Summary

Stump grinding is high-margin work when priced properly and a money-loser when priced like "it's just one stump". The job's real cost is dominated by the machine: a petrol stump grinder is heavy plant that has to be transported (often on a trailer or self-drive), fuelled, maintained, and insured, and the operator needs the right tickets and PPE. Whether the grinder spends ten minutes or two hours on the actual stump, the cost of getting it to the customer's garden is largely fixed. That is why every stump-grinding quote needs a sensible minimum charge — typically £80-£120 — and why grinding three stumps on one visit is dramatically more profitable per stump than grinding one.

The price drivers are stump diameter (the single biggest factor — grinding time and wear rise with size), access (a wheeled grinder needs roughly 75-90cm clear width; if it won't fit through the side gate you're into a narrow track machine, a crane-over, or hand-barrowing, all of which add cost), grind depth (a stump ground 100-150mm below grade for re-turfing costs less than one ground 300mm+ deep for re-planting or building over), number of stumps, and what's near the stump — buried electric, gas, water, telecoms, and the customer's drainage all stop you grinding blind. Hitting a service or a hidden lump of concrete wrecks teeth and can be dangerous, so the inspection and CAT-scan time is part of the price.

This guide is for the tradesperson setting the charge: typical grind times, machine and plant costs, day rates, the access and services red flags, what to itemise, and a worked example. Stump grinding usually follows a fell, so it sits alongside the broader tree surgery pricing guide; for the consents that must be checked before any tree work — Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Areas — see tree works.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Job Stump size / count Access Typical Price (Regional) Typical Price (London)
Single small stump <30cm Good (gate clear) £80-£150 £110-£200
Single medium stump 30-60cm Good £120-£250 £160-£320
Single large stump 60cm+ Good £200-£450 £280-£600
Single stump, narrow access any Side gate <80cm +£40-£120 +£60-£160
2-4 stumps, one visit mixed Good £200-£500 £280-£650
Half-day multiple stumps 5+ Good £350-£650 £450-£850
Full day stump clearance many Good £550-£950 £700-£1,250
Deep grind (build/re-plant) medium-large Good +30-60% +30-60%
Hedge / root run grind per linear m Good £25-£60/m £35-£80/m
Arisings removal (add-on) per visit — £40-£150 £60-£220
Topsoil backfill per bulk bag — £55-£90 £70-£110

Detailed Guidance

Price by Diameter, Then Adjust for Access and Depth

Diameter is the headline number because grind time scales with the cross-section of wood you're removing. A useful working method:

  1. Measure the stump diameter at ground level (and note multi-stem stumps — they behave like several stumps).
  2. Set the base price from the diameter band (small/medium/large above).
  3. Apply the access multiplier — if a standard wheeled grinder won't fit, add £40-£160 for a narrow-access machine, extra setup, or hand-barrowing arisings out.
  4. Apply the depth multiplier — standard re-turf depth (100-150mm) is the base; a deep grind for re-planting or building over (250-450mm) adds 30-60%.
  5. Add disposal if the customer wants the arisings gone (most are happy to leave them on a border, which costs you nothing).
  6. Apply the minimum charge — if the calculation comes out under your minimum (£80-£120), charge the minimum. Getting the machine there costs the same whether the stump is tiny or not.

Access Is the Quiet Killer

        STUMP GRINDER ACCESS CHECK
                   |
   Clear route to the stump ≥ 75-90cm wide,
   firm ground, no steps the machine can't manage?
                   |
        +----------+-----------+
        | YES                  | NO
        v                      v
  Standard wheeled        Narrow-access /
  grinder — base price    tracked grinder,
                          dismantle through gate,
                          or hand-barrow arisings
                                |
                                v
                          ADD £40-£160 and
                          extra time; sometimes
                          a crane-over or refuse
                          the job

Most domestic stump grinders need roughly 75-90cm of clear width to wheel through. The classic trap is a stump in the back garden with only a 70cm side gate. Now you need a narrow-access (sometimes called "fence gate") machine, which is slower, or you dismantle a standard machine to pass it through, or you barrow the arisings out by hand. Always check the access route on the site visit and price it — never assume the gate is wide enough from a photo.

Services and Hidden Obstructions — Inspect Before You Grind

A grinder throwing teeth into a buried electric cable, gas pipe, or water main is a serious incident. Before grinding near a building, drive, boundary, meter, or anywhere services might run:

If you can't satisfy yourself the area is clear, that is a reason to caveat the quote or hand-dig rather than grind blind.

Grinding vs Digging Out — and What the Customer Actually Needs

There are two ways to deal with a stump and they price very differently:

For most customers, grinding 100-150mm below grade and topping with soil and turf is exactly what they need. Quote that as the default and only price full removal when the end use demands it — and make the price difference clear, because customers often assume "stump removal" means digging the whole thing out.

What to Itemise on the Quote

  1. Number and size of stumps — list each with diameter, so scope is fixed
  2. Grind depth — standard re-turf vs deep grind, stated
  3. Access — standard or narrow-access machine, any hand-barrowing
  4. Services check — CAT-scan / plans (build it into the price)
  5. Arisings — left on site (free) or removed (priced)
  6. Backfill — topsoil to fill the void if the customer wants a level finish
  7. Minimum charge — note it applies if scope reduces
  8. Margin / overhead — your mark-up on labour, plant and consumables

Worked Example — Three Stumps, One Visit, Good Access, Regional

A typical profitable stump job: customer has had three conifers felled and wants the stumps gone — one large (70cm), one medium (45cm), one small (25cm), all reachable through a 90cm gate, arisings to be removed.

Line item Detail Cost
Grinder hire + transport self-drive day machine £170
Operator half-day on site £140
Fuel + consumables (teeth wear) £35
Services check (CAT scan) included in labour
Arisings removal bulky chip/soil pile, tip £90
Subtotal (cost) £435
Margin / overhead @ 28% £122
Quote total (ex VAT) ~£557

Note how the economics work: that £557 covers three stumps, but a single small stump on the same visit would still need the grinder transported and the operator on site, so you'd charge the minimum (~£120-£150) and the per-stump profit would be far lower. The lesson for pricing: encourage batching, always apply a minimum, and don't let a customer talk you into a one-stump trip at a multi-stump rate.

Margin and the Subcontract Angle

Stump grinding pairs naturally with tree felling — if you've just felled the tree, the stump is the obvious upsell, and the arisings/access are already understood. If you don't own a grinder, subcontracting a stump-grinding specialist (paying their day/half-day rate and adding your margin) keeps the customer with you without the £3-£6k capital cost of a machine. Target 25-35% net margin on grinding; the machine cost is the discipline — track teeth wear and transport as real consumables, not freebies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep should I grind a stump?

Depends on the end use. For re-turfing or just removing a trip hazard, 100-150mm below ground level is standard and cost-effective. For re-planting in the same spot, building over it, or laying a patio/base, grind 250-450mm deep — which takes longer and sometimes needs a bigger machine, so price it 30-60% higher. Always ask what the customer wants to do with the spot afterwards; it changes the quote.

Do grinding the stump remove all the roots?

No. Grinding removes the stump and the major surface roots down to your grind depth; the deeper lateral roots are left to decompose naturally in the ground over a few years. For most gardens that's fine. If the customer needs every root gone (foundations, persistent suckering species), that's a full dig-out and a very different, higher price.

Why do you charge a minimum even for a tiny stump?

Because the cost of getting a stump grinder to site — transport, fuel, the operator's time, insurance — is almost the same whether the stump is 20cm or 60cm. A one-stump trip can't carry the machine cost at a "per-stump" rate, so a minimum charge of £80-£120 keeps small jobs viable. Customers who batch several stumps on one visit get a much better per-stump rate.

What stops me grinding straight away?

Three things, all of which must be checked before grinding: buried services (use a CAT & Genny / utility plans near buildings and boundaries), hidden concrete or metal (old footings and posts wreck teeth), and legal consents — if the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or is in a Conservation Area, the work needs consent first; doing it without can be a criminal offence (see tree works). The stump itself is usually past the consent stage, but always confirm.

Can I just leave the arisings on site?

Usually yes, and it's the cheapest option — the chip/soil mix can be raked into a border or used as mulch. If the customer wants a clean, level finish, you remove the arisings (a bulky load, priced separately) and backfill the void with topsoil. Remember that to carry the arisings off site you need to be a registered waste carrier.

Regulations & Standards