Stump Grinding

Single stump grinding typically runs $200–$650 depending on diameter, root flare, and access. Large stumps (24-inch+ diameter, big root systems, old hardwood) can run $650–$900. Pricing is by diameter and access, and small standalone stump visits carry a service minimum — which is why bundling the grind with a removal is almost always the better deal. Multi-stump jobs on the same property are priced together — less per stump than individual visits.

Standard grinding takes the stump 6–12 inches below grade — enough to lay new sod, mulch over, or replant nearby. If you’re planning to put another tree right where the old one was, we can grind deeper (12–18 inches) and remove more of the lateral root system; this is typically priced separately. For pure cosmetic grinding (covering with mulch or grass), 6 inches is usually plenty.

The grinding produces a pile of mixed wood chips and soil right where the stump was. Three options: leave them as fill (they settle in a few months, decompose over a year or two); we haul them away ($150–$500 added, depending on volume); or we spread them as mulch around the rest of the landscape. Most homeowners pick option 1 or 3.

Yes, with a caveat. Wood chips and old roots tie up nitrogen as they decompose, which can yellow new grass for the first season. Best practice: scrape off loose chips, add 4–6 inches of fresh topsoil, mix in a starter fertilizer, and seed or sod. By the second season the area is indistinguishable from surrounding lawn. If you want to plant a new tree right on top, give it a year — or grind deeper at the time of the original job.