Stump Grinding How Much$$$

Q.Q.

Hi guy's, just wondering what you are charging,or how you are charging for stump grinding?.

I found myself charging $85.00 an hour an getting no where.I would do up to 10 -12 smaller stumps in an hour,just didn't seem enough. And other peop;e have said that it is too cheap.
I have spoken to some people at Arbor day's an they said they charge by the inch. So I thought about $4 an inch what's ur thought's.I am useing a vermeer 222 stump grinder.

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Drouin Tree Service

As much as you can get,I wouldnt bother at $85 hour

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Drouin Tree Services | Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland | Landclearing Melbourne

treekiller

Ya, I agree. You can't really have a set rate schedule for stump grinding. Different tree species grind differently. Cottonwood for instance is hard grinding due to the complex fiber arrangement at soil line, whereas, Ash is a harder wood, but grinds easier. I just bid the stump or group of stumps for as much as I think I can get.

reachtreeservice

If it's a job I did a removal on , I charge a fuel charge (usually 20 bucks) and 2 dollars an inch across the widest part of the stump.

If it's a stand alone job, the most I think I can get. 150.00 Minimum

treevet

It is a lot to do with location. If it is difficult to get to and jeopardizes my teeth then they are gonna get nailed esp if they want a pre bid. I wouldn't go out and do a stump for less than $100, but if many it can get less if small.

I have charged up to $800. on a stump without cleanup

TrevMcRev

Hi QQ,

What other people are charging for a stump really doesnt have much at all with what you should be charging for a stump.

THe question i feel you should really be asking is to yourself....

What does it "cost" YOU to grind a stump?

Until you know the answer to that, the rest is just a gut feeling based on a hunch.

See, everyones overheads & expenses vary, so what is profitable for one may be a loss for another.

Think about the running expenses of your machine, both consumables like teeth oil filters, and also repairs breakdowns upgrades etc.. Dont forget a vehicle pulling it around, budget to replace machine in X years etc. marketing to get the lead in the first place....

First to just break even you need to cover all of those costs.

Up until that point you have been working for everyone else but YOU The customer got rid of a stump, your suppliers got some sales, the service station sold some fuel, your local newspaper got paid for an ad, etc etc....

Then on top of all that, how much time did you spend? Start to finish. From enquiry to getting paid. How much do you wish to be paid for that time?

Be generous, give yourself a good hourly rate. It should be well above a wage for like work, as you are the one taking all of the risk.

Then on top of that, some profit. Again, for taking all the risk & allowing for future growth & expenses it is only fair that the company retains a healthy profit as a return on its investment.

Then you need to be able to do all that at a price that your market will accept as being a "fair exchange"

That doesnt mean you need or have to be cheaper, the same as, or dearer than your competitors...

Or.....
Go with your gut, charge $x per inch, wait 18 months to do your tax to find out that you did all that hard work for nothing and could have earned a higher hourly rate collecting shopping trolleys at kmart or maybe you'll pocket bucket loads of cash and laugh all the way

Eric Frei

$4 an inch, what about if it's a leopard tree vs palm stump?

What about if the ground is shale/rock vs sand?

What about if you run into a star dropper and wipe out a set of teeth?

What about depth? What if the customer only wants 150mm deep to turf over vs another bloke who wants all stump and roots gone?

I find it too limiting to go by the inch, hour etc ... I go see and ask a few questions, know what they expect and charge accordingly, the $4 per inch is about right as a rule of thumb starting point.

I also have min $100 charge.

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Drouin Tree Service

My min is $80

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Drouin Tree Services | Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland | Landclearing Melbourne

Eric Frei

But you're Victorian.

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Done it

That was very good advice Trev, [seriously] but you just have to watch out for something Q, Executive loses $A6m buried in garden - Yahoo!7 News

TrevMcRev

Ahhhh, i cross my fingers every stump hoping this will be the one with the hidden tin of cash

Often joked to customers and staff about that one....

TrevMcRev

Thats why i just go with my gut and lose money on stumps, i dont care, sooner or later i'll hit the jackpot

Q.Q.

Thanks for all of the advice guy's it's helps me out everytime, great post trev thanks.
I suppose I take the hard with the soft, stumps that is Ekka. Only do the odd leopard wood, but main one I seem to do is either the Doolen, or the Jacaranda, man I hate those things they take forever. Teeth are good all the time as I sharpen them as soon as they are dull, and no real rocks out here just sandy. I would do probily, if I worked it out on an average 5 -10 stumps a week.I just got 7 months out of my pro teeth, lot more work but get a good run out of them.
I always grind out till nearly full depth every time. Since going to $4 an inch seems better for me but feel guilty about charging that much, ohh well I ll just have to live with it.

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rbtree

Besides the variables from species to species there's the matter of math---re the volume of material that needs grinding.

Charging per inch of stump width is a sure way to take it in the shorts.

For example, a 12 inch stump has 113 square inches of surface area.

But, a 24 inch stump has 452, not double, but 4 times the material to grind.

Then, depth must be taken into account, as well as how much to be ground is above ground.

Next, how much of the surrounding area needs grinding and how deep.

And last, how rocky is the area? Hopw much digging will need to be done to keep tooth wear to a minimum.
Best to know these factors, and bid accordingly.


Plus, allow for machine maintenance, which is considerable.

My subs shoot for at least $150 per hour USD with their fast, pricey machines.

Eric Frei

7 months out of a set of teeth! That's bloody incredible.

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Done it

Sure is. I'm lucky to get 7 days.

It'd be a bit different if I was only grinding stumps, but the things I find buried drives me mad. Usually concrete, bricks, tiles, pipe. Then on the older houses, this stuff. No gold or money, that's for sure.

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Daniel Janjic

Ask your hire shop, my guy offered up this advice,

8" $120
14" $200
36"+ $600++

We have nice soft Basalt soil.

Cheer's

Dano.

treevet

That is why I have got a broken window on the back of my 'Yota (and feel luck to have the window broken and not my face.

hanging from a rope

well i use to charge a base price by the stump,depending on size,large was about 250/400 hundred, smalls 50 /150,also on small stumps you want to knock a bunch out in one day rainy days were the best also keeps the dust to a minimal...hope you find that helpfull

Q.Q.

Thanks Guy's again, all info helpfull for where I am.

DoneIt I don't think you are looking at the big piture, for what you get for the stump, as well as what you can get on Ebay for that quality gear. Could that be a win win situation
Might just be able to get a new tooth for that.

Well Ill give ya 20cent's for that quality sidcrome spanner there.

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