75 |
| Price to quote | $139.64 |
| Profit on the job | $41.89 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $127.08 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 23.08% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $12.57 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $9,802.93 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
Check it: 1.5 hours × $36.00 = $54.00 of labour, plus $37.50 of overhead and $6.25 of teeth and fuel, is $97.75. Divided by 0.70 that is $139.64. Over 18 inches it is $7.76 an inch. The tree service calculator runs the same maths on its own page.
Stump grinding price per inch: 8, 12, 18, 24 and 36 inches
On these assumptions the price per inch runs from $12.93 on an 8-inch stump down to $7.33 at 24 inches, then back up to $7.65 at 36. Each row is one computed visit for one stump.
| Diameter | Minutes door to door | Teeth and fuel | Break-even | Price | Price per inch | Visit share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 in | 70 | $1.25 | $72.42 | $103.45 | $12.93 | 70% |
| 12 in | 75 | $2.50 | $78.75 | $112.50 | $9.38 | 65% |
| 18 in | 90 | $6.25 | $97.75 | $139.64 | $7.76 | 52% |
| 24 in | 110 | $11.25 | $123.08 | $175.83 | $7.33 | 41% |
| 36 in | 165 | $25 | $192.75 | $275.36 | $7.65 | 26% |
Why the per-inch price moves
Two things pull in opposite directions. The 50 minutes of driving and setup sell at $72.62 whatever the stump, which is 70% of the 8-inch price and 26% of the 36-inch price. Against that, the wood to remove grows faster than the tape reading: the face of a 24-inch stump has 4 times the area of a 12-inch one, and the assumed grinding minutes follow.
So one flat rate fails at the small end. Quote the 18-inch rate of $7.76 an inch on the 8-inch stump and you bill $62.08, which is $10.34 under that visit's $72.42 break-even.
Try it with your numbers — free
The free calculator does this whole method in about a minute: loaded labour, overhead share, break-even and the price to quote at your margin. No signup, nothing to download, and your numbers stay in your browser.
Open the free tree removal pricing calculator →Get the free spreadsheetWant it built around your own rates, services and branding? Done-for-you custom calculator ($497).
What should the minimum charge for stump grinding be?
Set the minimum at the computed price of the shortest visit you will drive to. Here that is one 8-inch stump: $103.45.
Worked example: Minimum charge: one 8-inch stump, 50 + 5 + 5 + 10 = 70 minutes (1.17 hours); 5 grinding minutes of teeth and fuel (assumed inputs)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $30.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 20% |
| Materials (input) | $1.25 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $38,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 190 |
| Target margin % (input) | 30% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 15 |
| Hours on the job (input) | 1.17 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $36.00 |
| Crew-hours | 1.17 |
| Labour cost | $42.00 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $25.00 |
| Overhead share | $29.17 |
| Break-even cost | $72.42 |
| Price to quote | $103.45 |
| Profit on the job | $31.04 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $94.14 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 23.08% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $9.31 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $7,262.36 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
A per-inch rate paired with a minimum is the two-part price in disguise. Written out, it is a $72.62 visit charge plus the stump's own part: $30.83 at 8 inches, $67.02 at 18, $202.74 at 36.
Your minimum moves with the drive. Double the assumed driving time and rerun the calculator before quoting a job at the edge of your area.
How much to charge for several stumps on one trip
Add each stump's minutes to one visit; do not multiply the single-stump price. With 18-inch stumps the price per stump falls from $139.64 for one to $74.29 for ten.
| Stumps | Minutes door to door | Break-even | Price | Per stump | Per inch | Below the one-stump price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 | $97.75 | $139.64 | $139.64 | $7.76 | 0% |
| 3 | 170 | $191.58 | $273.69 | $91.23 | $5.07 | 35% |
| 5 | 250 | $285.42 | $407.74 | $81.55 | $4.53 | 42% |
| 10 | 450 | $520 | $742.86 | $74.29 | $4.13 | 47% |
Worked example: Five 18-inch stumps on one trip: 50 + 5 × 40 = 250 minutes (4.17 hours); 5 × 25 grinding minutes of teeth and fuel (assumed inputs; yearly row assumes 3 such visits a week)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Workers (input) | 1 |
| Hourly wage paid (input) | $30.00 |
| Labour burden % (input) | 20% |
| Materials (input) | $31.25 |
| Overhead for the year (input) | $38,000.00 |
| People in the field (input) | 1 |
| Billable days a year (input) | 190 |
| Target margin % (input) | 30% |
| Jobs a week (input) | 3 |
| Hours on the job (input) | 4.17 |
| Loaded labour rate (per hour) | $36.00 |
| Crew-hours | 4.17 |
| Labour cost | $150.00 |
| Overhead per sellable hour | $25.00 |
| Overhead share | $104.17 |
| Break-even cost | $285.42 |
| Price to quote | $407.74 |
| Profit on the job | $122.32 |
| Price if you MARK UP instead | $371.04 |
| Margin you actually keep with markup | 23.08% |
| Lost per job by marking up | $36.70 |
| Lost per year by marking up | $5,724.64 |
Computed with the same formulas as the free calculators on this site. Change any input in the calculator above to see your own numbers.
The last column is the multi-stump discount this cost build supports, and it is not a percentage I picked. It is the 50 shared minutes spread over more stumps. Each added 18-inch stump sells at $67.02. Ten stumps take 7.5 hours here, so check the day still fits.
How to measure a stump, and what roots, access and depth add
Measure the widest point at ground level, across the root flare, not the cut face on top. That is the convention used on this page, not a published standard. Print your own rule on the quote so two people measure alike.
Then price what changes the minutes. Each row is the same 18-inch stump.
| Situation | Minutes door to door | Break-even | Price | Price per inch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open access, tow-behind machine, standard depth (the example) | 90 | $97.75 | $139.64 | $7.76 |
| Backyard through a gate: narrow machine, grinding takes 2× as long, 10 minutes to walk it in and out | 125 | $139.58 | $199.40 | $11.08 |
| Slope: 15 extra minutes to position the machine | 105 | $113 | $161.43 | $8.97 |
| Surface roots: 20 extra grinding minutes | 110 | $123.08 | $175.83 | $9.77 |
| Deeper grind for replanting: grinding takes 1.5× as long | 102.5 | $113.58 | $162.26 | $9.01 |
Surface roots. Price them as minutes, as in the table, or as inches: quoting this stump at 30 inches across the flare at $7.76 an inch gives $232.80, against $175.83 by minutes. The two do not agree; pick one way and state it.
Access. Measure the gate before you quote, and compare it with your machine's width. The University of California's WeedCUT stump grinding page says grinding "requires a highly accessible site" and that grinding below ground level may be difficult on slopes.
Depth. The same University of California page describes grinding until the hole is at least 4 inches below ground level to prevent resprouting, taking no more than three inches at a pass unless the manual says otherwise. Illinois Extension (July 18, 2025) says grinders can go from flush with the soil line to over a foot deep, and that deeper often costs more. State the depth on the quote.
Add-ons as their own lines
| Add-on | Assumed | Break-even | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip clean-up and haul-away | 20 minutes to load, an assumed $20 dump fee | $40.33 | $57.62 |
| Backfill with topsoil and seed | 15 minutes, an assumed $30 of topsoil and seed | $45.25 | $64.64 |
Illinois Extension recommends hauling off the chipped debris and filling the hole with quality topsoil where turfgrass will be planted, so offer both lines. For a full load of chips or logs, the junk removal pricing guide prices by truck volume.
Grinder cost per hour: owned, rented, and the teeth
An owned grinder is overhead; a rented one is a materials line. Here the owned machine costs an assumed $5,400 a year, inside the $38,000 total.
| Item | Per year (assumed) |
|---|---|
| Grinder: purchase spread over its life, plus repairs | $5,400 |
| Truck and trailer: fuel, insurance, wear | $12,600 |
| Liability insurance and licences | $6,500 |
| Phone, software and marketing | $7,500 |
| Tools, protective gear and bookkeeping | $6,000 |
| Total | $38,000 |
Spread over an assumed 450 grinding hours a year, ownership is $5,400 ÷ 450 = $12 for each hour the wheel turns. A rental at an assumed $300 a day that yields 5 grinding hours is $60 a grinding hour. Use the rental yard's quote, not this placeholder, and put it in materials.
Teeth are a consumable. The University of California page warns that rocks dull cutter heads quickly and tells operators to clear them from the base first. Track what you spend on teeth and pockets in a season, divide by grinding hours, and replace the assumed figure.
Call 811 and protective gear: what the quote must allow for
Grinding goes below ground, so the utility locate comes first. 811 calls itself the free national before-you-dig service, says to contact it "a few business days before you begin any digging", and says every digging project, regardless of depth, requires it. Ask your state 811 center how it treats stump grinding.
For pricing, the wait is calendar time between the quote and the visit. Marks close to the stump mean slower, careful grinding: extra minutes.
The University of California page lists the protective equipment for the operator as ear, eye and face protection plus gloves, and notes that chips can fly far enough to break windows, so plywood barriers may be needed. Gear sits in overhead here; setting shields is in the setup minutes. This prices the work. It is not operating instruction: follow your machine's manual.
Excel formulas for a stump price sheet, and the markup mistake
Layout: B2 = drive and load minutes, B3 = setup minutes, B4 = stumps, B5 = positioning + grinding + cleanup minutes per stump, B6 = grinding minutes per stump, B7 = teeth and fuel per grinding hour, B8 = wage, B9 = burden %, B10 = overhead per hour, B11 = margin %, B12 = diameter in inches.
Hours on the job
=(B2+B3+B4*B5)/60Put in B13. B2 = drive and load minutes, B3 = setup minutes, B4 = stumps, B5 = minutes per stump (positioning + grinding + cleanup).
Teeth and fuel
=B4*B6/60*B7Put in B14. B6 = grinding minutes per stump, B7 = teeth and fuel per grinding hour. Add a rental here if you rent.
Price to quote
=ROUND((B13*(B8*(1+B9)+B10)+B14)/(1-B11),2)Put in B15. B8 = wage, B9 = burden %, B10 = overhead per hour, B11 = margin %.
Price per inch
=ROUND(B15/(B4*B12),2)B12 = diameter in inches. An output: it changes with size and stump count.
Visit charge
=ROUND((B2+B3)/60*(B8*(1+B9)+B10)/(1-B11),2)The part of every quote that does not depend on the stump. Your minimum is this plus your smallest stump.
The mistake: adding 30% to break-even in place of dividing. On the 18-inch stump that bills $127.08 and keeps 23.08% of the price, not 30%. It is $12.57 short on one visit; the example table's yearly row assumes 15 visits a week. The markup vs margin calculator guide has the conversion chart.
Calculator, free sheet or custom build: where to keep the price sheet
One quote needs only the calculator above. A price sheet you reuse needs a spreadsheet.
| Option | Cost | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Tree service calculator | Free, no signup | One job at a time: hours, workers, wage, burden, materials, overhead and margin |
| Job Pricing Starter | Free | The same job maths as a spreadsheet you keep, in Excel or Google Sheets |
| Done-for-you custom calculator | $497 one-time | A workbook built around your own lines and rates |
There is no ready-made stump grinding template in the shop, and neither free tool has a diameter or per-inch cell. Convert minutes to hours yourself and divide the price by the inches, as the formulas above do.
Put on the price sheet: your minimum charge, how diameter is measured, grinding depth, chip clean-up and backfill as separate lines, access limits, and who requests the utility locate.
If the tree is still standing, the tree removal pricing guide prices the removal by the crew-day; keep the stump as its own line, priced here. For the overhead figure itself, see the overhead and profit calculator guide.
Step-by-step: How Much to Charge for Stump Grinding: Price the Visit, Then Read the Price per Inch
- Measure the stump. Widest point at ground level across the root flare. Note surface roots, gate width, slope and the depth wanted.
- Write the minutes. Drive and load, setup, then positioning, grinding and cleanup for each stump, from your own timed jobs.
- Convert to hours and materials. Minutes ÷ 60. Materials = grinding hours × your teeth and fuel cost per grinding hour, plus any rental.
- Find break-even. Hours × (wage × (1 + burden %) + yearly overhead ÷ sellable hours) + materials.
- Apply margin by dividing. Break-even ÷ (1 − margin); for 30%, divide by 0.70.
- Check the minimum and the per-inch figure. Never quote under your shortest-visit price. Divide price by inches only to report it.
Run your own numbers — free
The free calculator does this whole method in about a minute: loaded labour, overhead share, break-even and the price to quote at your margin. No signup, nothing to download, and your numbers stay in your browser.
Open the free calculator →Get the free spreadsheetWant it built around your own rates, services and branding? Done-for-you custom calculator ($497).
Frequently asked questions
How do I quote a stump grinding job?
Add up the minutes for driving, setup, grinding and cleanup, convert to hours, cost them at loaded wage plus overhead, add teeth and fuel, then divide by one minus your margin. On this page's assumptions one 18-inch stump takes 90 minutes, breaks even at $97.75 and prices at $139.64.
What is a good stump grinding price per inch?
One that comes out of your own costs, and it will not be a single number. On this page's assumed inputs it is $12.93 an inch on an 8-inch stump, $7.76 at 18 inches and $7.33 at 24. Pair any per-inch rate with a minimum charge.
How long does it take to grind a 2 foot stump?
It depends on your machine, the wood and the depth, so time it yourself: start the clock when the wheel touches wood and stop when you reach depth. This page assumes 45 grinding minutes for a 24-inch stump and 110 minutes door to door. That is a placeholder, not a standard.
How much does it cost to grind a 24 inch stump?
For the operator, on this page's assumptions, a 24-inch stump is 110 minutes and $11.25 of teeth and fuel. It breaks even at $123.08 and prices at $175.83, or $7.33 an inch. Replace the minutes and rates with your own.
How much does it cost to grind a 12 inch stump?
On this page's assumed inputs a 12-inch stump takes 75 minutes door to door, breaks even at $78.75 and prices at $112.50. That is $9.38 an inch, because 65% of the price is the drive and setup.
What should my minimum charge for stump grinding be?
The computed price of the shortest visit you will make. With an assumed 50 minutes of driving and setup and one 8-inch stump, that is $103.45 against a break-even of $72.42. Longer drives raise it.
Is it cheaper to grind or remove a stump?
The University of California's WeedCUT page says stump grinding is generally less expensive and less labour intensive than stump extraction, though still costly. For your own quote, price both the same way: hours, equipment and disposal for each method, then compare the two totals.
Sources
- 811 Before You Dig (call811.com), read 9 October 2026 — 811 is the free national before-you-dig service; contact it a few business days before any digging; every digging project, regardless of depth, requires contacting 811
- University of California Statewide IPM / Cal-IPC WeedCUT: Stump Grinding — Grinding requires a highly accessible site; grinding below ground level may be difficult on slopes; no more than three inches at a time; hole at least 4 inches below ground level to prevent resprouting; rocks dull cutter heads quickly; PPE = ear, eye, face protection and gloves; chips can fly and break windows, barriers may be needed; grinding generally less expensive and labour intensive than extraction
- University of Illinois Extension, Good Growing: What to do with that tree stump? (July 18, 2025) — Grinders remove stumps from flush with the soil line to over a foot deep; deeper often costs more; haul off chipped debris and fill with quality topsoil where turfgrass will be planted
I'm not a contractor, landlord or accountant. I build the pricing maths, and every number on this page shows its working so you can check it instead of trusting it. Guides are drafted with AI assistance; every worked figure is computed by the same code as the free calculators. How these guides are made → · Watch the breakdowns on YouTube →