Stump Grinding or Leave It? Why Stump Work Is Quoted Separately

You've just had a big tree taken down, or you're about to. The trunk is gone, the limbs are hauled away, and there's a stump sitting in the middle of the yard. Now the question is whether to deal with it. Plenty of homeowners are surprised to learn that the stump is a separate job and a separate line on the quote.

Lester's Tree Service says it right on the tree removal page: tree removal and stump removal are two separate things. This is why, and how to decide what to do about yours.

Why the quote comes in two parts

Taking a tree down is a job about height, weight and control. The crew looks at how tall the tree is, what kind of wood it is, what condition it's in, what equipment it needs, and where it stands. The work happens above the ground, with climbers, lifts, ropes, grapples and sometimes a crane.

A stump is a ground-level job. It calls for a stump grinder, which is a different machine with a different set of hazards. The time it takes depends on the width of the stump, the species, how hard the wood is, and how many big roots spread out near the surface. Rolling both into one number would hide that, so a clear quote keeps them apart and lets you choose.

What stump grinding involves

A stump grinder has a toothed cutting wheel that spins and sweeps side to side across the top of the stump. The operator lowers the wheel a little at a time, chewing the wood into chips, until the stump is ground down below the soil line. What's left is a pile of wood chips filling the hole where the stump used to be.

The roots underground are not removed. They're left to rot over time, which is normal and usually harmless. If a thick root runs across the surface where you plan to build or plant, mention it before the work starts so the operator can grind that section too.

Lester's lists stump grinding among its land clearing services as well, so it's a regular part of the work and not an afterthought.

Good reasons to grind

• You mow the area and don't want to dodge a stump or risk a trip.
• You want to plant grass, a garden bed or a replacement tree in the same spot.
• You're planning a patio, shed, driveway or fence where the stump sits.
• The stump is sprouting. Many hardwoods will send up shoots from a cut stump.
• A rotting stump near the house or a play area is more of a nuisance than you want.

Pines are a little different from oaks here. A cut pine stump usually doesn't resprout, but it can sit there a long time, and the wood stays hard. An oak stump may keep pushing up shoots, which makes grinding more appealing.

Good reasons to leave it

Grinding isn't always worth doing. A stump in the back corner of an acre, well away from anywhere you walk or mow, can simply stay. It will break down slowly, and insects, moss and small wildlife will use it. Some people cut the stump low and turn it into a planter or a rustic seat.

If you're clearing a large lot of trees anyway and plan to have the whole piece of land mulched, graded or prepared later, ask whether the stumps can be handled in that same pass. Doing it once for the whole property can make more sense than grinding them one at a time.

Plan for the chips

Grinding makes a lot of wood chips, usually more than you'd guess from the size of the stump. You have three choices. Leave the chips in the hole and let them settle, rake them into garden beds as mulch, or have them hauled off. Tell the crew which you prefer when you schedule, since hauling takes extra time.

The hole will sink as the chips break down. If you're planting grass, add topsoil over the chips once they settle. If you're planting a new tree, it's smart to pull most of the chips out and fill with soil so the young roots aren't sitting in decaying wood.

If you know you want the stump gone, ask for the tree and the stump quoted together on the same visit. That way you can see each number, decide whether the grinding is worth it, and schedule the two jobs back to back. Lester's does free quotes with no obligation, and the crew works in Bullard, Tyler, Whitehouse, Jacksonville and across the East Texas towns on its service list.

Got a stump you're tired of looking at, or a tree that will leave one behind? Call (903) 978-0098 for a free estimate on the tree, the stump, or both.