A homeowner calls about a dead maple. You quote the removal. The tree comes down, the crew cleans up, and the yard looks great, except for a big stump in the middle. Two weeks later the homeowner calls another company to grind it. You did the hard part, and someone else got the easy add-on.
This is common and easy to fix. Put the stump in the same quote.
Why the same quote works
When a homeowner hires a removal, the stump is on their mind. They do not want to trip over it or mow around it. If you do not offer a price, they assume you do not do it, or they wait and shop for it.
Offering it in the first quote has three benefits:
- It saves the homeowner a second search. One company, one visit, one bill.
- It saves your crew a second trip. If the grinder is on the trailer, the trip cost is already paid. Our stump grinding leads post covers how to win stump-only calls too.
- It looks clear and fair. The homeowner sees every choice with a price.
If you do not own a grinder, you can still list the option by working with a local grinding partner. Be clear about who does the work, and check your insurance for any work done on your behalf.
Make it an option, not a trick
The stump line should be easy to accept or decline. Do not hide it in small print and do not add it without asking. A good quote layout looks like this:
| Line | What it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tree removal | Cut down, haul away wood and brush | Your price |
| Stump grinding (option) | Grind to a set depth, leave chips on site | Your price |
| Stump grinding with cleanup (option) | Grind, remove chips, fill and level | Your price |
The homeowner ticks what they want. If they skip the stump, you have lost nothing. If they pick it, the job grows with no extra selling.
Our estimate template gives you a layout with option lines you can copy.
What to say, in plain words
On site, say it as part of the walk-through, not as a sales pitch.
Example: “After we take the tree down, you’ll have a stump about two feet across. I can grind it the same day so you’re not left with it. It’s a separate line on the quote, so you can add it or leave it off.”
In the written quote, add one sentence about what the grinding does and does not include:
Example: “Stump grinding removes the stump to a set depth below the ground. Roots stay in the soil and will break down over time. Wood chips are left on site unless you choose cleanup.”
Be honest about roots and depth. Homeowners who plan to plant a new tree, put in a patio or build a fence need to know what to expect. Our homeowner page on stump removal options explains the choices in plain language, and you can send people to it.
How to price it with your own numbers
Do not copy someone else’s price. Your costs differ. Think about:
- Stump width and how many roots show above ground
- Access: can the grinder reach it, or is there a gate, a slope or a fence?
- Rocks, dirt, wire or nails in the wood
- Cleanup: leave chips or haul them away
- Your machine cost per hour, fuel and wear on teeth
- Travel and setup time
The stump grinding estimator walks through these inputs and gives you a starting estimate you can adjust. Use it to build your own price list, then check it against the tree job estimator so the whole job is priced as one.
Try it: open the stump grinding estimator, enter the size of your last three stumps and see if your usual price covers your real cost.
When to bundle and when to separate
Some tree companies give a small discount when the stump is done the same day. That can be fair, since you save a trip. But do not discount just to close. If your numbers support a bundle price, use it. If they do not, keep the lines separate and clear. Our guide to pricing tree work shows how to check that each job earns what it should.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for the homeowner to ask
- Using one flat price for every stump
- Not saying what happens to roots and chips
- Forgetting access problems (a stump behind a locked gate)
- Skipping a utility locate before grinding. Check with your state’s one-call service and your own safety rules
- Leaving the stump out of the written quote after talking about it on site
Checklist for your next removal quote
- I measured the stump (or will measure it after the cut)
- The stump is a separate, optional line in the quote
- The quote says what is included: depth, chips, cleanup
- The quote says roots stay in the ground
- I checked access for the machine
- I checked for buried lines before work starts
- My price comes from my own costs, not a guess
A worked example of the quote lines
Here is how the options might look for one job. These are example lines for an example company, Oak & Pine Tree Service, with no real prices.
The homeowner has one dead maple in the front yard and one stump left from an old pine at the back fence. The quote shows the maple removal as the main line. Then it lists “Grind maple stump” and “Grind old pine stump” as two optional lines. Because the pine stump is behind a gate, the quote adds a short note that the machine needs the gate unlocked on the day. The homeowner chooses the maple stump and skips the pine. The crew does both the removal and the grinding in one visit.
The homeowner got a clear choice. The crew saved a trip. Nothing was pushed.
One more reason: callers who do not get an answer
Add-ons only help if the call gets picked up. According to Invoca, about 27% of calls to home-service businesses go unanswered, and under 3% of those callers leave a voicemail. A removal and a stump are both lost when the phone rings out. Our Never-Miss-A-Job System replies to missed calls by text within 30 seconds. If you want to see how many calls you miss, get a free audit.
