Stump grinding cost, by inch and by depth
Pre-filled with a realistic job. Change any input and the figure updates as you type — nothing is sent anywhere, and Print gives you a clean sheet without the buttons.
- Two-person grind crew, loaded$83 / hr
- Grinder and trailer$55 / hr
- Direct cost before overhead$187
- Chip haul-awaynot included
Why these four inputs
| Input | What it changes | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter at grade | Grinding time, almost linearly | Measure across the root flare, not the trunk |
| Depth | Time and machine passes | Deeper only if replanting or hardscaping |
| Access | Setup time before any cutting | A gate can double the setup line |
| Count | Spreads the minimum charge | Six small stumps cost far less than six trips |
Sound
What is inside the number
A two-person grind crew at the loaded rate derived from the BLS hourly mean of $26.91 (OEWS, May 2025), plus a stated $55 per hour for the grinder and trailer, then the same 1.6× to 2.1× overhead-and-margin band the rest of this site uses. The minimum floor reflects that nobody tows a grinder across town for twenty dollars.
The chip volume nobody quotes
The calculator estimates cubic yards of chip because that is the part people are unprepared for — ground wood fluffs to well over the volume it occupied. Leave it and it settles; haul it and it is a line item; spread it and it is mulch. Work out where it goes with the chip calculator.
If you are deciding between grinding and full excavation at all, start at the comparison — the depth question there is the one that matters.