What we need and why
A stump quote is priced from the wheel time it will take to grind. Wheel time is a function of the volume of wood we have to remove. Volume is diameter times height. That is why those two numbers, taken correctly, are enough. Everything else on the quote (access, chip plan, terrain) we can see from a photo.
The five step measurement
- Clear the base. Kick or brush leaves, mulch, and loose dirt away from the sides of the stump. You want to see where the wood actually meets the ground. Ignore the top of the cut face; the width up top is not what we care about.
- Effective diameter at grade. Lay a tape measure across the widest point of the wood at ground level, including the root flare. Write it down. If the flare is uneven, take a second reading at ninety degrees to the first and average the two.
- Height above grade. Set the tape at the ground next to the stump and read to the top of the cut face. Take the tallest point if the top slopes. Under six inches is essentially flush, over eighteen counts as tall.
- Photo for scale. Stand back four to six feet. Take a photo that shows the entire stump, the ground around it, and a phone or shoe next to it for scale. That scale reference lets us verify the numbers and catch a flare you might have missed.
- Send it in. Upload the photo and the two numbers through the quote tool. That is enough for a normal yard stump. We reply with a firm written price in one business day.
Common measurement mistakes
- Measuring the top of the cut face. A twelve inch cut face can sit on a twenty four inch flare. We charge for the flare, not the top. Always measure at grade.
- Skipping the flare. If the flare is buried under leaves, brush the leaves. The flare is often the majority of the wheel time.
- Guessing the height. "Ground level" and "six inches" are different jobs. If we quote flush and it turns out to be twelve inches tall, the number changes on site.
When measuring is not enough
Some stumps do need a site visit before we quote firm. Send the photo and the numbers anyway, we will tell you which of these applies:
- Stumps larger than sixty inches at grade.
- Stumps behind a gate narrower than thirty six inches.
- Stumps within ten feet of a foundation, septic field, or above-ground utility.
- Batches of more than ten stumps on the same property.
Once you have the numbers, the cost page shows the range you should expect. And read the NC 811 locate guide for what happens between the quote and the grind day.