Stump Removal Cost Calculator
| Job | Typical band |
|---|---|
| 12 in stump, ground | $100-150 |
| 18-24 in stump, ground | $120-250 |
| 36 in stump, ground | $150-300 |
| Full extraction | 2-3× grinding + fill dirt |
| DIY grinder rental | $80-200 half day |
The tree is down, the quote is settled, and then the stump: the line item nobody budgets. The market's answer is mechanical grinding - a machine with a spinning toothed wheel chews the stump 6 to 12 inches below grade - and it prices by diameter, commonly 2 to 4 dollars per inch, with a call-out minimum of 100 to 250 that makes small stumps proportionally expensive. An 18-incher lands around 60 to 150 in machine time but bills closer to the minimum; a 36-inch monster runs 100 to 200 and finally feels fairly priced.
Bottom line: grinding is the default answer and full extraction is the expensive exception - pulling the entire root ball costs two to three times grinding because it needs an excavator, leaves a crater that wants fill dirt, and is only genuinely necessary when construction is going exactly on the spot. The third column is the DIY rental: 80 to 200 for a half-day grinder that makes any yard with several stumps pencil out, at the price of a screaming machine that kicks and demands real safety discipline.
The honest part: grinding does not remove the roots - they rot underground over several years, the grindings themselves are wood chips worth spreading as mulch elsewhere, and the hole left behind needs topsoil or it becomes the ankle-turner of the yard. New trees should not go back on the same spot for a few years either: fresh chips tie up soil nitrogen while they break down, which is an argument for carting them to the compost pile instead of back into the hole.
How to use
- Measure the stump at its widest point at ground level, roots included if they flare wide - grinding diameter pricing means the widest line the wheel crosses, and an honest measure now prevents the on-site re-quote later.
- Pick the method in the calculator: grinding for almost everything, full extraction only where hardscape or construction needs the space, DIY rental when three or more stumps make the math obvious - and read the band as the realistic all-in, not the machine-time floor.
- Before the crew arrives, do the two things that change the job: call 811 for a utility locate if the stump sits near any buried line, and clear the rocks and gravel around the base - teeth meeting stone are the difference between a 90-minute job and a sharpening fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stump grinding cost?
By diameter, typically 2 to 4 dollars per inch, with a 100-to-250-dollar minimum that covers getting the machine to your yard. Real-world bills: a 12-inch stump rides the minimum at 100 to 150; the typical 18-to-24-inch stump lands 120 to 250; and a 36-inch granddaddy runs 150 to 300. Multiple stumps on one visit share the trip minimum, which is why the neighbor's stump is worth asking about - splitting the call-out halves both bills.
Is it cheaper to grind or pull a stump?
Grinding, nearly always: full extraction needs an excavator to chase the root ball, prices at roughly two to three times the grind, and leaves a hole big enough to need purchased fill dirt. Extraction earns its price only when footings, a pool or hardscape goes exactly there - roots left to rot under a lawn are not a problem, but roots under a foundation trench are. For every other stump, grind it and move on with the weekend.
Is renting a stump grinder worth it?
For three or more stumps, yes: rental runs 80 to 200 for a half day against a 100-to-250 professional minimum per visit, so a yard with several stumps pencils out fast. The honest warning: a grinder is a machine that kicks hard when it hits roots or stone and throws chips like shrapnel - face shield, hearing protection, no bystanders, and read the rental yard's five-minute walkthrough. One stump alone is usually not worth the pickup-truck logistics; three is the crossover.
What do I do with the grindings and the hole?
The grindings are clean wood chips - excellent mulch for beds away from the house, or compost fodder, but not good backfill: chips in the hole tie up nitrogen as they rot and sink for a couple of years. Better: keep the best topsoil aside before grinding, backfill the 6-to-12-inch crater with it, and let the chips live in the garden. Sod or seed goes back over the filled hole the same season.
How long do roots take to rot after grinding?
Years, not weeks - surface roots and the remains below the grind line break down over roughly three to seven years depending on species and moisture, and the ground settles a little as they do, which is why backfill should end slightly proud of grade. Planting a replacement tree on the exact spot is the one real mistake: fresh chips competing for nitrogen and old root pathogens make the same-hole replant stunted; move the new tree a few feet and both problems vanish.
Can I remove a stump with chemicals or burning instead?
Chemical accelerants (potassium nitrate products) soften a stump over weeks so it can be broken apart - 10 to 30 dollars in materials, months of patience, and honest results that often still end in a rented grinder. Burning a stump is rarely legal: most jurisdictions require permits for open burns and many ban them outright in built-up areas, and a smoldering root system underground is genuinely dangerous. The cheap-and-fast path remains grinding; everything else is the slow or forbidden path.