What Does It Cost To Grind A Stump?
Most single stumps run $150 to $400, with a $150 minimum covering stumps up to about 12 inches across. Show us yours below and we text your price back the same day — no site visit needed.
Show Us Your Stump
Match the shape to your stump, add a photo, and send it over. It takes a minute and saves us both a site visit — we text your price back the same day.
Measure the widest point, including roots flaring at the base
Our grinder retracts to about 35 inches wide, so it fits through most standard gates that larger machines cannot.
We look at your measurements and photos and text your price back, usually the same day. Free, no obligation.
Enter your name and a phone number we can text back.
Your measurements, photos and site details go with it.
Rather just text us? (810) 673-7173
Got it — thanks.
Thanks . We have your measurements and we will text your price to , usually the same day.
What Actually Changes The Price
- Width at the widest point. This is the one people get wrong. We measure across the base including the roots flaring out at the ground, not the trunk you see at eye level. A tree that looks 20 inches across often measures 30 at the flare, and that flare is what has to be ground.
- Height above the ground. A stump cut flush is quick. One left 18 inches tall is several extra passes before we even reach grade.
- How many stumps. Additional stumps cost considerably less than the first, because the trip, the trailer and the setup are already paid for. A row of hedge stumps is far cheaper per stump than one lonely oak.
- Getting to it. A stump a truck can pull up to is a different job than one behind a 36-inch gate, up a slope, or past a deck. Our grinder is a compact tracked machine built for tight yards, but the walk still costs time.
- Room to work. The cutting head sweeps side to side, so we need roughly 3 feet of clearance around the stump. Fences, retaining walls, sprinkler heads and boulders inside that ring mean slower, more careful work.
- What happens to the grindings. Grinding a stump produces a surprising pile of chips and soil. Leaving it raked into the hole is included. Hauling it away, or filling with screened topsoil and seeding, costs more.
Stump Grinding Questions
How do I measure my stump correctly?
Measure across the widest point at the base, including the roots that flare out where the stump meets the ground. Most people measure the trunk instead, which is usually several inches narrower and gives a low number. The tool above draws the measurement line across the flare so you can see exactly what we mean. A photo alongside it clears up anything the measurement misses.
Why not just send a photo with a tape measure on it?
Photos are genuinely useful, and we want one. What a photo cannot reliably give us is scale. A tape laid across the top of a stump is measuring the cut face rather than the flare at the base, and in most photos the numbers are too small or too angled to read. Measurements plus a photo together let us quote accurately without driving out.
How deep do you grind?
Standard grinding goes several inches below grade, enough to plant grass over the spot. If you are regrading, laying sod, or planting something new where the stump was, tell us and we go deeper to suit the plan.
What happens to the wood chips?
Grinding produces a mound of chips and soil that settles into the hole. Raking it back in and leveling it off is included in every job. If you would rather have it gone, haul away is an option, and we can also fill with screened topsoil and seed so the lawn grows back in.
Can you get into a fenced backyard?
Usually yes. Our Vermeer SC70TX is a remote-operated tracked grinder built for exactly this, and it fits through most standard gates. Its rubber tracks spread the weight, so it treads far lighter on a lawn than a wheeled machine. Send a photo of the gate or path along with your stump and we will confirm before we schedule.
What if there is a fence or wall right next to the stump?
The cutting head needs roughly 3 feet of clearance to sweep. Obstacles closer than that do not make the job impossible, they make it slower and more careful, sometimes with hand work at the end. Flag it in the tool above and we will factor it into the quote rather than discovering it on arrival.
Do you call Miss Dig before grinding?
Yes. Once a job is scheduled we open a Miss Dig 811 ticket and wait for the locates before any grinding starts. Michigan requires it, and grinding blind near a gas or utility line is not a risk worth taking. Miss Dig typically needs about three business days, which is why scheduling is not always same-day.
Do you remove the entire root system?
Grinding removes the stump and the major surface roots, which is what matters for mowing, replanting and stopping regrowth. Deeper roots left behind decompose naturally over time and will not send up new shoots once the stump itself is gone.
How soon can you get here?
Quotes come back the same day, usually within the hour. Most jobs are scheduled within the week, and straightforward ones often inside 24 to 72 hours once Miss Dig locates are clear.
Still have a question? Call or text (810) 673-7173 and you will reach Alan directly.