Home › Guides › How Do You Get More Stump Grinding Jobs for a Tree Service? A Marketing Plan
How Do You Get More Stump Grinding Jobs for a Tree Service?
Short answer: A tree service wins stump grinding jobs from three places: every removal you quote, past customers with stumps still in the yard, and people searching for stump grinding by itself. Give it its own page, price it by stump width, add a minimum charge, and show how you handle buried utility lines.
- LawnStarter's 2026 guide lists stump grinding at $158 to $450 nationally (not your price).
- Add stump grinding as its own line with its own price on every removal quote.
- Past removal customers who said no to grinding are the cheapest source of new stump jobs.
- Price by stump width, with a per-stump minimum and an extra charge for hard access.
- Florida's Sunshine 811 says to call 811 before grinding a stump; check your own state's rule.
Why is stump grinding its own market?
Stump grinding is the work of cutting a stump down below ground level with a grinder, so it can be filled with soil or covered with grass. It is not the same job as removing a tree.
Plenty of people have a stump they left behind years ago. Some cut the tree down themselves. Some hired a crew that took the tree and left the stump. They search for "stump grinding near me" when the stump starts to bother them: they want to mow, plant, put in a fence, or sell the house.
That makes stump work different from removal. Removal is often urgent and comes from fear. Stump grinding is often a planned job that comes from annoyance. The buyer has time to compare. They read your page, look at photos and check reviews.
It also pays differently. The jobs are smaller, but the setup is simple. The grinder goes to the stump, the crew grinds, and you leave. If you can book several stumps on one street in the same day, the numbers work well.
What does stump grinding cost?
Know the public range. LawnStarter's 2026 guide lists stump grinding at $158 to $450 and stump removal, meaning removing the stump and roots, at $175 to $516 (LawnStarter: tree removal price guide, 2026). It adds that debris cleanup is not always included in a removal quote, so ask what a quote covers.
Those are national figures, not your price. Use them to see what a homeowner expects. Then price by what you do: stump width, how many stumps, the root flare, and how hard the stump is to reach.
Our advice is to post a per-stump minimum and a rate by stump width. See our guide on whether tree services should show prices online.
Where do stump grinding jobs come from?
| Source | How it works | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Your own removal quotes | Add stump grinding as a line item on every removal quote | Low |
| Past removal customers | Text or call people whose stump you left | Low |
| Google search and Maps | Own page and profile service for stump grinding | Medium |
| Landscapers and fence builders | They need stumps gone before they plant or build | Medium |
| Property managers and builders | Lots cleared for new work | Higher |
| Neighbors of a job you just did | Door hanger or yard sign | Low |
The first row is the cheapest source. Every removal quote you write is a chance to say, "We can grind the stump while we are here." Put it on the quote as its own line with its own price. Let the customer cross it out if they do not want it.
How do you sell stump grinding with every removal?
Some homeowners do not know grinding is an option. They think the tree comes down and the stump stays. Here is a simple way to say it on the quote:
Tree removal: [price] Stump grinding, 12 inches below grade: [price] Both together: [price]
Offer a bundle price that is a little lower than the two parts. A crew that has the grinder on the truck saves a second trip, so you can afford it.
Two more tips for the call. First, ask about the stump when the customer first calls about the tree. Second, after you finish, ask whether they want the chips left for mulch. Free wood chips cost you little and give the customer something extra.
Can you re-sell to people who already had a removal?
Yes. This is the second source in the table. Your customer list holds every person whose tree you took down and who said no to grinding. Send them one text or call in spring when yards are being cleaned up.
Keep it short and honest:
Hi Sarah, this is Dan at Maple Ridge Tree Service. We took down your oak last year. If the stump is still there, we can grind it this week while we are on your street. Reply STOP to opt out.
(Names are made up for the example.) Only text people who gave you their number for the job, and give them a way to opt out. The FCC's rule says telemarketing texts sent with an autodialer generally need the recipient's prior express written consent, and that replies like "stop" revoke consent (47 CFR 64.1200). Get that consent on your quote or work order before you text, and check with a lawyer if unsure. Our guide on missed call text back for tree services goes through them.
How do you rank for stump grinding searches?
The people who search for stump grinding want one thing: someone to grind it. Give them a page about that.
Google's guidance for business profiles says to choose the fewest categories it takes to describe your overall core business, and a more general one if you cannot find a fit (Google Business Profile Help: guidelines). We could not confirm from Google's own pages that a stump grinding category exists, so open the category picker in your profile and look. If it does, add it as a secondary category and list stump grinding as a service. If it does not, list it as a service under your main category.
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence (how well-known a business is), and that nobody can pay for a better local ranking (Google Business Profile Help: improve your local ranking). Reviews count toward prominence, so ask every stump customer for one. Our guide on the Google Business Profile for tree services goes further.
On your site, make a stump grinding page that answers what a stump owner wants to know. See the steps below.
How do you set up a stump grinding page that gets calls?
Step 1: Put the answer at the top
"We grind stumps from [minimum] per stump in [towns]. Most stumps take under an hour." Use your real numbers and times. Do not copy this line.
Step 2: Show a price table by width
Use three or four width bands. Add a minimum charge and an extra charge for stumps near fences, walls or buildings.
Step 3: Say what happens after grinding
Customers often ask: how deep do you go, what is left, and who cleans up? Describe it. "We grind to about 12 inches below the surface. We leave the chips, or haul them for an extra fee."
Step 4: Explain how you handle utility lines
This sets you apart. Digging near buried lines is a real risk, and a customer who sees you take it seriously trusts you. The next section covers it.
Step 5: Add a photo form
Ask for the address, the stump width and one photo. A photo quote saves a trip. Add a tap to call button for people who prefer to talk.
Step 6: Add proof
Photos of before and after, a few reviews that mention stumps, and your license and insurance lines where required. See our list of what a tree service website should include.
Do you need to call 811 before grinding a stump?
Often yes, but the rules differ by state. Call 811 is the national number that connects you to your state's one call center, which has utilities mark buried lines before anyone digs.
Sunshine 811, the Florida one call center, tells homeowners to call 811 before pulling out or grinding a stump left over from a storm. It also says roots can grow into underground utility lines. It asks for two full business days before you dig (Sunshine 811: safe planting).
That is one state's guidance. Your state's one call law decides what counts as digging and how long you must wait. Check with your state one call center, and put a line on your stump page: "We call 811 before every grind."
Why this helps marketing: the line tells a careful homeowner that you plan for buried lines, and it gives an AI tool a clear fact about your process to quote.
Is stump grinding covered by tree licenses?
In some states, yes. New Jersey's Board of Tree Experts says a Licensed Tree Care Operator may perform pruning, tree removal and stump grinding or removal (NJ State Board of Tree Experts: licensing). Our New Jersey page has more.
Other states handle it differently, and many license nothing at the state level. Check your board before you advertise. If your state licenses tree work, a stump grinding ad is still tree work advertising.
How do you get stump work from other businesses?
Landscapers, fence builders, paving crews and builders all hit stumps. They want them gone without managing it themselves. Call five of them and offer a flat rate per stump, with a minimum for a trip. Ask for a standing job, not a one-off.
Keep the pitch plain: "When you hit a stump, call us. We show up the next day with the grinder and we call 811." A landscaper who finds a reliable grinder has a reason to keep calling.
What about yard signs and door hangers?
A stump job is small, but it is visible. When your crew grinds a stump, a neighbor may see the machine. Leave a door hanger on the three houses either side, with a stump grinding minimum and your number. If your town requires a permit for door to door sales or solicitation, get it first. Wisconsin's consumer agency tells residents to ask municipal officials whether a contractor holds permits for door-to-door sales in their area (Wisconsin DATCP, 2023), so be ready to show yours.
For more ways to bring in tree work, see how to get more tree removal jobs and our guide on tree service leads. The contractor wide version is in our hub guide on how to get more contractor leads.
If you want to see a tree site with a stump page built in, you can see a free demo site.
Common questions
How much should I charge for stump grinding?
Start from what your costs are and set a per-stump minimum. National guides put stump grinding at $158 to $450, but your market and stump sizes decide your number. Price by width and add extras for hard access.
Should stump grinding be on its own page?
Yes. People search for stump grinding on its own, and a page that answers only that question is easier for Google and AI tools to match to the search than a line on a general tree page.
Do I need to call 811 for stump grinding?
Check your state's one call rules. Sunshine 811, in Florida, says to call before pulling out or grinding a stump. Put the rule you follow on your page.
What is the best way to get stump jobs fast?
Add it to every removal quote, then text past removal customers who still have a stump. Those two steps need no ad spend.
Sources
- LawnStarter: Tree removal price guide (2026)
- Cornell Law School LII: 47 CFR 64.1200 (2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business (2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking (2026)
- Sunshine 811: Safe planting (2026)
- NJ State Board of Tree Experts: Licensing (2026)
- Wisconsin DATCP: Consumer alert on tree removal (2023)
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