After the Tree Comes Down
Stumps ground below the grass by a local tree crew, priced in writing.
Gone Below Grade
A stump left in a Huntsville yard catches the mower, trips visitors and, for some trees, keeps sprouting. Tree Removal Huntsville AL sets up a local tree crew to grind it below the lawn line so the spot can be seeded or sodded.
Grinding can share a visit with a removal, so the tree and the stump sit on one estimate. An old stump from a past storm or a previous owner is just as welcome.
Service Area
Stump requests come from all of these towns and the county roads between them. See every area →
When the grinder comes with the removal, the stump goes the same visit. Prefer to wait and see how the yard settles? The crew can leave it cut low for later.
Trees lost in the May 2024 storms, or long before, often left stumps behind. The price depends on the stump's width and wood, not on how long it has sat there.
Alabama Extension says a Callery pear's lateral roots must come out, and it recommends grinding after removal. Left alone, the roots throw sprouts that turn into a thicket.
For a pine taken down because of Ips engraver beetles or southern pine beetle, Extension's advice is to grind the stump as well as removing the tree.
Cost Planning
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| First stump | $120–$400 |
| Each additional stump | $30–$60 |
| Priced by diameter | $2–$6 per inch |
| Typical minimum charge | $80–$160 |
Source: HomeGuide national cost data, 2026. These are ranges, not quotes; the written estimate from the local tree crew sets your price.
Width at ground level drives the price, measured across the flare where the roots spread. Hardwood or pine, the number of stumps, buried lines nearby and how the grinder reaches the spot move it from there. A stump on the same visit as a removal is usually the cheapest one you will have ground.
The chips can fill the hole and settle over a season, or leave on the truck. The written scope should say which.
Water, gas and communication lines often run near old stumps. Ask the crew to have buried utilities marked before the grinder starts.
A standard grind goes below the grass so the spot can be raked level and planted with grass seed or sod the same week.
Huntsville's curbside service won't take debris from a contractor's work, so hauling the grindings is part of the job if you don't keep them.
Step by Step
You can, but some stumps don't stay quiet. A Bradford pear's roots sprout, and Extension advises grinding pine stumps after beetle removals. Others simply sit in the mowing line for years. The Tree Diagnosis tool counts a stump among its six symptoms.
Your choice. Many people keep them to fill the hole, leaving the mound a little high because chips settle. Otherwise the crew hauls them, since the curb won't take them.
Usually, yes, within inches of a post or a walk. Buried lines get marked first. A stump in the right-of-way is a city tree's remains, so check with the City Arborist's office before grinding it.
Tell us how many stumps and where they are, and we will set up the visit.
Enter a town or a ZIP such as 35801 to see if it is covered.