A stump left after a removal keeps sending up shoots, attracts termites and carpenter ants, and sits in the way of the mower for years. Grinding takes it 6 to 12 inches below grade, chases the surface roots, and leaves a mound of wood chips you can rake out or have hauled so the spot can be seeded or sodded.
Grinders fit through a 36-inch gate, so backyard stumps are no problem. Price depends on the diameter measured at ground level and the number of stumps; several small stumps are usually cheaper per stump than one.
What the job involves
- Utility locate: Texas 811 is called before grinding near any buried line
- Stump ground 6 to 12 inches below grade, surface roots chased
- Chips raked into the hole or hauled away on request
- Topsoil and seed or sod on request so the lawn closes over
Stumps in East Texas soil
Pine stumps in the sandy loam south of Tyler grind fast; post oak and pecan stumps in the heavier red clay north of the loop take longer and often have big lateral roots to chase. Either way the job is usually done in under an hour per stump, and the spot is ready to plant within a season.