How deep do you grind a stump?

Start with the plan

Grinding always stops somewhere, and the right place depends on the next use. Grass is happy with a shallower cut than a garden bed, a new tree or a patio footing. If you will be digging there later, say so, because it changes what you want left in the ground.

What the estimate should say

The estimate is the agreement. Tell the arborist at the visit what you intend, and ask that the depth be written in plainly. Some of our reviewers have described stumps taken below grade; one wrote that the tree trunk "was shredded below the ground" (Richard V., Google review). Treat that as a customer's experience, and treat your estimate as the promise.

Grinding leaves a mound of chips in the hole. See what to do with the hole and grindings.

What grinding does not do

Grinding takes out the stump and the top of the root crown. Larger roots further out stay and decay over the years. If you want the stump and main roots out completely, that is stump removal, which leaves a larger hole. Our site says grinding "effectively removes the stump" and prevents new growth from the roots, but some species sprout anyway, so ask about yours.

Before any grinding below grade, call 811, and point out sprinklers and private lines.

Depth is also a matter of the species and the roots. A tree with a wide root flare needs more cutting than one with a narrow trunk, and a stump with surface roots may be ground in several passes. If you want an exact number in inches written into the estimate, ask the arborist at the visit, who can measure the stump and the roots and tell you what is reasonable. Ask what will be left in the soil, so you know what to expect when you dig.