Stump grinding in Carson City, NV

Nearly half of Carson City's homes, about 49%, were built before 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). A shade tree planted with one of those houses has had more than four decades to grow, so the stump it leaves is wide, hard and well rooted.

At a glance

• About 4.5 miles from our yard to the middle of town
• About 49% of Carson City homes were built before 1980
• Single stumps welcome, including ones we did not cut
• Street-side stumps: check with Carson City Public Works first

Why are Carson City stumps so often large?

The median Carson City home dates from 1981, and the trees went in with the houses. A mature yard tree has a root flare, the place where the trunk widens into the roots, that can be much wider than the trunk was at chest height. Surface roots often run out across the lawn from there.

So the first question on a Carson City stump is how much of that you want gone: the stump alone, the flare, or the surface roots that lift the mower. Say so when you ask for the estimate and it will be written that way. One Google reviewer (location not stated) described the result: "the tree-trunk was shredded below the ground." (Richard V., Google review)

What is buried near an older stump?

More than most people expect. A yard that has been lived in since the 1970s has usually picked up sprinkler pipe, a drip line or two and some lighting wire along the way, and the tree's roots have grown around all of it.

811 is the free national before-you-dig service. A request goes in a few business days ahead so the utilities can mark their buried lines. They do not mark private lines, so walk the area and tell us what you know. Our guide to calling 811 before stump grinding explains the steps.

Will the stump sprout if I leave it?

Some will. Cottonwoods, Siberian elms, poplars, willows, aspens and black locust are all known for sending up shoots from a cut stump or from the roots. Grinding the stump is the first step in stopping that. If you are not sure what the tree was, send a photo of the stump and any sprouts and our arborist will tell you what you are dealing with.

What about a stump between the sidewalk and the street?

That strip is usually public right-of-way, even when the homeowner waters it. Check with Carson City Public Works before any work on a tree or stump there. Once you know whose stump it is, we can look at it.

Should the stump come out with the tree or later?

Either works. Stump grinding can be listed on the same estimate as a tree removal in Carson City, or ordered years later for a stump you inherited with the house. All estimates are tailored to each client and their needs. Because the yard is so close, one stump in one backyard is not too small a job to call about.