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c/arboristsval172val17219d ago

Stump grinding job went sideways, should've walked away at the root ball

Got a call to grind out a big cottonwood stump in someone's backyard last Tuesday. The guy said it was 'just the stump' but when I got there the roots had spread under their patio slab. I had my small grinder on the trailer, should've gone back for the big one or just said no. Took me 4 hours to chew through everything and I still nicked the edge of their concrete. Client was cool about it but I charged him $300 and I know I lost money on time and fuel. Anyone else ever take a job they knew was too big for the equipment just because the money sounded easy?
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janab82
janab8219d ago
Did you give them a heads up when you saw the roots running under the slab, or did you just keep grinding and hope for the best? Tbh, that's the part that would eat at me. Because once you touch concrete, that's a whole different conversation about damage and liability. Do you think you'd have walked if they told you about the roots up front, or was the money already too tempting?
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