Stump grinding in Erlanger, KY
Cincinnati Stump Grinding grinds tree stumps in Erlanger, KY, in Boone and Kenton counties. Quotes are free, usually quick and without an in-person visit, and the chips can be hauled away and replaced with fresh topsoil. Before you grind, check the Erlanger street tree rules below and mark your private lines.
What to know before you grind in Erlanger
Rules from the city and county. Each one links to the page it comes from.
Tree programs
Tree City USA 2025
Erlanger was named a 2025 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Source: City of Erlanger: Erlanger Earns 2025 Tree City USA Recognition, checked October 2026
Tree programs
Urban Forest Commission
Erlanger has an Urban Forest Commission whose stated job is to keep the Tree City designation and advance urban forestry.
Source: City of Erlanger: Urban Forest Commission Meeting February 19, 2026, checked October 2026
Tree programs
Tree planting grant
In 2026 the commission discussed a tree planting grant from the Kentucky Division of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service.
Source: City of Erlanger: Urban Forest Commission Meeting February 19, 2026, checked October 2026
Tree programs
Five-year Tree Work Plan
The Urban Forest Commission must write and update a five-year Tree Work Plan every year. It covers hazardous trees, pruning, insect and disease problems and removals. The Mayor and City Council review it.
Source: Erlanger Code of Ordinances: 95.04 Tree Work Plan, checked October 2026
Permits
Written permission needed for public trees
No one may damage or remove a tree on public property without written permission from the Public Works Director. Street trees include woody plants in alleys, streets and easements.
Source: Erlanger Code of Ordinances: 95.02 Tree maintenance, checked October 2026
Permits
No topping of public trees
Topping a street, park or public tree needs the Director's written permission. Storm-damaged trees can be exempt at the Director's call.
Source: Erlanger Code of Ordinances: 95.02(C) Tree maintenance, checked October 2026
Stump and trunk removal
Street and park tree stumps go below grade
All stumps of street and park trees must be removed below the ground surface, so no part of the stump sticks up.
Source: Erlanger Code of Ordinances: 95.03 Stump removal, checked October 2026
Yard waste and wood
Leaf collection rules
Leaves go behind the curb, not in the street, by 7:30 a.m. on pickup day, free of yard and household waste. Do not bag, wet or tarp them.
Source: City of Erlanger: Annual fall leaf collection, checked October 2026
Yard waste and wood
Open burning of trees and brush
Erlanger allows burning of untreated lumber, trees and brush with a permit requested 24 hours ahead from Fire/EMS. Open burning is limited to Oct 1 to Apr 30, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Source: City of Erlanger: Open Burn Regulations, checked October 2026
Tree canopy
Canopy study
A 2014 study by the Northern Kentucky Urban & Community Forestry Council counted 2,437 canopy acres in Erlanger, which is 46% of the city's land.
Source: Northern Kentucky Urban & Community Forestry Council: Urban Tree Canopy, checked October 2026
Before you dig in Erlanger
Boone County
County canopy 47%
The 2014 canopy study found trees cover 47% of Boone County, about 73,357 of 156,565 acres.
Source: Northern Kentucky Urban & Community Forestry Council: Urban Tree Canopy
Boone County
Conservation District lists arborists
The Boone County Conservation District Landowner Services page links to a list of local certified arborists and a list of local contractors.
Source: Boone County Conservation District: Landowner Services
Boone County
Conservation District board
Each Kentucky conservation district is run by a seven-member Board of Supervisors elected by registered voters in the district.
Source: Boone County Conservation District: Our Board Members
Kenton County
Landslide damage cost
The same report says decades of building and slope changes left the area with one of the highest per-person landslide damage costs in the United States.
Source: Kentucky Geological Survey: Using LiDAR to Map Landslides in Kenton and Campbell Counties
Kenton County
Slow slide movement
A Kentucky Geological Survey source quoted by LINK nky says slides can move a few inches a year without being seen.
Source: LINK nky: Land slippages in Northern Kentucky highlight unique geological challenges
Kenton County
Kenton County open burn season
Kentucky rule 401 KAR 51:010 lets Kenton County residents burn only from October 1 to April 30, and Erlanger Fire/EMS requires a permit 24 hours ahead.
Kenton County
County clean-up day takes yard debris
The Kenton County Spring Clean Up on April 24-25, 2026 took yard debris from county residents at Kenton County Public Works, 420 Independence Station Road, Independence. Proof of residency was required.
Source: City of Covington: Kenton County Spring Clean Up Returns April 24-25
Kenton County
Canopy by city
The 2014 canopy study covers 18 Kenton County cities and finds 51% canopy countywide (51,715 of 102,163 acres).
Source: Northern Kentucky Urban & Community Forestry Council: Urban Tree Canopy
Boone and Kenton counties
EAB in Kentucky
EAB was first confirmed in Kentucky in 2009. A first quarantine covered 20 counties between Louisville, Lexington and northern Kentucky. In 2014 the county quarantines ended and the whole state was regulated.
Source: USDA Forest Service: Kentucky Forest Health Highlights 2015
Boone and Kenton counties
Landslide-prone terrain
The Kentucky Geological Survey says the geology and slopes of northern Kentucky make it prone to landslides. Slow movement often goes unnoticed for decades.
Source: Kentucky Geological Survey: Using LiDAR to Map Landslides in Kenton and Campbell Counties
Boone and Kenton counties
Regional yard waste guide
The regional solid waste guide defines yard waste as dirt, branches and tree debris. It lists drop-off sites that take yard waste.
Source: Northern Kentucky Solid Waste Management Area: Solid Waste Resource Guide
Free estimate in Erlanger
Pick the closest answers, add your ZIP and send it. Photos help most.
- Measure across the cut, at ground level, at the widest point.
- Snap a photo of each stump and the path to it.
- We reply with your free estimate.
Rather talk? Call (513) 587-6772
Questions about Erlanger, KY
Do you grind stumps in Erlanger, KY?
Yes. Cincinnati Stump Grinding works across Boone and Kenton counties, including Erlanger. ZIP codes here include 41018, 41051, 41017. Call (513) 587-6772 or send photos for a free estimate.
Do I need a permit in Erlanger?
No one may damage or remove a tree on public property without written permission from the Public Works Director. Street trees include woody plants in alleys, streets and easements. Source: Erlanger Code of Ordinances: 95.02 Tree maintenance.
What does Erlanger do with yard waste and wood?
Leaves go behind the curb, not in the street, by 7:30 a.m. on pickup day, free of yard and household waste. Do not bag, wet or tarp them. Source: City of Erlanger: Annual fall leaf collection.
Do I need to call 811 first?
Call 811 before digging, and mark private lines such as sprinklers and lighting yourself.
What happens to the wood chips?
Grinding turns the stump into wood chips. You can keep them as mulch, or ask for them to be hauled away and replaced with fresh topsoil. Ask when you request your free estimate.