Can you grind the surface roots too?

Roots from a stump

After a tree is removed, the large roots that run just under or above the surface can be ground out together with the stump, to a distance the arborist and you agree on. Tell the office which roots trip people or break the mower, and the estimate can name them.

Roots on a tree that stays

Be careful with a living tree. Cutting or grinding large roots close to the trunk can hurt the tree and make it less stable. The International Society of Arboriculture notes that each cut can change how a tree grows, so no cut should be made without a reason. If a tree's surface roots are lifting a path or a sidewalk, ask the arborist to look at the whole tree before anything is cut. See tree roots, sidewalks and sewer lines.

What the arborist checks

The arborist looks at how big the roots are, how far they run, what sits on top of them and what is buried beneath. Sprinkler lines, cables and pipes are often right under surface roots. Call 811 first and point out private lines.

To get roots into the estimate, say so at the visit. Roots can be left to decay on their own, and for deep roots that is often the sensible answer.

Where roots are the real problem, such as a root heaving a driveway or running into a sewer line, grinding is not always the fix. Sometimes the answer is to cut the root where it enters the path, sometimes to reroute the paving, and sometimes the tree itself has to be reviewed. A certified arborist can look at the tree, the root and the pipe together and tell you the options, which is why a visit comes before any cutting.