Stump Grinding Business Income — How Much Does It Make?

Monthly Revenue

$8K–$22K

realistic range

Startup Cost

$5K–$25K

to get started

Hourly Rate

$150–$350

per hour billed

Complexity

2/4

skill required

The Business

Stump grinding is a specialist niche that tree service companies routinely subcontract out. A single stump takes 15-45 minutes and pays $200-500. Large commercial stumps can hit $1,000+. The equipment is the main barrier — a quality stump grinder costs $8K-20K — but once you have one, the margins are enormous. Most operators do 4-8 stumps per day.

How to Start

Buy a quality stump grinder ($8K-15K for a reliable used unit). Partner with every tree service company in your area — they remove trees but hate grinding stumps. Offer them a referral fee or discounted rate. Create a Google Business profile and run Google Ads targeting 'stump removal near me'. You'll be booked within weeks.

REAL EXAMPLE

Dave in Portland bought a $12K used stump grinder and partnered with 4 tree services. Within 3 months he was doing 6 stumps/day at $300 average, grossing $18K/month.

Equipment Needed

▸Stump grinder ($5K-20K)
▸Truck or trailer
▸Safety gear
▸Shovel and rake
▸Chainsaw

Licensing

Business license only

Monthly Search Volume

1,800

people/month search for this business

READY TO START?

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Revenue Calculator

Jobs per Week20

Revenue per Job$350

Weekly Hours30 hrs

Startup Cost$15,000

Weekly Revenue

$7K

Monthly Revenue

$30.1K

Annual Revenue

$361.2K

Monthly Profit

$29.3K

Break-Even

1 month

Hourly Rate

$233

Monthly costs: $800/mo (insurance, fuel, supplies)

CHRIS'S TAKE

“Stump grinding is maybe the best margins in all of home services. Your competition is tree companies who view it as an afterthought. A $12K grinder pays for itself in 6 weeks if you hustle.”

PRO TIP

Partner with landscapers too — they encounter stumps on every other yard renovation project and will happily subcontract the grinding to you.

READY TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL?

Form Your LLC Today

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ACQUISITION ROUTE

Want to buy a Stump Grinding instead of starting one?

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TOOLS TO RUN THIS BUSINESS

Tools we'd use if we were starting this business today. Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission.

ZenBusinessFROM $0

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