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Stump grinding guides

Each guide starts with a short answer and lists the sources we checked.

The big topics

Stump grinding cost: what shapes the price and what to askStump grinding cost depends mostly on stump width, measured at its widest point. Many pros price by the inch and add a minimum charge. Access, wood type, depth and cleanup change the total. Published guides show wide ranges, so a quote for your own stump is the only number that counts.
How stump grinding works, from the first pass to the pile of chipsA stump grinder swings a spinning wheel with teeth across the stump and chips the wood away, usually to 8 to 12 inches below the soil line. Iowa State Extension says the stump is gone within a matter of hours. A pile of chips stays in the hole unless you ask for removal.
Stump grinding vs stump removal: how to chooseStump grinding chews the stump and large nearby roots down about 8 to 12 inches and leaves wood chips. Stump removal pulls or digs the whole stump out and leaves a large hole. Iowa State Extension calls grinding the quickest, easiest and safest method. Removal fits when you need the stump and its roots out.
What to do after stump grinding: chips, topsoil, grass and new treesAfter stump grinding, a pile of wood chips stays in the hole. Extension sources advise hauling the chips away, filling the hole with quality topsoil, and adding a little extra soil because the ground settles as buried wood rots. Wait to plant a tree directly over the old stump.
What happens to tree roots after stump grinding, and will the stump grow back?Stump grinding removes the stump and large lateral roots, typically down 8 to 12 inches, according to Iowa State Extension. Smaller roots stay in the ground and rot over several years. Some trees send up sprouts from those roots. Termites and mushrooms around a stump are signs of decay, not of grinding.
Honeysuckle stumps and roots: why they grow back and how to stop themCutting bush honeysuckle at the base makes it sprout more stems, because the roots stay alive. Ohio State Extension says an effective plan kills both the stems and the roots. Common options are a herbicide on the cut stump, following the product label, or a University of Cincinnati botanist's black plastic cover.
Emerald ash borer in Ohio, and what it means for the ash stump in your yardEmerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that kills ash trees. Ohio State University Extension says it was confirmed in Hamilton County in 2007. EAB kills only the above-ground part of an ash, so a dead ash stump can send up new shoots, called bush ash. Those shoots can be attacked again.
Before you grind: 811, the tree lawn and street tree permitsThe Ohio and Kentucky statutes tell an excavator to notify 811 before excavation. The Ohio definition of excavation does not name stump grinding, so ask OHIO811 or Kentucky 811 if you are unsure. The call is free. A stump on the tree lawn follows city rules, and those rules differ by town.

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