Stump Grinding in Minneapolis and the West Metro
Ground below grade, backfilled and raked, so you can seed it, sod it or plant in it. Booked on its own or added to a removal, usually the same day.
Call 612-501-0602
Ground below gradeGrinding, not digging
A stump grinder is a wheel of carbide teeth that chews the stump into chips a few inches at a time. It is the practical way to deal with a stump, because the alternative, excavating the root plate with a machine, tears up far more of your yard and costs several times as much.
Depth is the part that matters, and it depends on what comes next. Four to six inches below grade is enough to seed or lay sod over. If you are planting a new tree in roughly the same spot, or laying a patio or a fence line, we go deeper and chase the main lateral roots out from the stump. Tell us the plan before we start and we will grind to suit it.
The grinding produces a surprising volume of chips, usually a mound larger than the stump looked. You have two choices. We can rake the chips back into the hole as backfill, which settles over a season and is free, or we can haul the chips out and bring in topsoil so the spot is ready to seed immediately.
Before any machine starts, the utilities get located. Gophers One Call is a free service and is required in Minnesota. Grinding blind through a gas line, a fibre drop or an irrigation head is the one genuinely expensive mistake in this trade, and it is entirely avoidable.
What changes the price
Most stumps run $150 to $500, commonly $3 to $7 per inch of diameter. This is a rough guide; we confirm the price on site. See how we price work
- Stump diameter, measured at the widest point
- How many stumps, since the second is always cheaper than the first
- Access, whether the machine fits through the gate
- Grinding depth, seeding versus replanting
- Whether chips get hauled off and topsoil brought in
- Rocks and debris in the root plate, which eat teeth
Three simple steps
Get your free quote
Call or request online for a fast, no-pressure estimate.
We do the work
Insured pros with the right equipment, on schedule and safe.
Clean & done
Full cleanup — your yard left better than we found it.
Grind only, or grind and haul away
Every stump we grind ends one of two ways, and the difference is what happens to the pile of chips. Neither is wrong, they just suit different plans for the spot.
Grind only
Chips raked back into the hole, mounded slightly so it settles level
Cheapest option, and fine if you are happy to let it settle over a season
Grind and haul
Chips removed, topsoil brought in, the spot raked ready to seed
Choose this if you want lawn there this season, or you are planting or building on the spot
One thing worth knowing: chips are mostly wood, so they pull nitrogen out of the soil as they break down. If you backfill with chips and then seed straight into them, the grass struggles. Topsoil solves it.
Why the stump job goes smoothly
Licensed, bonded and insured
We can hand you a certificate of insurance before a saw comes off the truck. Your home, your neighbor's property and our crew are all covered.
Utilities located first
Gophers One Call before the machine runs, every time. Gas, fibre, irrigation and invisible fence all live in the top foot of soil.
Ground to suit your plan
Tell us if you are seeding, sodding, replanting or building. We set the depth for that, rather than a default four inches.
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Stump Grinding Questions, Answered
Straight answers from the crew that does the work
How much does stump grinding cost?
Most stumps run $150 to $500, commonly quoted at $3 to $7 per inch of diameter measured at the widest point. Multiple stumps on one visit get cheaper after the first because the machine is already on site. Hauling chips off and bringing in topsoil is an add-on.
How deep do you grind?
Four to six inches below grade as standard, which is enough to seed or lay sod. If you are replanting a tree in the same area, or putting in a patio, fence or driveway, we go deeper and chase the main lateral roots. Tell us the plan and we set the depth to match.
Do the roots come out too?
Grinding removes the stump and the flare, plus surface roots we can reach. The deeper root system is left in the ground to decay naturally, which takes several years and causes no problems for lawn. If you need the whole root plate gone for construction, that is excavation rather than grinding and we will quote it separately.
What happens to the wood chips?
Your choice. We can rake them back into the hole as free backfill, mounded slightly because they settle, or haul them away and bring in topsoil so the spot is ready to seed. Chips make good mulch for beds if you want them kept on site.
Can I plant grass or a new tree there?
Grass, yes, once we have hauled the chips and brought in topsoil. Seeding straight into wood chips struggles, because the chips pull nitrogen from the soil as they break down. For a new tree, plant a few feet to the side if you can, or have us grind deep and replace the material with soil.
Will the grinder fit into my back yard?
Usually. Our smaller machine goes through a 36 inch gate and works on turf without tearing it up. Very tight or steep access can mean a smaller grinder and more time, which we will flag at the estimate rather than on the day.
Do you call for utility locates?
Always. Gophers One Call is free and required in Minnesota, and it takes a couple of business days. Gas, fibre, irrigation lines and invisible dog fence all sit in the top foot of soil, which is exactly where the grinder works. This is why we cannot always grind the same day you call.
Can you grind a stump you did not cut?
Yes, that is a large part of what we do. Old stumps, stumps left by another company, stumps from a storm years ago. Older and drier is usually easier. Just be aware that stumps in old fence lines or driveways often have rocks and wire grown into them, which slows the work.
How long does it take?
A single average stump is under an hour on site. A yard full of them is a half or full day. Most of the time on a job is setup, locating, and cleanup rather than the grinding itself.
Should I just leave the stump?
You can, and some people like them. Worth knowing: a decaying stump is a good home for carpenter ants and termites near the house, it can sprout suckers for years on species like elm and poplar, and it is a genuine trip hazard in lawn. It also blocks anything you want to build or plant there.
Let's Get That Stump Gone
Or call: 612-501-0602