Stump grinding in
Central Virginia.
Stump grinding uses a machine with a cutting wheel to chew a stump down below ground level so you can plant, mow or build over it. Once a tree comes down, the stump is still in your way.
Why bother taking
the stump out.
David’s Tree Service grinds stumps of any size across Lynch Station, Lynchburg and Campbell, Bedford and Pittsylvania counties, and leaves the ground smooth.
You can’t mow over it
A stump at ankle height is something you steer around for the next twenty years.
It’s a trip hazard
Especially once the grass grows over it and you forget exactly where it is.
It sprouts
Plenty of species send up suckers from the stump and roots for years. Black locust is a determined offender.
It attracts insects and decay
A rotting stump is a food source sitting next to your house.
You want to build there
You can’t put a new tree, a shed or a fence post through an old root plate.
Grinding versus
full removal.
Tell us what’s going in there afterward and we’ll tell you which one you need.
What most people want
Grinding
The machine takes the stump down several inches below grade, along with the flare roots around it. You’re left with a pile of chips and a hole, both of which we can level off.
- Depth
- Several inches below grade
- Roots
- Flare roots ground out
- Speed & cost
- Faster and cheaper
- Your lawn
- Largely intact
Rarely necessary
Full removal
Excavating the whole stump and root mass out of the ground. It’s a much bigger job, and it tears up a much bigger area.
- Depth
- The whole stump and root mass
- Roots
- Dug out
- Speed & cost
- A much bigger job
- When it’s the answer
- A foundation, a pool or a driveway over that spot
Four to six inches
below grade.
Standard is four to six inches below grade, which is enough to put topsoil and grass over it.
Planting a new tree in the same spot?
Say so up front. That needs to go deeper and wider, because a new root ball won’t establish in a bed of old chips and roots.
What drives
the price.
A photo helps a lot. It often saves a trip and gets you a price faster.
The main one
Diameter of the stumpMeasured across the widest point at ground level.
The root flareSome species spread wide and shallow, so there’s more to grind than the trunk suggests.
AccessThe machine has to get there. A gate too narrow, a steep bank, or a back yard with no side access all change the job.
What’s buried nearbyIrrigation lines, septic, utilities and invisible fencing all need locating first.
Whether you want the chips goneLeaving them costs nothing; hauling them out and bringing in topsoil is extra.
How manySeveral stumps in one visit costs less each than one at a time, because most of the cost is getting the machine there.
Cheapest it will ever be: if we’re already on site taking a tree down, grinding the stump at the same time. Ask for both when you get the quote.
Tree removal →What our customers say
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Related services
Most of the cost of grinding is getting the machine there, so it pays to do it alongside the tree work.
Do you have to call before you dig?
Yes. Virginia requires utilities to be located before digging, and grinding counts. We handle the notification. You should tell us about anything private that wouldn’t be on a utility map — septic lines, irrigation, invisible fence, drainage.
What happens to the hole?
We can rake the chips back in and level it, which is what most people want. Or we haul the chips away and you fill it with topsoil. Either way it settles over the first few months, so expect to top it up once.
Can I plant a new tree in the same place?
Not straight into the chips. Tell us that’s the plan and we’ll grind deeper and wider and clear the debris out, so there’s room for real soil and a root ball.
Will the roots keep growing?
No. Once the stump is ground out and separated from the trunk, the remaining roots die off and rot down over several years. Grinding also stops the suckering.
How long does it take?
Most residential stumps are under an hour. A large multi-stemmed stump with a wide flare takes longer.
Can you grind a stump you didn’t remove?
Yes. It doesn’t matter who took the tree down, or how long ago.
Call and
we’ll price it.
Send a photo with something for scale if that’s easier, or call and we’ll come look.
540-297-3454
Tree down right now? Call our 24/7 emergency line, 540-871-8338.