Stump Grinding vs. Stump Removal: Cost, Options & What to Do With a Stump

Almost every tree removal leaves a stump, because stump work is not included in tree removal. That is where the confusion starts: "stump removal" is used loosely for both grinding and digging, and they are different jobs at different prices. This page sorts it out and points you to the detailed answer for each situation.

Grinding vs. removal: the short version

Full comparison: What's the difference between stump grinding and stump removal?

What does it cost?

Grinding runs $100–$400 per stump in most of the US. Pros usually price it at $2–$5 per inch of stump diameter, with a $100–$150 minimum for the trip, and second and later stumps on the same visit are often $50–$100 less each. Full removal with the roots is $300–$1,000+, depending on the size of the root ball and whether an excavator is needed. Details and what changes the price are on how much does stump grinding or removal cost? If money is the main concern, what's the cheapest way to get rid of a stump? compares every option, including doing it yourself.

Your options, from fastest to slowest

1. Hire a grinder. Same day, $100–$400, done in under two hours. What most people should do.
2. Rent a grinder. $150–$400 a day plus a truck to haul it; makes sense for several stumps. Should I rent a stump grinder or hire a pro?
3. Dig it out. Free, sweaty, realistic for small stumps only.
4. Burn it. Works on dry stumps, takes 1–3 days of tending, and is illegal or permit-only in many places. Does burning a stump work, and is it legal?
5. Rot it. Chemical stump remover softens a stump in 4–6 weeks; Epsom salt takes 6–12 months; doing nothing takes 3–10 years. How do you rot a stump fast?
6. Leave it. Fine for a stump in a back corner; not fine near the house. Should I just leave the stump?

Is it better to grind or remove a stump?

Grind it, unless you are building on that spot or need to plant a new tree exactly where the old one stood. Grinding is cheaper, faster, and leaves the lawn intact. The roots left behind rot on their own and do not keep growing once the stump is gone, with a few sprouting species as the exception. Full removal is for construction, driveways, foundations, and utility trenches, where roots in the ground would be a problem later.

What happens if you leave a stump in the ground?

It rots, slowly: 3–10 years depending on species, size, and climate. While it rots it can resprout (willow, poplar, elm, silver maple, and black locust are the usual offenders), attract termites and carpenter ants, grow mushrooms, trip people, and catch the mower. A stump in the far corner of a large lot is a non-issue. A stump 10 ft from the house is worth spending $100–$400 on.

Can I plant where the stump was?

Grass, yes, once you rake out the chips and add topsoil. A new tree on the exact spot, better to wait about a year or plant 3 ft away, because the ground is full of decaying wood and old roots that starve a young tree of nitrogen. Can I plant where a stump was ground? What about the roots and chips? covers it.

Every stump question we answer

Not yet independently reviewed. Figures are typical US ranges for planning purposes, not quotes.