Stump Grinding Cost (2026)
Updated October 2026
Prices checked 2026-10-25 — sources cited below.
Stump grinding costs $150–$300 per stump, about $200 typical — Fixr's national average. By size: small stumps $40–$75, medium $75–$150, large $150–$200; some pros charge $2–$5/inch or bill $150–$200/hour. Full removal — pulling the stump and roots out rather than grinding them down — is the pricier job at $200–$700 per stump.
What drives the cost
- Diameter. The main variable — $40–$75 small, $75–$150 medium, $150–$200 large per stump (Fixr).
- Pricing method. Per stump, $2–$5/inch of diameter, or $150–$200/hour hourly. Per-stump suits one or two stumps; hourly suits clearing a yard of many.
- Grinding vs removal. Grinding averages $200; full extraction averages $380 per stump. Grinding is roughly 40–50% cheaper on the same stump.
- Access. Tight gates and sloped ground slow the machine and push you toward the hourly rate.
- Minimum charge. Most crews carry a call-out minimum, so a single small stump often bills at the minimum, not the size-row figure.
A walk-behind grinder working a backyard stump. Photo: Adrian Pingstone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The cutting wheel does the work — wear the guarding. Photo: Adrian Pingstone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Grinding vs full removal
Grinding chips the stump below grade and leaves the roots to rot; removal digs the whole stump and major root ball out. Grinding is the standard backyard choice and the cheaper one: about $200 per stump against $380 for extraction — roughly 90% more to remove the same 24-inch stump. Removal only makes sense when you plan to replant or build on the exact spot. See the tree removal cost guide for the felling side of the job.
Machines used
Residential work is dominated by walk-behind grinders like the compact Rayco RG70X; larger or commercial jobs may use excavator-mounted heads (Dipperfox-style) that chew through several stumps per visit. Machine class affects the hourly rate, not the per-stump row above.
A compact walk-behind grinder (Rayco RG70X) — the typical residential machine. Photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
An operator grinding a stump down below grade. Photo: U.S. Army / NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Excavator-mounted grinding head for high-volume or commercial work. Photo: TaaviAltpuu, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
FAQs
How much does stump grinding cost?
Stump grinding costs $150–$300 per stump on average, about $200 typical. The full cited span runs $100–$600 once very small or very large stumps are included. By size: small stumps $40–$75, medium $75–$150, large $150–$200. Some pros charge $2–$5/inch of diameter or bill $150–$200/hour.
How much does it cost to remove a stump completely instead of grinding it?
Full stump removal (extraction) is a bigger job than grinding: $200–$700 per stump on average, about $380 typical (Fixr), with a full span of $50–$1,100. A 24-inch stump runs $200–$700. Grinding leaves the roots to rot; removal pulls the stump and major roots out.
How much does stump grinding cost for a small stump?
A small stump — roughly 12 inches across or less — runs $40–$75 per stump (Fixr). Most companies also carry a minimum call-out charge, so a single small stump often bills at the minimum rather than the row figure.
How much do stump grinders charge per hour?
Hourly billing runs $150–$200/hour (Fixr). Hourly pricing suits multi-stump jobs where the crew works a whole yard in one visit; per-stump pricing suits one or two stumps.
How much does it cost to grind a stump per inch?
Some contractors price per inch of trunk diameter: $2–$5/inch (Fixr). Measure the stump across its widest point at ground level to estimate your own figure.
Is it cheaper to grind a stump or remove it?
Grinding. Grinding averages $200 per stump against $380 for full extraction — removal costs roughly 90% more on the same 24-inch basis ($200–$700 grinding, $200–$700 removal). Grinding is the standard choice unless you plan to replant in the same spot.
Cost by stump size
| Size / method | Cost per stump | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Small (to about 12 in) | $40–$75 | Shrubs, saplings, small ornamentals. |
| Medium (about 12–24 in) | $75–$150 | Typical backyard shade-tree stump. |
| Large (24 in and up) | $150–$200 | Mature trees; tighter access costs more. |
| Per inch of diameter | $2–$5/inch | Some pros price by diameter instead. |
Source: Fixr, retrieved 2026-10-25; rows quote-bound to that page's table.
Grinding vs full removal, side by side
| Job | Average range | Typical | Full cited span |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stump grinding (per stump) | $150–$300 | $200 | $100–$600 |
| Stump removal (extraction, per stump)24-in stump: $200–$700 | $200–$700 | $380 | $50–$1,100 |
| Hourly billing (grinding) | $150–$200/hour | — | $150–$200/hour |
Grinding and removal bands come from two different Fixr pages and are kept separate — never averaged. The "full cited span" column includes each page's own low-end and high-end figures.
Sources
- Fixr — Stump Grinding Cost | Average Cost of Stump Grinding
- Fixr — Stump Removal Cost | Tree Root Removal Cost
All sources retrieved live on 2026-10-25. Single-publisher dataset (Fixr) — flagged in the dataset file; bands are never blended across publishers. Estimate only — get local written quotes. Figures gathered 2026-10-25; see the dataset file for the full source log.