Stump Grinding Cost in Portland, Tennessee
Real price ranges for Portland stump grinding jobs, what actually moves the number, and how a photo gets you a firm quote fast.
Rough Numbers on a Stump Before You Call
A single small stump, something like a young Bradford pear or a maple under 12 inches across, usually runs in the $100 to $175 range. Mid-size stumps, the 12 to 24 inch range you'll find on most mature yard trees, typically land between $175 and $350. A large hardwood stump, an old oak or black walnut over 24 inches with a wide root flare, generally runs $350 to $700 depending on access and root spread.
These are ranges, not quotes. Two 20-inch stumps on two different Portland properties can price differently if one sits in open yard and the other is wedged between a fence and a foundation.
Diameter, Access and Root Spread Move the Number
Diameter is the starting point, but it's not the only thing. Access matters just as much, a stump we can drive straight up to costs less to grind than one behind a locked gate or down a steep side yard where the machine has to be walked in. Root spread plays in too; a hackberry with roots running wide near the surface takes longer to clean up than a stump with a tight, contained root ball.
Haul-away adds to the price if you want the wood chips gone instead of left on-site, and species matters some, dense hardwoods like walnut and oak take longer under the wheel than softer wood like silver maple.
Grinding More Than One Stump
If you've got several stumps on the same property, we drop the per-stump price for each additional one since we're already on-site with the equipment running. A yard with three or four small to mid-size stumps almost always comes out cheaper per stump than booking each one as a separate call.
There's also a minimum service call for any job, since loading and hauling the grinder to a property costs the same whether we're grinding one small stump or three. We'll tell you that minimum up front so there's no surprise if your single stump turns out to be a quick job.
How to Get a Firm Number
Send us two or three photos of the stump, one showing the whole stump with something for scale like a shovel or a shoe next to it, one showing the access route from the street or driveway, and one showing anything nearby we'd need to work around like a fence, a bed, or a sidewalk edge. Include the rough diameter if you've measured it.
With that, we can usually give you a firm number over the phone or by text without needing to drive out for a look first. That saves you a wait and saves us a trip, and it's why most of our quotes hold exactly at the number we give.
What Affects Your Price
- Stump diameter, measured at the widest point of the base
- Access, driveway-close versus gated, fenced, or steep terrain
- Root spread and species, hardwoods and wide-rooted trees take longer
- Number of stumps, per-stump discount applies to multiples on one visit
- Haul-away versus leaving chips on-site as mulch
- Grinding depth, standard 6-8 inches versus deeper for replanting or building
- Minimum service call that applies to any single job
What Portland callers ask about Pricing
Is the price you quote from a photo actually final, or does it change once you see the stump in person?
It holds in the large majority of cases. Photo quotes only shift if something wasn't visible in the picture, a much larger root flare hidden by grass, or an access problem the photo didn't show. If that happens, we'll explain exactly why before doing any extra work, not after.
Do you charge extra for grinding deeper than the standard depth?
Yes, a modest amount, since deeper grinding takes more time and more passes with the wheel. Standard depth of 6 to 8 inches covers most yards. If you're planning to build or replant on that exact spot and need 10 to 12 inches, mention it when you request your quote.
Is haul-away included in the price or extra?
It's usually a small add-on to the base grinding price, since leaving the chips on-site to use as mulch takes no extra time or trips. If you want the debris hauled off completely, tell us up front and we'll include that in the quote instead of surprising you after the job.
What's your minimum charge if I only have one small stump?
There's a flat minimum service call that applies to any single job, since getting the trailer and grinder to your property costs the same whether the stump takes ten minutes or an hour. We'll tell you that minimum when you call, so a very small stump won't come as a surprise.
Do you offer any discount for grinding several stumps at once?
Yes. The first stump is priced normally, and each additional stump on the same visit comes at a reduced per-stump rate, since we're already on-site with the equipment set up and running. Send photos of all of them together for the most accurate combined quote.
Why do two stumps that look about the same size sometimes cost different amounts?
Diameter is just one factor. Access, species, root spread, and whether you want haul-away all move the price. A 20-inch maple in open yard with easy driveway access will usually cost less than a 20-inch hackberry wedged behind a fence with wide surface roots to clean up.