Stump grinding in Marietta, GA
Ground well below grade so you can sod over it, plant in it or build on it — with the grindings hauled off or backfilled, whichever you prefer.
Call (770) 802-1864
A stump is the part of the job most people underestimate. It is a tripping hazard in the dark, it blocks a mower line forever, it sprouts suckers for years on species like sweetgum and elm, and as it rots it becomes a reliable food source for termites and carpenter ants within a few feet of your foundation. Grinding it out closes the job properly.
Grinding versus full removal — they are not the same
Stump grinding uses a rotating cutting wheel to chew the stump and its major surface roots into chips, typically 6 to 12 inches below grade, sometimes deeper if you are replanting. It leaves a bowl of wood chips and soil, and it is what the great majority of homeowners want. Cost across metro Atlanta usually runs $100 to $400 per stump.
Full stump removal means excavating the entire root ball out of the ground with heavy equipment. It leaves a substantial hole to backfill and disturbs a lot more of your yard, so it costs more — commonly $200 to $800. It is the right call when you are pouring a foundation or a slab in that exact spot, or replanting a new tree in precisely the same hole.
How stump grinding is priced
Most companies here, us included, price by diameter measured across the widest point of the stump at ground level — roughly $2 to $5 per inch, with a minimum of about $100 to $150 to cover getting the machine to your property. A typical 12 to 18 inch stump lands in the $150 to $250 range. Things that move the number:
- Access. A grinder needs a path. A 36-inch gate is workable with a narrow-access machine; a stump behind a wall or up a steep bank may need a different approach.
- Root flare spread. Big surface roots radiating out from an old oak effectively add to what has to be ground.
- Grinding depth. Sodding needs less depth than planting a new tree in the same spot.
- Rock and fill. Georgia soil hides granite. Hitting rock dulls teeth fast and slows everything down.
- Volume. Multiple stumps in one visit are always cheaper per stump. If you bought a house with four old stumps in the back yard — very common around Cobb County — do them all at once.
Old, partially rotted stumps often grind faster and cheaper than fresh ones. And if you are already booking a removal, adding the stump to the same visit is meaningfully cheaper than a return trip.
Before we grind, we need to know what is underground. Irrigation lines, invisible-fence wire, septic lines and field lines, low-voltage landscape lighting, gas and utility service. We call 811 for public utilities, but private lines running across your yard are invisible to that system. Walk the area with us and point out anything you know about — this is the single most common cause of avoidable damage in stump work.
Root removal, and how far it goes
A stump grinding service deals with the stump and the major surface roots — the ones that catch a mower blade or lift a walkway. Full root removal, meaning excavating the entire root system, is a different and much more invasive job that is only worth doing where a slab, footing or new planting hole needs that exact ground. For everything else, grinding out the stump and the flare roots is what tree stump removal means in practice, and it is what nearly everyone wants.
What is left behind, and what to do with it
Grinding produces a surprising amount of material — a stump expands to roughly twice its volume as chips. You have three options, and we will do whichever you want:
- Backfill the hole with the grindings and mound it slightly, since it will settle. Cheapest, and fine if you are not planting there.
- Haul the grindings away and backfill with topsoil. This is what you want if you are laying sod or seeding — wood chips tie up nitrogen as they decompose and grass struggles in them.
- Keep the chips as mulch for beds. Free mulch, though it is coarse and it does contain soil.
If you are replanting a tree, do not plant in the same hole. Grinding does not remove the deeper root system, and the decomposing wood makes poor soil for a new root system. Shift the new tree several feet over.
Why not just leave it, or use a chemical stump remover?
Left alone, a hardwood stump in Georgia's warm, wet climate takes anywhere from three to ten years to break down, and it is a pest attractant the whole time. Potassium nitrate stump removers accelerate rot but still take a year or more, work poorly on large stumps, and leave you with a soft, hollow stump rather than a usable yard. For anything larger than a fence post, grinding is faster, cleaner and cheaper than the alternatives once you count your own time.
Get a written price for this job
Call (770) 802-1864 and talk it through with someone who has actually done this work. The site visit and the written estimate are free either way.
Call for a free on-site estimate
One call, no obligation, and a written price before anything starts. The line is answered 24 hours a day — including storm nights and holidays.
(770) 802-1864Tap to call · Open 24/7
Have this ready and we can quote faster
- Roughly how tall the tree is, and the species if you know it.
- What it is closest to — house, driveway, fence, power line.
- Anything that has changed: a new lean, a crack, deadwood appearing.
- Your address or nearest cross street in Marietta or Cobb County.
If a tree is on a structure, blocking your way out, or touching anything electrical, call straight away rather than waiting for business hours.
Stump Grinding — common questions
Standard is 6 to 12 inches below grade, which is enough to sod, seed or lay pavers over. If you are planting something in that area we can go deeper, and we will grind out the major surface roots too so the mower does not find them later.
A typical residential stump takes 30 minutes to an hour once the machine is in place. Very large stumps with wide root flares, or grinding in rocky soil, can take several hours. Multiple stumps in one visit go faster per stump.
Yes, if the hole is backfilled with topsoil rather than left full of wood chips. Chips tie up nitrogen as they decompose and grass struggles. Ask us to haul the grindings and bring in soil if you plan to sod or seed.
Usually. Narrow-access grinders fit through a standard 36-inch gate. Send a photo of the gate and the route when you request an estimate so we bring the right machine the first time.
No. Once the stump is ground below grade the remaining roots have no way to produce leaves and they die off and decompose. Species that sucker aggressively — sweetgum, elm, cherry — may throw a few shoots from remaining root fragments in the first season; mowing takes care of them.
Noticeably, yes. The crew and equipment are already on site, so you are not paying a second mobilization. If you know you want the stump gone, put it on the same quote.
Other tree work in Marietta
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