Complete stump jobs?

[topnotchtree]

I am considering getting a stumper this summer. It will most likely be a self propelled smaller machine. Of you guys that do stumps, how many of you fill the hole with topsoil and plant grass seed? I know lots of guys that grind stumps pretty cheap, but they also leave the pile of stump grindings on site for the customer. I guess I am just wondering if you guys carry topsoil and seed to certain jobs? Or, do you leave the finish work to a landscaper? I realize you get what you pay for, and a complete job is gonna cost more then a grind-and-leave job.

 

[Koa Man]

Hauling away stump grindings is a real big hassle. If the job requires hauling away the excess grindings (those more than required to backfill) the price goes up quite a bit. I just got a mini skidsteer and my grinding attachment is on its way. Once I get it, I will try to sell hauling the grindings away, as I will be able to scoop it up with the bucket. I never did a job that required bacfilling with topsoil. The City puts it in some of their contracts, but I never bid on those. I might start to since I got a machine to move dirt and I got a nice mound of topsoil in my backyard.

 

[Lumberjack]

We have been grinding for 7 years, we dont clean up the mess.

We will, if the customer is willing to pay, remove the chips and fill in with top soil.

 

[Menchhofer]

We always include debris removal, topsoil, and seed with every stump job. Most people will not mess with it. Grass will never grow on top of the chips until many many years later, and the area will not look right. Sure, its more work, not only does the job look complete, it also usually nets 3x the stump price. So why not do it right?

 

[tnttreeman]

Around my work area, if you leave the grindings you probably won't get called back to do another stump. I am doing a job this week like that. The lady was very disappointed with the way the last guy left her place. Usually we backfill the hole, walk over it a little to compact, and haul the rest away. The homeowner normally gets a little topsoil and seed for the hole. I may try to sell the topsoil and seed jobs sometime, but it usually isn't worth the time.

 

[Ekka]

Just give them the options with the prices, they'll decide for themselves.

But over here I have never taken away the mulch, it's incredibly rare to even be asked. So we just mound it up.

 

[topnotchtree]

I just heard of a landscaper that bought his topsoil in bags. He claimed by the time you load and dump then transfer to the site there was a lot of waste. For smaller amounts of topsoil this kinda makes sense to me. You buy the topsoil at a bulk rate, maybe by the pallet. Load a pallet on your truck at your home, and use what you need for the job. When you return home you just unload the pallet and reload it for the next job. This is assuming of course, that you have a set of forks or some way to load a pallet with a machine, not by hand. I do realize that a very large stump will take a huge amount of topsoil, and this method would not work effeciently, but for the smaller stumps.......... Waddya think?

 

[Menchhofer]

Buying topsoil by the bag is like purchasing mulch by the bag. Usually not the best option. We estimate the amount of toposil needed for the hole and then double it. Alot of dirt goes no where. This is why bags of dirt would only work in very small quantities.

A yard of soil here costs $8.50 (about a ton). It would take many bags at $1 or $2 each to equal the yard.

 

[topnotchtree]

I guess I can see filling in stump holes will use more topsoil than I had first thought. I just thought I would share the idea and see what kind of response it got.

 

[Beast12]

When I am quoting stumps I tell the customer that there will be stump shavings left over. If they want them gone it costs more money. BUT, I try not too do it. I usually tell them that they are good for the garden/compost and they usually keep them.

If the stump is HUGE sometimes I will include it in the price (easier to move around and get the whole stump).

-Matt

 

[Newfie]

A yard of soil here costs $8.50 (about a ton). It would take many bags at $1 or $2 each to equal the yard.

About 27 bags. The topsoil bags around here are 1 cu. ft. $8.50 a yard for topsoil (almost 2700 lbs.for detail people), that's a great price. In redneck Mass it's about $16 delivered if you get 20 yards at a time, more per yard for lesser amounts. On the other hand bark mulch & the like is actually a lot cheaper to buy by the bag than delivered by the yard in my area.

 

[Yellowdog]

We always include debris removal, topsoil, and seed Grass will never grow on top of the chips until many many years later, and the area will not look right.

Is this because of the tannic acids in oaks and other trees? I have noticed that when I grind juniper, the grasses come back in the mix of dirt and chips.

 

[juststumps]

if i grind a stump... i sell the job as cleaned up,, raked into a big termite mound....if they want lawn,,,,,sod

 

[stavenstumper]

I offer to pick up the grindings for a fee. No one has ever asked me to do it or even how much extra it would be. Which is good because I have no idea how much to charge.

 

[Stump Man]

I offer to pick up the grindings for a fee. No one has ever asked me to do it or even how much extra it would be. Which is good because I have no idea how much to charge.

I have been gringing stumps since 1963 and have lost only one or two jobs because I won't cleanup. Lots more $$$$ grinding than cleaning up.