Rent a stump grinder for one small stump in open ground. Hire out the rest.
A rental stump grinder is usually a 240–250 lb walk-behind machine that grinds roughly a foot below grade at most. It runs about $100–$275 a day, against roughly $150–$500 for a pro to grind a stump. Renting pays off for one or two soft stumps you can reach easily. Call 811 first, every time.
Walk-behind weight
240–252 lb
Max depth (rental units)
About 10–12 in below grade
Walk-behind day rate
$100–$275
Dig Safe notice (New England)
72 hours, excluding weekends
This page is about doing the grinding yourself with a rented machine. Our stump removal guide compares grinding with digging, chemicals and burning. If you’d rather have someone grind the stump for you, read stump grinding first. The depth you ask for decides the price.
The three kinds of rental stump grinder
Rental counters, including Home Depot’s tool rental, usually stock the smallest class. Bigger machines come from equipment rental yards. The class you rent decides what you can haul home, how big a stump you can finish, and how much the day costs.
| Type | Typical spec | Getting it home | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk-behind (handlebar) | 13 hp. 240–252 lb. Cuts 11–12 in below grade and 14 in above grade with a 9.5 in wheel (Toro SGR-13, Home Depot SG1314B) | Two people can lift it into a pickup bed. The SG1314B has a lift handle on each side for that | One or two stumps under about 10 in across, in soft ground |
| Self-propelled / tracked | 26 hp. About 1,200 lb. Cuts 12.5 in below grade and 33 in above grade with a 19 in wheel (Toro STX-26) | Needs a trailer, ramps and a vehicle rated to tow it | Bigger or harder stumps, and sites where you’d struggle to push a handlebar unit |
| Tow-behind | Larger wheeled machines that tow on a hitch. Specs vary by yard, so ask for the weight and hitch size | Your hitch and ball must match. One rental yard caps towing speed at 45 mph | Several stumps, or stumps too big for a handlebar unit |
For a sense of scale, one tree company that has watched homeowners rent says a handlebar grinder takes about an hour on a soft 8–12 in stump. A 20 in hardwood stump can take a full day and still not reach lawn depth (Richmond Tree Experts).
What stump grinder rental costs
Home Depot’s chipper and stump grinder rental page doesn’t list prices online. Rates are set by each store, so call the rental desk you’d actually use. The ranges below are published national surveys, not quotes.
| Rental | 4 hours | Day | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk-behind | $60–$100 | $100–$275 | $350–$900 |
| Self-propelled | $100–$200 | $175–$400 | $525–$1,300 |
| Home Depot (reported range) | — | $85–$160 | $340–$650 |
Those figures come from HomeGuide’s 2026 rental survey. Angi’s numbers run a little higher, at $200–$400 a day for a regular grinder and $60–$90 for a mini grinder suited to stumps under 10 in (Angi).
What moves the price
- Machine class. A self-propelled machine runs well above a walk-behind for the same period (see the table).
- The deposit. Expect a refundable hold of about $150–$300 (HomeGuide).
- Getting it there. If you don’t own a trailer, add trailer rental of about $50–$60 (Angi), or the store’s delivery fee.
- Hours, not days. A four-hour block only saves money if the stump is small and already cut low. Loading, the drive and cleanup all eat into the clock.
- Teeth and fuel. Ask how worn or broken teeth are charged and whether the machine goes out full. Rocks buried in the root flare chip carbide teeth.
- Safety gear. Angi puts it under $50 if you don’t already own it (Angi).
Compare that with hiring the job out. Angi puts professional grinding at about $320 on average, typically $150–$500 (Angi). HomeGuide reports $120–$400 for the first stump and $30–$60 for each additional one (HomeGuide). That per-stump discount is why renting rarely wins when you have three or four stumps.
Before anything else: call 811
Call 811, or file online, before the grinder touches the ground. Gas, electric, water and telecom lines often run shallow near driveways and property lines, and that’s exactly where trees tend to get planted. In Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont the call goes to Dig Safe. State law there requires you to wait the full 72 hours, not counting weekends or holidays, before you dig. A ticket stays valid for 30 days in MA, NH and VT and 60 days in Maine. Elsewhere, 811 routes you to your own state’s center.
Utilities only mark their own lines. Dig Safe is explicit that private lines aren’t marked. That means sprinkler pipe, gas to a pool heater, grill or fire pit, and power to a detached garage or outdoor lighting (Dig Safe). If any of those run near the stump, have them located privately before you grind.
Protective gear
Vermeer’s rental-center operating guide calls for a hard hat, safety shoes, hearing protection, and eye and face protection (Vermeer). One rental store’s safety sheet adds ANSI-rated safety glasses with side shields worn under a full face shield, plus long pants and no loose clothing or jewelry (rental safety sheet). Add heavy work gloves for raking chips with the machine off.
How to use a stump grinder, step by step
- Cut the stump low first. Chainsaw it as close to the ground as you safely can. A handlebar unit only reaches 14 in above grade (Toro).
- Clear the stump and the area. Pull stones, wire, loose wood and regrowth from the stump and around it. Dig soil away from the root flare so the teeth meet wood, not rock (Vermeer).
- Clear people and pets well back. One rental safety sheet warns that chips can be thrown up to 75 ft from the chute (rental safety sheet). Move cars and protect nearby windows. Don’t work on a slope steeper than 15 degrees.
- Start with the wheel raised. Position it at the top front edge of the stump, clear of the wood, then bring it up to speed.
- Sweep, then lower. Swing the wheel side to side across the face in light passes, taking about 1/2–1 in per sweep. Lower and repeat (rental safety sheet). Never plunge or undercut. That’s what causes violent kickback (Vermeer).
- Move the machine forward and work across the stump. Take the stump down in rows rather than boring one deep hole.
- Shut down before you touch the chips. Turn the machine off, wait for the wheel to stop completely, then rake (Vermeer).
- Chase the surface roots. Grind any roots that break the lawn surface a few inches down, then stop.
How deep to grind
Grind to suit what goes there next, the same rule our stump grinding page sets out. For lawn, a few inches below grade is enough. Flower beds want a little more. Replanting a tree in the same spot or laying a patio needs far more than a rental machine reaches. The safety sheet above caps its machine at 10 in below ground (rental safety sheet), and Vermeer limits depth to half the cutter wheel’s diameter (Vermeer). For a new tree, plant it a few feet away instead.
Cleanup, and what to do with the hole
A ground stump leaves a mound of chips far bigger than the hole. Don’t just rake them back in.
- Pull most of the chips out of the hole. As wood breaks down, soil microbes take nitrogen from the soil around it, which starves nearby roots (University of Maryland Extension). Use the chips as mulch around beds instead.
- Backfill with topsoil, a little proud of grade. Firm it as you go. It will settle.
- Seed it. Early fall is the best window for cool-season grass. Our overseeding guide covers the steps, and the grass seed calculator sizes the bag.
- Top it up over two seasons. Roots left in the ground keep decaying, and the patch will sink a little. That’s normal.
Rent it or hire it out?
| Your situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One stump under ~10 in, open ground, soft wood | Rent | About an hour of grinding with a handlebar unit |
| One or two stumps, and you own a pickup | Rent | A 250 lb handlebar unit is a two-person lift, and no trailer needed |
| Hardwood stump around 20 in | Hire | A rental unit can take all day and still fall short of lawn depth |
| Three or more stumps | Hire | Pros typically charge $30–$60 for each additional stump |
| Only a tracked machine will do | Hire | About 1,200 lb, plus a trailer, ramps and a tow vehicle |
| Slope over 15°, or tight against a wall, foundation or drain | Hire | Rollover and structural risk that a handlebar machine can’t manage |
| Replanting a tree in the same spot | Hire, or move the tree | Needs depth beyond the reach of rental machines |
Where this stops being a DIY job: the moment the stump outgrows a handlebar grinder.
Stop if the stump is hardwood around 20 in or wider. Stop if you have three or more stumps. Stop if the only machine big enough weighs 1,200 lb and has to come home on a trailer. Stop if the stump sits on a slope steeper than 15°, or if roots run under a wall, footing or drain. At that point a pro’s per-stump price usually undercuts the rental, and the pro brings a machine built for the job and the hours on it.
Advertising disclosure: calls are routed to an independent local provider. We’re paid a referral fee for the call. You pay the provider, never us.
Common questions
How much does it cost to rent a stump grinder?
Roughly $100–$275 a day for a walk-behind and $175–$400 for a self-propelled machine, plus a refundable deposit of about $150–$300 (HomeGuide). Home Depot sets rates by store, so call your local rental desk.
Will a stump grinder fit in my pickup or SUV?
A 13 hp handlebar unit weighs 240–252 lb and goes in a pickup bed with two people lifting. Self-propelled and tow-behind machines need a trailer or a hitch.
How long does it take to grind a stump with a rental?
About an hour for a soft 8–12 in stump. Large hardwood stumps can take a full day with a rental unit.
Do I really need to call 811 just to grind a stump?
Yes. Grinding is digging. In New England, Dig Safe requires 72 hours’ notice, not counting weekends or holidays, and private lines such as sprinkler pipe or power to a garage won’t be marked.
How deep should I grind a stump for grass?
A few inches below grade, then replace the chips with topsoil and seed. Deeper only matters if you’re planting a tree or laying a hard surface there.
Related guides
Sources: HomeGuide stump grinder rental cost · Angi stump grinder rental cost · Home Depot chipper & stump grinder rental · Home Depot SG1314B specs · Toro SGR-13 · Toro STX-26 · Dig Safe: How it works · Vermeer rental-center operating guide · Rental store stump grinder safety sheet · University of Maryland Extension via Ask Extension · Richmond Tree Experts