price for stump

[treeman82]

i have a question for you guys about stumps. i have to grind 3 stumps this week right by a building. the building is on one side of the stump, and on the other is a fence. the area to work in is about 3 feet wide, maybe 4. however the entrance because of an a/c unit is only 3. one stump is about 2' in diameter. then the root flares are large. the thing about this stump is. we go by inches in diameter. well i have cut this stump pretty much as low as i can with the saws. now i must go in with the grinder. and i have to bring the stump down about 2 feet from where it is now. to bring it down to the level of this path. how do you account for inches deep? because i have to bring it down 2 feet from its present height just to be at the level of the path. any thoughts on this? the people tell me do the work and send us the bill. dont ask for prices.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The job is beyond the parameters of your usual estimating scale. I would bill by time. It takes longer to manuver in, you are going deeper than normal so you amy have to do alot of shoveling to get the machine down there. Sounds lile a two or three man job.

Can you remove part of the fence fo beter manuverabilty?

 

[treeclimber165]

My guy here in Orlando charges $2 per inch diameter (including root flare) and that covers approx. 12" depth. If you have 2' above grade and say 6" below grade, that would be 2 1/2X the price per inch, or $5 per inch. Typically the 12" depth rule covers 2-3" above grade and 9-10" below grade.
That is what he tells us tree guys, so that way he is covered.
On easier ones I can get him for less, on difficult ones I always see to it that he gets a lil more.

 

[Treeman14]

I'd give the customer a ballpark price based on at least $5/inch or your hourly rate multiplied by the time you think it will take. This way they won't get that sticker shock look when you give them your bill. I've had more than a few bad reactions after someone told me to just do it and send them a bill. Its always better to get everything out in the open up front. BTW, I prefer to price stumps on estimaated time rather than strictly by the inch. A 40 inch live oak is going to take a lot longer and be rougher on the equipment than a 60 inch willow.

 

[treeman82]

thanx guys. i was figuring, and had told them that the one stump will be around 600 dollars. i gotta get a small grinder for it due to the fact that it is a chain link fence, and the neighbors dont particularly care for these people. i figure that a small self propelled machine would do the trick. tow behind is something i can forget about. and those self propelled vermeers, carltons, and rayco's i can forget about too. i think i have with the machine i can get, i have something like 1 full day or 1 day and change of grinding. myself and one other person. around here average for stumping is 4 - 5 dollars per inch.

 

[sonny]

Please be careful around the chain link fence. From what i have heard the grinder will take off like a run away locomotive if it gets caught up in the fence.you just cant take the fence down first. Or the stump cant be hand choped ?Or go buy your self a carbide tipped chain for the saw & go to town. $ 80 t0 90 for a good 20 inch chain.

 

[treeman82]

the fence is about a foot or so from the stump. the biggest grinder i am gonna get into this area will be something like a rayco RG-20. i can either rent one of those, or that self propelled vermeer that everyone has.