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Stump Grinding and Stump Removal
A stump is a tripping hazard, a mower obstacle and the thing that stops you putting in a lawn, a fence post or a new tree. We grind it below grade with our own machines, including stumps in backyards that a truck cannot reach.
The short version: Grinding below grade with our own grinder, or full removal with the excavator. Tight backyards, fence lines and patios included. The estimate is free and Ismael looks at it in person. Call or text (253) 590-8194.
Grinding or removal: which do you need?
Grinding is the normal answer. A stump grinder chews the stump and the top of the main roots into chips, down to six or more inches below ground level, and the hole is filled with the chips or with soil. You can seed grass over it, put a bed on it or set a fence post next to it. The deep roots stay in the ground and rot away over the years, which is fine for almost everything.
Full removal, digging the whole root ball out with the excavator, is for a stump where something is going to be built on top: a foundation, a driveway, a retaining wall, a septic line. It leaves a big hole and more mess, and it costs more. We do both; Ismael will tell you which one your project needs.
Stumps in tight places
Our grinder is a walk behind machine that fits through a standard gate, so stumps in backyards, between a fence and a patio, in a shrub bed or under a deck edge are all reachable. For a big stump with room around it we bring the larger machine. Spencer LaPlante had two trees removed and their stumps ground right along the side of his house. Ingra Aamodt had two stumps done and said it was like they were never there.
Free estimate: call or text (253) 590-8194
What the job looks like
We mark anything buried nearby that you know about: irrigation lines, dog fence wire, the drain from the downspout. The stump is cut as low as possible, then ground in passes until it is below grade, including the flare and the surface roots that trip the mower. The chips are raked back into the hole and mounded a little, because they settle, or hauled away and the hole filled with soil if you want to seed right away. Then the lawn around it is blown clean.
Veronica Nguyen called for a quote in the morning and had two stumps gone the same day. Most stump jobs are quick, and if we have already taken the tree down the stump can be done in the same visit.
Old stumps from someone else’s job
Plenty of our stump calls are for trees that somebody else cut years ago and left. Old stumps are softer and grind faster, but they also hide rocks, old fence hardware and the occasional buried concrete footing. We go carefully and we charge for the stump, not for the surprises.
“Ismael was timely and priced right, they cleaned up when they were finished which is a big deal. We had two stumps removed and it's like they were never there.”
What stump grinding costs
Price depends on the diameter of the stump at the ground, how many there are, how far from the truck they are, and whether the chips are staying or going. One average stump is a small job; a dozen stumps across a lot is a day. Matthew Swanson had four trees and six stumps done in one visit at a price that beat the other quote by a wide margin.
Stump Grinding and Removal photos from our jobs
Where do we offer stump grinding and removal?
Across Pierce County and the south King County line: Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, Spanaway, Parkland, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Graham, Bonney Lake. Our yard is on the east side of Tacoma, so Parkland, Midland, Spanaway and Lakewood are closest, and we group jobs farther out. Not sure if you are in our area? Call and ask.
Stump Grinding and Removal questions
How deep do you grind?
Six to eight inches below the surface as standard, deeper on request if you are planting a tree or setting a post in the same spot.
Can I plant a new tree where the stump was?
Yes, after the chips are cleared out and the hole filled with soil. Planting a few feet to one side is easier, because the old roots are still there.
What about the roots across my lawn?
Surface roots that lift the mower get ground with the stump. Deep roots stay and rot. If a root has lifted a sidewalk or a driveway, that is a separate conversation about the slab.
Do you remove the chips?
Your choice. Left in the hole they settle and break down into good soil over a year or two. Hauled away costs a little more and lets you seed at once.
Will the grinder damage my lawn?
It leaves tracks on wet ground, and the chip pile around the stump. We rake and blow the area clean before we leave.
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Stump Grinding and Removal near you
Free estimates. Straight prices.
Call or text Ismael, or send the estimate form. He looks at the tree in person, tells you what he would do, and the price he gives is the price you pay.
Hablamos español. Llame o mande un mensaje de texto al (253) 590-8194.