Stump grinding cuts a stump several inches below grade with a toothed wheel, leaving chips and soil where the stump was. The ground can then be covered, seeded, and mowed over.
How deep does grinding go?
Standard grinding goes a few inches below grade, which is enough for lawn. Where concrete, a pad, or fence posts are planned, individual stumps can be ground deeper. Grinding does not remove the root system; roots that have to come out for foundations or septic work are excavation, covered under land clearing.
What does stump grinding cost?
Stump grinding is normally priced per stump by diameter. Small yard stumps are cheap, and large hardwood stumps commonly run $200 to $400 each. A field of stumps is usually priced by the hour instead. After a mulching job, stumps are already cut flush, and grinding is only needed where the ground will become lawn, pad, or driveway.
Which stumps grow back?
Cedar never regrows after cutting or grinding. Oak and hickory rarely resprout once ground below grade. Black locust, honey locust, and hedge can sucker from the roots even after grinding, and a labeled herbicide treatment on the regrowth is the reliable fix. The species involved gets noted in the quote.
What happens to the grindings?
They stay in place as a mound of chips mixed with soil, which settles over a season. Most owners spread the surplus into low spots and seed through what is left. Backfilling with clean soil and seeding can be included in the quote on request.