Stump Grinding prices.

[RoyalTree]

we charge price between 5 and 7 dollars an inch or even more depending on roots. We stick to 150 dollar min unless we are doing other work on site.

 

[2muchstuff]

stumps are cheap here advertized in the paper starting at less than 4 bucks per stump.

15 to 20 is common or even less and its slow even at that cost.

 

[treejunkie13]

I'm at 2.50 per in. at widest dia. flush to ground measurement (grind and go no clean) approx. 6-8" deep
usually $1.00 per in. extra for avg. clean up (stump pending) fill hole leave heaved a little for settling haul off excess.
Quantity discount
Also offer deals to other tree guys in hopes to keep the already fierce competition down.

In all honesty I like to grind but wouldn't be involved in it if I didn't fall into a reasonable deal on my machine.

 

[newb]

I bought a Bandit this year. I got the 34 horse Cat and wireless remote. Love it.

 

[lufkincy]

Thanks for the info and one more question-marketing

I really appreciate the most helpful info. I've got one more question. How do you market your stumpgrinding service? I'm new and am trying a lot of different things. One I hope will work well is direct mail. I drive through various neighborhoods and when I find a visible stump I take a digital photo of it and write down the address. When I get back to my office I use our tax assessor's database to look up the owner of the property. I then write a letter to the owner and include a photo of the stump(s). I've just started this and so far have only gotten one job. It was for 7 stumps, the smallest being about 24", but they were all very rotten and the job went really fast. You can see a copy of my letter at http://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf
Thanks...
Cy Stapletonhttp://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf

 

[BC WetCoast]

I really appreciate the most helpful info. I've got one more question. How do you market your stumpgrinding service? I'm new and am trying a lot of different things. One I hope will work well is direct mail. I drive through various neighborhoods and when I find a visible stump I take a digital photo of it and write down the address. When I get back to my office I use our tax assessor's database to look up the owner of the property. I then write a letter to the owner and include a photo of the stump(s). I've just started this and so far have only gotten one job. It was for 7 stumps, the smallest being about 24", but they were all very rotten and the job went really fast. You can see a copy of my letter at http://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf
Thanks...
Cy Stapletonhttp://hotlinecy.com/stumpgrindingletter.pdf

The places I would focus on are, referrals from other tree companies and landscapers, municipalities outside their normal boulevard operations (ie parks and trails) and golf courses. Another place may be other stump grinder companies who get stumps that are difficult/pita and don't want to deal with. In my humble opinion, if you see people with stumps left in their yard, especially old ones, removing them is pretty low on their priority list and a lot of work with low return for you.

I think that many grinder companies don't want to deal with stumps that on top of retaining walls, where you need ramps or a crane to get the machine to; or fences that need to be dismantled and reassembled; or surface roots under paving stone patios (where the paving stones have to be relaid); or in planters in office buildings. All situations I've had to deal with that I wished my boss had subbed out. Find a niche in the PITA stump removal market.

 

[undercut]

pricing

Pricing at one flat rate per inch is not that accurate in determing your work load. I look at the job and figure how long it is going to take me. I know it cost 70/hr just to run the machine if you include replacing, carbide, belts, pulleys, bearings, oil changes, pockets, bolts, fuel ect. remember you are depreciating the machine over a set amount of time 5 years 6,7, maybe even 10 depending on how many hours you are grinding a year. You really have to look at everything it cost to grind stumps in the first place including how much it cost you everyday just to wake up in the morning , 75 bucks to roll out of bed? Insuranes and everything all combined.

You have to look at the job by time and complexibility. Rock hazards, are the stumps cut low, are you going to flush cut them low? Are you going to smoke a chain, hit a nail? How does the wood grind. Is it going to take a while. Is it dense and heavy wood like beech? is it brittle and smooth to grind like oaks? Is it fresh and wet or rotten? Is it a hard and dry from sitting all summer durning a drought? Are the roots from a red maple running several feet away from the trunk? What are the clients planning to do with the area? do you have to break through the core so you can have proper flow of water for planting? can you just take it down an inch to hide for a mulch bed?

After you answer all these questions and more, start to think about volume. The radius of a circle squared times pi gives you it's area. Think of the difference of the volume of wood you are going to have to chip between a 1 foot stump versus a 5 foot stump. 113 face cu. inches versus 2826 face cu. inches. You can see the volume increases exponentially the larger you go. So if you charge 2 dollars an inch for a 1 foot stump or 24 dollars, don't charge 120 dollars for the 5 foot stump with 25 times as much cu face. The larger stump is the more work, and when you get used grind time you will understand this.

when pricing - Know you wood and look at all the factors and remember don't undercut yourself. These are imaginary stumps in my example but charge 600.00 or more for the five footer ... remember the chips build up and things get a lot more complicated with bigger stumps 10 dollars and inch is not really that off when you think how much the volume increases. You will get to the point when you can just look and tell. You will know all the factors that determine your price including what others are charging and your exact costs. Hope this helps. Good luck... Justin 860-874-1205 STUMPS IN CT...

 

[Canyonbc]

I bought a Bandit this year. I got the 34 horse Cat and wireless remote. Love it.

I don't remember the exact number on the machine...but a few months ago i was working as a groundy for another company here in town....and they have a remote controlled bandit...it was awesome

rolled it off the trailer...through the gate...and ground the liquid amber right up.

 

[Canyonbc]

I bought a Bandit this year. I got the 34 horse Cat and wireless remote. Love it.

I don't remember the exact number on the machine...but a few months ago i was working as a groundy for another company here in town....and they have a remote controlled bandit...it was awesome

rolled it off the trailer...through the gate...and ground the liquid amber right up.

 

[undercut]

best stumper

There are a lot of awesome machines. Turbo deisels that are remote controled are sweetness. I think if you need one good all around model to get the small tighties and the big ones you go with a machine like your are talking about. If you have the demand and budget i would say a small medium and large machine is the way to go. I wouldn;t mind a track machine for the tricky terrane, hopefully soon.

 

[Canyonbc]

There are a lot of awesome machines. Turbo deisels that are remote controled are sweetness. I think if you need one good all around model to get the small tighties and the big ones you go with a machine like your are talking about. If you have the demand and budget i would say a small medium and large machine is the way to go. I wouldn;t mind a track machine for the tricky terrane, hopefully soon.

i agree realistically...the grinder i would like...is the HB20 Sidewinder by Bandit...with a 20 hp Kohler. I think its roughly $ 8000 grand brand new. i am small time...its cheaper and smaller.

Canyon

 

[Canyonbc]

http://www.banditchippers.com/index.php?option=com_models&task=view&itemId=15&lineId=26&modelId=61

 

[BC WetCoast]

Pricing at one flat rate per inch is not that accurate in determing your work load. I look at the job and figure how long it is going to take me. I know it cost 70/hr just to run the machine if you include replacing, carbide, belts, pulleys, bearings, oil changes, pockets, bolts, fuel ect. remember you are depreciating the machine over a set amount of time 5 years 6,7, maybe even 10 depending on how many hours you are grinding a year. You really have to look at everything it cost to grind stumps in the first place including how much it cost you everyday just to wake up in the morning , 75 bucks to roll out of bed? Insuranes and everything all combined.

You have to look at the job by time and complexibility. Rock hazards, are the stumps cut low, are you going to flush cut them low? Are you going to smoke a chain, hit a nail? How does the wood grind. Is it going to take a while. Is it dense and heavy wood like beech? is it brittle and smooth to grind like oaks? Is it fresh and wet or rotten? Is it a hard and dry from sitting all summer durning a drought? Are the roots from a red maple running several feet away from the trunk? What are the clients planning to do with the area? do you have to break through the core so you can have proper flow of water for planting? can you just take it down an inch to hide for a mulch bed?

After you answer all these questions and more, start to think about volume. The radius of a circle squared times pi gives you it's area. Think of the difference of the volume of wood you are going to have to chip between a 1 foot stump versus a 5 foot stump. 113 face cu. inches versus 2826 face cu. inches. You can see the volume increases exponentially the larger you go. So if you charge 2 dollars an inch for a 1 foot stump or 24 dollars, don't charge 120 dollars for the 5 foot stump with 25 times as much cu face. The larger stump is the more work, and when you get used grind time you will understand this.

when pricing - Know you wood and look at all the factors and remember don't undercut yourself. These are imaginary stumps in my example but charge 600.00 or more for the five footer ... remember the chips build up and things get a lot more complicated with bigger stumps 10 dollars and inch is not really that off when you think how much the volume increases. You will get to the point when you can just look and tell. You will know all the factors that determine your price including what others are charging and your exact costs. Hope this helps. Good luck... Justin 860-874-1205 STUMPS IN CT...

I agree, pricing stumps by the inch is going bite you in the a$$ in the long run. There are too many variables that need to be considered which can range from little things like not being able to find the address (or find parking), travel, gates and fences, managing mulch and cleanup. Just some examples:

For some yards, we find it is easier to dismantle a fence panel rather than try and get through a gate. For prebuild wood panel fences, run a sawzall down the fence post cutting the nails and lift the panel out. When the job is done, then the panel can just be nailed back in place.

I will also grind within a 1/2" of a fence or wall, but the last couple of inches are very slow to make sure I don't hit anything.

I've also had to walk a machine down the side of a house, with only a couple of inches of clearance on the sides (actually had to ride the machine because there was no room to walk beside) because there was no other access to the backyard.

We built a set of ramps for getting on top of walls or steps. They're easy to use, but take time to set up.

Unfortunately, very few of our stumps are found in flat areas like they show in the equipment demos.

We will haul mulch if requested, but it is a separate item on the quote, so the customer can see how much it will cost. My suggestion for pricing the mulch (grindings) hauling is to estimate using an hourly rate twice the grinding rate ie $100/hr to grind - $200/hr to haul mulch(grindings). Nobody likes to haul mulch and so if customer doesn't want it, no problem because you didn't want to do it anyway. And if the customer does want it, then it is worth your while.

 

[undercut]

bandit copied carlton

Aside from that i wouldn't get that bandit model. In stump grinding generally there is no replacement for displacement. HP is more than slightly important. i feel like getting that machine would be a bad move. Go with at least the 2100 model. Check with carlton they make some reasonable little deisel ones that are similar also. Just go a little bigger and you will be happy. 2900 call it a day check out the SP4012 with the kubota that carlton makes i think this could kick some ass for you. I have a litte one like this with a 27 kohler and it is so fast that i did 40 little stumps ranging from 1 inch stubs to 6 inch mixed hard woods in just over and hour for 450.00 a couple weeks ago and the lady tried to change to price after because she thought it was to much to make so quick. some times it is the right tool for the job that makes the differnce. If the travel speed is the same for the kubota i am definatley upgrading to that. mine has 250 hrs or so right now just put a new v belt on it.

 

[Canyonbc]

Aside from that i wouldn't get that bandit model. In stump grinding generally there is no replacement for displacement. HP is more than slightly important. i feel like getting that machine would be a bad move. Go with at least the 2100 model. Check with carlton they make some reasonable little deisel ones that are similar also. Just go a little bigger and you will be happy. 2900 call it a day check out the SP4012 with the kubota that carlton makes i think this could kick some ass for you. I have a litte one like this with a 27 kohler and it is so fast that i did 40 little stumps ranging from 1 inch stubs to 6 inch mixed hard woods in just over and hour for 450.00 a couple weeks ago and the lady tried to change to price after because she thought it was to much to make so quick. some times it is the right tool for the job that makes the differnce. If the travel speed is the same for the kubota i am definatley upgrading to that. mine has 250 hrs or so right now just put a new v belt on it.

Really.

Ok thank you...always open to suggestion and def. love to learn new info.

Carlton is a solid company to look through for stump grinders???

 

[undercut]

Solid as a rock

Carlton has beefy stuff i have two stumpers from them one with a duetz tow behind and the little self propelled. They are reasonable and over engineered. I have to say i like the carlton more than the vermeer i have. Adding hydraulic drive motors for the grinding wheel is sweet but cost more money than it is worth in my opinion. Some high end models are like that and really popular, rayco rg 50 for example. i just can't justify the price difference for the actual production. Not that any of them are really horrable machines. Like the direct gear drive vermeers are cool but costly. what is the savings between a new tranny versus belts and bearings? The only thing i don't like about carlton is what they did with the sandvik. I like that they tried to re-engineer the teeth patter to cut better but i don't like that they modified the actual teeth so you have to use theirs and pay a tiny bit more. I am really curious about the M1 i might have to call leonardi tree care and see what is up with that. What are peoples consensus on the best wheel and teeth?

 

[Canyonbc]

Thanks for the info. Canyon