Contractors in Utah usually set their rates on professional tree stump removal based on the number of stumps at your home or per diameter inch with a flat rate. Your location affects the actual rate, but you should expect to spend from $163 to $472 depending on the mentioned pricing arrangement.
While the national average costs $300, the price of professional stump grinding in Utah County or Salt Lake County should not be the same, especially when you only have one unsightly leftover from a felled tree.
How Professional Charge Rates
If you need to remove multiple stumps, you should expect to pay at least $100 for the first one and pay $50 for each of the remaining ones. A contractor could decrease their price if it is a relatively easy project, or charge a higher rate for bigger and more complex work. In case they quote a price based on the diameter per inch, it may cost between $2 and $5. Ask how the contractor measures the stump’s diameter.
The usual way involves taking a measurement from the widest point at the ground level. Other factors that could influence a higher or lower price include the root’s removal, which is quite expensive at $150 per hour. Do not forget to request for an inclusion of the clean-up work in each price estimate or quote. Otherwise, you should prepare to spend $2 per inch on average.
You could do this by yourself to save money and avoid paying disposal fees, if there are any in your area. Depending on the kind of stump, check the value of sawdust to see whether it is worth your time to sell it or not.
Why Professional Service Makes More Sense
Professional tree stump grinding and removal makes more sense despite having just one in your yard. A DIY project will require you to pay for rental equipment from your local home depot. For instance, it may cost $75 to rent a small grinder for a half-day job. By contrast, it would only cost $100 to remove one stump. The price could be the same when you are able to negotiate a cheaper rate.
There are other ways to remove a tree stump without the use of a grinder, such as burning it or using chemical solutions. However, these alternatives require a professional for your own safety. You cannot just light a large stump on fire without knowing the rules in your community, while the chemical-rotting process takes longer yet require the least amount of labor. Both options may cost as little as $6 each, but consider the impact on the quality of soil at your yard before choosing any of these options.
While homeowners could remove or grind tree stumps by themselves, tree stump removal or grinding done by a professional is safer and more practical whether or not you only need to remove a single one. Ask for at least three price estimates from different contractors, preferably those with insured and licensed employees.
