--- title: What to Do With the Hole and Grindings After Stump Grinding url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/what-to-do-with-the-hole-and-grindings/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/) - [Stump grinding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/) - What do I do with the hole and the grindings after stump grinding? # What do I do with the hole and the grindings after stump grinding? Decide before the day whether the chips stay, get spread or get hauled off, and then fill and level the hole. Keep wood mulch out of the first five feet next to a wall, because that strip is the most important one in a wildfire. ## Your choices You can leave the chips to settle in the hole, which sinks as they break down. You can ask for them to be spread in a bed away from the house, or hauled away. Soil on top of the chips and seed or sod on that is the usual lawn fix, but topping up may be needed more than once as the chips decompose. Tell the arborist your choice at the estimate and it is written into the job. We also sell wood chips, so call the office about availability and pricing. We have not published delivery terms, so ask when you call. ## Keep wood away from the wall The University of Nevada, Reno Extension Living With Fire guide describes Zone 0 as the first 0 to 5 feet around the home, kept ember-resistant. Wood chips and bark mulch burn, so do not pile grindings against the foundation, a deck or a fence that joins the house. Further out, in Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet), keep it thin and away from plants that burn. Read [free wood chips: uses and limits](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/free-wood-chips-uses-limits/). ## Leveling and planting Fresh chips pull nitrogen from the soil as they break down, so seed laid straight over them can struggle. Ask the arborist what is under the surface before you plant. Tree planting is not a service we offer. If you plan to fill the hole with soil, ask the crew to leave the chips in a pile rather than spreading them, or to remove them, so you can put clean soil in. Compact the fill in layers and leave it slightly mounded, since it will settle. A lawn patch laid on a fresh grind may need topping up for a season or two. Tell the arborist your plan so the estimate covers what you want done and what you will do yourself. ### Sources - [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Living With Fire (SP-23-07)](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5522) (read October 1, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [What happens to the wood and chips after a tree job](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-happens-to-wood-and-chips/) - [Can you plant after stump grinding?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/planting-after-stump-grinding/) - [Firewood and wood chips](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/firewood-wood-chips/) - [What is defensible space? Zones 0, 1 and 2](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/what-is-defensible-space/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ### All stump grinding questions - [Stump grinding questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/) ## Other stump grinding questions answered [Can you grind a stump next to a fence, wall or foundation?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/grinding-a-stump-next-to-a-fence-or-foundation/) [How deep do you grind a stump?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/how-deep-do-you-grind-a-stump/) [Can you grind a stump from a tree someone else cut down?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/can-you-grind-a-stump-someone-else-cut/) [Will stump grinding harm my sprinklers or nearby plants?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/will-stump-grinding-harm-sprinklers-or-plants/) [How long does stump grinding take?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/how-long-does-stump-grinding-take/) [Will a ground stump sprout again?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/will-a-ground-stump-sprout/) [Previous question: How deep do you grind a stump?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/how-deep-do-you-grind-a-stump/) [Next question: Can you grind a stump from a tree someone else cut down?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/stump-grinding/can-you-grind-a-stump-someone-else-cut/)