Day Rate/HourlyRate For Stump Grinding

[Creeker]

The only time I've had customers look at me like I just spent time with their daughter behind the wood shed, was single stump jobs where I bid $125 or so on a 30" stump was done in 30 minutes trailer to trailer ...........................Good talking to you mate! If I ever get down your way, I'll buy you beer just to hear you talk!

Shed/daughter lol

As far as a beer (or three) ditto this end.

(Sent you a PM from other thread, hadn't hit here at that time.)

Enjoyed the posts on this thread also, haven't really read a single word I can't relate to.

 

[Cupocoffee]

Prior to buying my SP7015 I had a Vermeer SC352. It was a very decent machine. I do not charge people more money because I spent a fortune on the Carlton. The difference for me is time. I did a job, last year, with over 200 cedar stumps that had been sheared to within a few inches of the ground. They were mostly 16" to 18" and the landowner wanted the stumps gone because they were just high enough that he kept hitting them with his bush hog. Cedars are very shallow so I was only going four or five inches deep. These were scattered over about five acres. We agreed to $15 per stump and the land owner was very happy with that price. That is the same price I would have charged with my Vermeer SC352 but that machine moves from stump to stump at a snails pace. It would have probably taken me close to three days with that machine if not longer. With the Carlton SP7015, I was finished in less than six hours of straight grinding. I also did a rough cover up of the holes with my hydraulic blade. That price is much lower than I normally charge but knowing the business and how long it would take to grind the cedar, is how I came up with that price. I usually charge $50 for an 18" stump. The point to this is, this is why I don't quote hourly rates. He would have sent me packing if I told him I would do the work for $500 per hour. When it was all said and done the land owner said he was surprised he could get all that done for $3,000. Those jobs don't come around too often. Most of my work is residential and small acreages.

 

[Topbuilder]

Shed/daughter lol

As far as a beer (or three) ditto this end.

Good on you.

 

[marne]

So you are saying a 16 hour job with a RG66 = a 6 hour job with a 7015?

Holy, no! Needed time should be equal.

 

[ASG]

Can you compare the 7015 and 8018 against each other for me. How about track vs non-track, which do you prefer.

The 8018 is an animal on the big stumps, especially the big maples with huge flare, and awesome on the jobs where people are expanding their yards and they don't have the lawn yet.

Can you compare the 7015 and 8018 against each other for me. How about track vs non-track, which do you prefer.

I use the Sp7015 for 75% of my work, being that it's residential grinding, lot of manuevering on the lawns, etc... The 7015 is super fast for ground speed and doesn't tear up the lawns. It's an older 7015 with wireless remote (only way to go) and the 60hp Duetz. The 8018 is insane on the speed in which it eats up stumps, but much slower on the travel, and you have to plan your route and be much more careful not to tear up/rut the lawn. Traveling with the 8018 plow side going forward is way more lawn friendly, and I also carry an Altura mat that I lay down if I have to make a sharp turn or cross a brick walkway, etc...
If I had to have only 1 machine, I would go with the rubber tired 7015, because it will still grind the big stumps relatively quickly and you don't have to worry about the lawn.

 

[capetrees]

$50 minimum and that will get you up to an 18" stump gone. After that, 20 cents/sq inch.

 

[ASG]

I quote over the phone. The only time I've had customers look at me like I just spent time with their daughter behind the wood shed, was single stump jobs where I bid $125 or so on a 30" stump was done in 30 minutes trailer to trailer .
But, as you say sometimes you run long, they never consider travel time or the hours spent on all types of maintenance. All in all, people are pretty good. Many times they will give me more than my bid. The ones who watch the process or know something about working with their hands.
Cleaning up the job with a blower makes the wives want to add me to the Christmas card list. That $150 blower has paid me back 10 fold. I have a back rig new up in the box, waiting for this one to stumble. When you blow the drive off, and the street, everybody knowing you really did not mess it up, that can sometimes wash away any other nit picks they might have had on their minds.
As far as the double rate goes on the 7015, it's a impressive machine! By the time they see it in action with the remote, how fast it is, they may understand that comes at a price.
Good talking to you mate! If I ever get down your way, I'll buy you beer just to hear you talk!

I have been trying to do some phone quoting, most of the time it works out, just curious to see how you are handling this, and what success rate has been. Thanks

 

[Creeker]

I will always try to avoid telephone quoting as at best it can only be an estimate given the customers inability to describe the relevant
conditions. ie the stumps 2ft dia. and when you get there its nearly double that at ground level with 25 feet of above ground roots with
two 2'6" gates to NOT get through...lol.

If pressed I give a max. price "estimate" and hate doing that as an estimate becomes a firm quote in the customers mind.
When you get there and see the job. desc. is nothing like the reality it's hard to put up the price.

Also fatheadon1, agree totally re honesty and always give a firm quote on a business card, the back of which is lined and set out
for that purpose. Never have arguments and had maybe 1 or 2 disagreeable customers in 8 years, the goal is always to leave
them happy with the job and get the word of mouth business that brings.

 

[74inchshovel]

Ya, some customers seem to have problems perceiving reality- this stump was described as easy access. Only way to it was perching machine on retaining wall. Not me in the pic...

 

[Mowingman]

There is an accident waiting to happen.
Jeff

 

[Stumpefy]

For guys who only do stumps:

I understand how calculating your desired hourly rate is important, but how many hours per week can you work?

 

[Topbuilder]

"I have been trying to do some phone quoting, most of the time it works out, just curious to see how you are handling this, and what success rate has been. Thanks"

ASG, Yesterday at 6:03 PM Report

I've done it both ways. Sometimes I have to go to the site. If it is an exceptionally large stump, anything over 8-10 stumps. Also depends on the ability of the customer to describe what they have. Some people do NOT know what 12" is.
I do not like changing my price, sometimes it has to be done. If I miss it by 15 minutes, I let it go. I'm a sucker for the older people and people that are obviously not floating in cash. On the average it works out fine. The time I save not having to drive there to quote covers me on the few I go over.
You are able to weed out the people getting 4 bids to do a single stump, looking to shave $5 off the price. You weed out the people that have NO clue what it costs and they expect you can do the job at 1980 prices AND haul off chips. But, I have enough power on tap that the difference in a 18 and a 24" is pretty insignificant for me. For you with the 7015, I would think even more insignificant.
Have I had customers completely lead me astray? Oh yeah. I had a lady tell me she had a 12" pine cut "close to the ground", and it was really 48" with a dirt crown that meant I had to take it down 18". She "got it" when I showed her 12" on a tape. Another gal brought me to a 18' "decorative tree" that turned out to be a 36" Bodark (Osage Orange) cut 18 above the ground. The hardest tree known to man, unless you like down under ;-)
People understand when you tell them why you need to bump the price. The only time I ever had to walk away from a job was on a commercial guy who explained to me "$300 is all I got, take it or leave it" after agreeing to $385 over the phone. I said "Bye".
As I'm sure you know, you have to bid low enough to get the job. High enough, so that you are not sorry you got it.

 

[Topbuilder]

If I had to have only 1 machine, I would go with the rubber tired 7015, because it will still grind the big stumps relatively quickly and you don't have to worry about the lawn.

ASG, Yesterday at 11:04 AM Report

Dang it. I was hoping you were not going to say that. I really like the looks of the track machine. The thought of NEVER having another flat, compelling.

 

[Topbuilder]

For guys who only do stumps:

I understand how calculating your desired hourly rate is important, but how many hours per week can you work?

I assume by "can" you mean are you able to get in enough jobs/hours. I can, and have, worked full days 6 days a week. My body and machine can take it. That is not the norm. Getting enough to stay steady is a problem. November, December, January suck. No doubt.

 

[Topbuilder]

"The 8018 is an animal on the big stumps, especially the big maples with huge flare, and awesome on the jobs where people are expanding their yards and they don't have the lawn yet."

If you had to guess, how much faster in the cut is the 8018 than the 7015. Is the 8018 twice the machine in it's element? But I get that it is a little much for residential work.

 

[ASG]

For guys who only do stumps:

I understand how calculating your desired hourly rate is important, but how many hours per week can you work?

For me, Spring is a steady 3 months of 5 to 6 days a week, 10+ hours a day of grinding, then estimates and maintenance. Summer slows down to 3 full days a week, fall is busier again back to 4-5 days a week, and depending on the winter weather, it's 0-2 days a week.

 

[ASG]

"The 8018 is an animal on the big stumps, especially the big maples with huge flare, and awesome on the jobs where people are expanding their yards and they don't have the lawn yet."

If you had to guess, how much faster in the cut is the 8018 than the 7015. Is the 8018 twice the machine in it's element? But I get that it is a little much for residential work.[/QUOTE
I would say the cut is 30% faster than the 7015, but add the endless swing, (just pivot on tracks once 80" of swing is gone) and the massive chip containment and ability to climb any chip pile increases its speed in comparison.

 

[ASG]

If I had to have only 1 machine, I would go with the rubber tired 7015, because it will still grind the big stumps relatively quickly and you don't have to worry about the lawn.

ASG, Yesterday at 11:04 AM Report

Dang it. I was hoping you were not going to say that. I really like the looks of the track machine. The thought of NEVER having another flat, compelling.

Before I bought the 7015 I had a Vermeer 352 and the 8018... In the 2 year period I owned those two machines together I put 20 hours on the 352.... so basically I used the 8018 for everything, it can be done. And 90% of my work is residential. If you wanted a track machine, I'd look at the 7015trx because you can suck the tracks in to get through a 36" gate. The 8018 is on a fixed under carriage. I have run the morbark and bandit 100hp track grinders and they don't touch the Carlton 8018 for grinding speed. Sometimes the belts and poly chain can be a little extra maintenance, but you don't lose the horsepower.

 

[Creeker]

Interesting about machine size, I have enough issues fitting the smaller 4012 into a lot of res. gardens to do stumps, the cordless
remote is brilliant in those circumstances where you can walk ahead/behind and once grinding get somewhere to see the work.

I'd really enjoy doing some work with a 7015 or bigger although I give away more stumps through inability to access than that they are to big.

 

[Stumpefy]

For me, Spring is a steady 3 months of 5 to 6 days a week, 10+ hours a day of grinding, then estimates and maintenance. Summer slows down to 3 full days a week, fall is busier again back to 4-5 days a week, and depending on the winter weather, it's 0-2 days a week.

Seems like summer would be your busy time. Why do you slow down?