How much does a Stump Grinding cost to buy?

A typical Stump Grinding sells for 1.5x to 2.5x annual revenue. With average revenue of $175K, expect to pay $263K to $438K.

How much does it cost to start a Stump Grinding?

Startup costs range from $6K to $50K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Stump Grinding

Q: What are the profit margins for a Stump Grinding?

The average profit margin for a Stump Grinding is around 40%. Major costs: equipment loan/depreciation (15%), fuel (8–10%), blade/carbide replacements (5%), liability insurance ($3K–$5K/year), marketing (5–10%). A solo operator running 3 jobs/week at $275 average generates ~$43K in year one; scaling to 5–6 days/week with multiple crews can reach $300K–$400K revenue.

Turn dead wood into cash — one stump at a time

Stump grinding is a specialized outdoor service that removes tree stumps left after trees are cut down. A single grinder mounted on a trailer is all you need to earn $100–$150/hour. Tree service companies frequently subcontract stump removal, creating a built-in referral network from day one. With a used grinder costing as little as $6K, few legitimate service businesses start this lean.

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Avg Revenue

$175K

Profit Margin

40%

Acquisition Multiple

1.5x - 2.5x

Startup Cost

$6K - $50K

Difficulty

2/5

How It Works

A rotating drum with carbide teeth chews through stumps below ground level. Jobs typically take 15–60 minutes and average $200–$350 per stump. Operators charge by stump count, diameter, or hourly rate. Tree services refer stump work they don't want to handle, while direct homeowner calls come from Google and Nextdoor.

Revenue Range

Low End

$80K

Typical

$175K

High End

$400K

Pros

+Very low startup cost — used grinder and trailer under $10K
+Tree companies subcontract this constantly, so leads appear from day one
+30–50% profit margins on low overhead
+No license required in most states — just insurance
+One person can run 6–10 jobs per day once efficient

Cons

-Highly seasonal in cold climates — winter can be near-zero
-Physically demanding — equipment is loud and dusty
-Equipment maintenance is regular and critical
-Geographic range limited by drive time between jobs

Best For

Outdoorsy entrepreneurs wanting a lean, low-overhead service business; also great as an add-on to tree service or landscaping operations

Operating Costs

Major costs: equipment loan/depreciation (15%), fuel (8–10%), blade/carbide replacements (5%), liability insurance ($3K–$5K/year), marketing (5–10%). A solo operator running 3 jobs/week at $275 average generates ~$43K in year one; scaling to 5–6 days/week with multiple crews can reach $300K–$400K revenue.