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A ground‑out stump is the difference between a finished yard and a job that looks half done. Pacific Arboriculture grinds stumps — ours and the ones other companies left behind — across Auburn, Kent, Tacoma, Federal Way, Renton, Puyallup, Maple Valley and the surrounding South Puget Sound. Stumps are ground 4–6 inches below grade by default, the grindings are backfilled or spread as mulch on site, and the work area is raked out before we leave.
Free on-site quote · $250 minimum on stump grinding · Same‑visit pricing when it is added to a removal
Diameter, access and what is buried around the stump decide which grinder goes on the truck. That gets settled at the estimate, not on the work day, so the right machine shows up the first time.
Stumps from a tree someone else took down, or one that has been sitting for years, are welcome work. Old, weathered stumps grind faster than fresh ones. A $250 minimum applies when grinding is the only reason for the visit.
Added to a scheduled tree removal, grinding is usually handled on the same visit, and combined tree and stump removal jobs are normally priced below standalone stump work because the crew and equipment are already on site. The same goes for storm damage cleanup: the stump can be ground once the fallen tree is cleared.
Conifer stumps with a wide root flare, and lots being cleared of several stumps at once, are quoted by measured diameter at the widest point above grade. Multiple stumps on one visit lower the per‑stump cost.
Gate width, slope and soft ground decide whether a narrow walk‑behind grinder or a tracked machine is used. Access gets measured at the estimate so a stump behind a 36″ gate is still a straightforward job.
Not sure whether the tree itself should come out first? Start with tree removal, or check what that costs on the tree removal cost page.
Every job follows the same sequence, so you know what happens between the phone call and the final walkthrough.
Stump diameter is measured at the widest point above grade. Access — gate width, slope, soil conditions — is reviewed so the right grinder size is dispatched.
An 811 locate request is placed before the work date so any underground utility lines near the stump are marked. Washington’s dig law requires it, and it is free.
Plywood or tarps are laid down to catch chip debris, and nearby plantings and sprinkler heads are flagged before the grinder starts.
The stump is ground 4–6 inches below soil grade by default — deep enough for sod, mulch or replanting on top. Deeper grinds are available on request.
Wood chips and shavings are backfilled into the hole or spread as mulch on site, depending on what you want done with them.
Surrounding turf and beds are raked out, the work area is walked with you, and any major surface roots flagged for follow‑up are noted.
Grinding removes the stump and the root flare. It does not remove the whole root system, and that matters if you plan to replant or reseed the spot. Open the panels below before you decide how deep to grind.
| What you plan to do with the spot | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Sod or seed | Standard 4–6″ grind, then have the grindings hauled off or raked out and the hole topped with topsoil rather than chips. |
| Mulch bed or gravel | Standard 4–6″ grind. Grindings can stay as the mulch layer in place. |
| Planting a new tree in the same spot | Ask for the deeper 8–12″ grind, chips removed, hole backfilled with topsoil — or plant a few feet off the old trunk instead. |
| Patio, walkway or footing | Tell us at the estimate. Grinding alone is not an excavation, and a contractor pouring over the spot has their own depth requirement. |
Fresh grindings are wood, and wood has a high carbon‑to‑nitrogen ratio, so soil microbes pull nitrogen out of the surrounding soil while it breaks down — which is why extension horticulturists recommend replacing chips with topsoil rather than planting straight into them (Ask Extension, OSU Extension). Expect the spot to settle as the remaining roots decay, so mound it slightly and plan on topping it up once (Illinois Extension).
Deeper lateral roots are left in the ground and decompose on their own over roughly 5 to 10 years. Removing all of them means excavation with a machine, which is a different job and a much bigger hole.
A grinder cutting below grade is exactly the situation Washington’s dig law was written for. Under RCW 19.122, a locate request must go in at least two business days before work begins, excluding weekends and holidays, and the locate service is free to the excavator (Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission).
Pacific Arboriculture places the 811 request as part of scheduling, which is one practical reason stump grinding is booked a few days out rather than done the same afternoon. Marks are honored on the work day, and if a line runs directly under the stump the grind is adjusted or hand‑work is used around it instead.
Private lines — sprinkler lines, low‑voltage lighting, a buried feed to a shop or well — are not covered by the public locate. Point those out at the estimate so they can be flagged and worked around.
Pricing is by diameter measured at the widest point above grade: a $250 minimum covers stumps under about 18″, 18–24″ runs roughly $250–$400, 24–36″ roughly $400–$650, and anything past 36″ starts around $650. Access, obstacles and the number of stumps move the number, and the on-site estimate is free.
Four to six inches below soil grade by default, which is deep enough for sod, a mulch bed or gravel on top. Deeper grinds of eight to twelve inches are available on request and are the right call if a new tree is going in the same spot.
Grinding takes out the stump and the root flare, which is where most sprouting comes from, so on the majority of species that ends it. A few vigorous root-suckering trees — cottonwood, aspen, and some cherries and maples — can still push shoots from lateral roots outside the grinding radius. Those get cut off at ground level as they appear until the roots exhaust themselves.
By default the grindings are backfilled into the hole or spread as mulch on site. Haul-off is included on tree removal jobs and can be quoted for standalone grinding. If you are seeding turf or planting in the same spot, ask for the chips out and topsoil in — fresh grindings tie up soil nitrogen while they break down.
Yes, with two caveats. Replace the grindings with topsoil rather than planting into them, and mound the fill slightly, because the spot settles as the remaining roots decay. For a replacement tree, either grind deeper and backfill with soil or plant a few feet off the old trunk to get clear of the old root plate.
Regularly. There is no requirement that Pacific Arboriculture removed the tree, and a stump that has been sitting for a few years often grinds faster than a fresh one. Send an address and a rough diameter and you will get a quote for the grinding on its own.
Yes. When a windstorm tips a tree out of the ground it leaves a root plate instead of a normal stump. The trunk is cut free first, and once that weight is off, the root plate is ground down in place or handled as part of the storm cleanup, depending on its size and the access. Either way the hole is backfilled and the spot raked out. If the tree is still partly in the ground and leaning, have it assessed before anyone cuts it, because a root-sprung tree can shift when the trunk comes off.
Pacific Arboriculture works across south King County and north Pierce County from our shop in Auburn. These are the 21 communities we serve and the ZIP codes they cover.
King County
Pierce County
Several of these communities share a ZIP code with a neighbor, so seeing the same number twice is normal. Puyallup includes South Hill, and the Tacoma list covers the Midland, Summit and Parkland areas. Not sure whether you are in range? Call (206) 909-2170 with your address and you will get a straight answer. City-by-city detail is on the areas we serve page.
Diameter, access and what is buried nearby decide the price, and all three are settled on site rather than over the phone. An arborist measures the stump, checks the gate and the ground, flags the sprinkler heads, and gives you a written number before anything is scheduled.
Stump grinding is priced by diameter. The ranges below reflect typical residential stumps across the Pacific Arboriculture service area, ground 4–6 inches below grade with wood-chip backfill on site.
| Stump Diameter | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Under 18″ | $250 minimum |
| 18″ – 24″ | $250 – $400 |
| 24″ – 36″ | $400 – $650 |
| 36″+ | $650 – $1,000+ |
Pricing shown is approximate. A $250 minimum applies to stump grinding. Every quote depends on site access, work zone obstacles, the equipment required, any priority service scheduling, and the number and diameter of stumps. Combined tree-removal-plus-stump jobs are often discounted from standalone stump pricing.
If the tree is still standing, the stump is usually the smaller half of the job. See what taking the tree down costs on the tree removal cost page, and if the tree might be worth keeping instead, start with plant health care before committing to a removal.
Every certification number below links to that arborist’s credential record with the International Society of Arboriculture, so you can verify it before anyone sets foot on your property.
Washington L&I Contractor License PACIFA*813KG · WSDA Pesticide Applicator #109480 · $1M liability insured
One stump or a lot full of them, fresh or ten years old, ours or somebody else’s — send an address and a rough diameter and you will get a real number back.
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