A stump left behind is a trip hazard, a mower obstacle and a home for insects. It can also send up suckers for years. We grind stumps down below grade so the spot can be seeded, planted, paved or built on.
Customers notice how the job is finished. One of ours, who had more than 45 trees removed, was very particular about the stumps and was pleasantly surprised at the detail we put into grinding them down. That is the standard on every job.
How Stump Grinding Works
A stump grinder uses a spinning wheel fitted with carbide teeth to chew the stump into chips, a few inches at a time. It works side to side and downward until the stump and the main surface roots near it are below the soil line. What is left is a hole full of wood chips and soil, not a stump.
Grinding does not pull the whole root system out of the ground. The roots that remain break down over time. That is normal, and it is far less disruptive to your yard than digging the stump out with an excavator.
Choose Your Finish
Your plan will list the grinding and the finish as separate options, so you only pay for what you want.
- Grind only: chips left in the hole and around it to settle
- Grind and rake: chips pulled back, the hole leveled and the area tidied
- Grind and haul: chips removed so the hole can be filled with topsoil
- Surface roots: extra grinding along visible roots that trip the mower
Planting or Building Over the Spot
If you want lawn, swap most of the chips for topsoil before seeding. Fresh wood chips mixed into soil tie up nitrogen while they break down, which can leave grass thin. For a new tree, plant a few feet off the old stump rather than right on top of it. For patios, sheds and additions, tell us at the consultation so we grind deeper and wider.
What Affects the Cost
- Stump diameter and the size of the root flare
- How many stumps are done in one visit
- Access for the grinder through gates, slopes and soft ground
- Rocks, fences, foundations or utilities right next to the stump
- How deep you need it and how much cleanup you want
- Whether it is part of a removal or a separate trip
Safe Grinding Near Buried Lines
Stumps often sit right on top of buried water, gas, electric or irrigation lines. New York’s free 811 service marks public utility lines before digging. Private lines, like the wire to a garage or a sprinkler system, are up to you to point out, so let Jason know about anything you have had installed.
Stump Grinding by County
Every county we serve has its own trees, terrain and rules. See what stump grinding looks like where you live:
- Stump Grinding in Tompkins County, NY
- Stump Grinding in Tioga County, NY
- Stump Grinding in Chemung County, NY
- Stump Grinding in Cortland County, NY
- Stump Grinding in Schuyler County, NY
- Stump Grinding in Seneca County, NY
Common Questions
Can you grind old stumps from trees another company removed?
Yes. Stump grinding can be booked as its own job for stumps of any age. Older stumps that have started to rot often grind faster.
How deep do you grind?
Deep enough for what you plan to do with the spot. For lawn, a few inches below grade is typical. For a patio or building, we go deeper and wider. The depth is written into your plan.
Does stump grinding remove the roots?
It removes the stump and the main roots right around it. Smaller roots farther out stay in the ground and decay naturally over the next few years.
What happens to the wood chips?
You choose. Leave them in the hole to settle, have them raked and leveled, or have them hauled away so the hole can be filled with topsoil. Many customers keep the chips as mulch.
Will the stump sprout again after grinding?
Some species, like black locust and certain maples, can push up sprouts from the remaining roots for a season or two. Mowing or clipping them back usually ends it.