Stump Removal and Stump Grinding
The stump goes under the grade, the roots get chased, and the ground goes back the way you want it.
A Stump in the Middle of the Yard Is Still Your Problem, and J&J Fixes It
The tree is gone and there is a knee-high stump sitting where you want grass, a shed or a flower bed. It dulls the mower, it sends up suckers, and it feeds the kind of fungus and pests you do not want that close to the house. Grinding is the same-visit fix, and the crew is already on site.
They took two huge trees out of our backyard in a tricky, hard to reach spot with no trouble at all.
Kim G. • Google review, 2020
Trip Hazards and Mower Damage Taken Out of the Lawn
A ground-down stump is not a bump you steer around for the next five years. It is gone, and the lawn closes over it.
Surface Roots That Spread Out From the Old Stump
The stump is only the part you can see. Surface roots run out under the turf, lift walkways and catch a mower deck, so the crew grinds them back too.
Years in the Roanoke Valley
Better Business Bureau
Estimate, every job
How the Crew Grinds a Stump and Puts the Ground Back
1. Your Arborist Locates Lines, Irrigation and Septic First
Nothing spins until the crew knows where the utilities, the irrigation heads and the septic field sit.
2. The Crew Sets Mats and Screens the Work Area
Mats go on soft turf. Screens keep chips and rock off siding, windows and vehicles.
3. The Grinder Takes the Stump Below Grade, Not Level With It
Level with the ground is not gone. The crew grinds well under the grade so you can seed it, sod it or build on it.
4. The Crew Chases the Surface Roots Out to the Drip Line
Where the roots have run under the lawn, they get ground out too, which is what keeps the lawn flat afterward.
5. Chips Get Raked Flat, or Hauled Off and Backfilled With Soil
Your call. Chips raked into the hole make usable mulch, or the crew hauls them off and backfills with soil so you can plant grass.
Get My Free EstimateThey honored their estimate quote that was over a year old.
Healthy in Heart • Google review, 2021
Recent Tree Jobs, Finished and Cleaned Up
See jobs near you.
Tree Risk Assessment
The trunk came down hollow all the way through
Cleanup and haul off
Logs and brush loaded out before the crew leaves
Tree Removal
Dead hardwood taken down in sections over a brick ranch
Tree Service Reviews From Homeowners
Jeff, Garth, and their team of guys worked very hard on removing this tree. They were all very nice and professional, in spite of this challenging job.
Amanda Earls • Google review, 2021
These gentlemen have done tree work for me over the past 20 years... they are thoroughly honest and reliable and they show up to work when they say they will.
Mary Justice • Google review, 2022
Before you call
How deep do you grind?
Below grade, deep enough to seed, sod or plant over. Level with the ground leaves you a hard spot that will show up the first dry summer. How far below depends on what you want the spot to do afterward, so say whether it is lawn, a bed or a new tree and the grinding gets set to that. What comes out is chips and soil mixed together, sitting in the hole.
What about the irrigation lines and the septic field?
Nothing spins until the crew knows where the utilities, the irrigation heads and the septic field sit. Point out what you know about on the walk, because a head or a shallow line near the stump changes where the machine sets up. Mats go down on soft turf so the grinder does not sink in, and screens keep chips and rock off siding, windows and anything parked close.
Do you take the surface roots out too?
Yes. The stump is only the part you can see, and the surface roots run out under the turf, lift walkways and catch a mower deck. The crew chases them out toward the drip line and grinds them back with the stump, which is what keeps the lawn flat afterward instead of ridged. Clearing those out happens on the same visit instead of costing you a second trip.
Can you do several stumps in one visit?
Yes. Clearing several stumps at once is one setup and one cleanup, and the crew hauls the debris out rather than leaving piles behind. Where two or three trees came out at the same time, every stump goes on the same estimate with its own line, so you can take all of them or start with the ones in the way of the mower.
Can I plant a new tree in the same spot?
Usually yes, once the chips are hauled out and the hole is backfilled with soil. Tell your arborist that is the plan and the crew handles it that way. Grass and seed go over topsoil rather than over what the grinding left, because chips tie up nitrogen while they break down. The ground keeps settling for months, so expect to top it off once before it sits level.
More about stump grinding in Roanoke, VA
What the ground looks like after a stump grinding job
- The grinder takes it below grade rather than level with it, so nothing is left standing above the soil line.
- The grinder chases surface roots out toward the drip line, because those are what lift a walk or catch a mower.
- What is left is chips and soil mixed together, sitting in the hole the stump grinding opened up.
- Chips from the grinder get raked flat when you want mulch, and the ground settles level over the following season.
- Chips and grinding debris get hauled off when you want soil instead, and the crew backfills the hole for planting.
- The ground settles for months after grinding, because chips break down and soil compacts into what was left behind.
- Grass and seed go in over topsoil, never over what the grinding left, because chips tie up nitrogen as they break down.
- Nearby trees keep their roots, since grinding takes out what is there and the roots close by, not the whole root plate.
- Two stumps in the same bed usually come out in one stump grinding visit, because the machine is already set up.
- Clearing several stumps at once leaves more debris, and the crew hauls that debris out rather than leaving piles.
Grind depth, and what it allows afterward
| Stump grinding depth | What it allows afterward | What stays in the ground |
|---|---|---|
| Just below grade | Grass over topsoil, and a mower that clears it | Most of the root plate, undisturbed |
| Below grade with surface roots chased out | A walk or a patio poured across it | Deeper roots, well below the surface |
| Deep enough for topsoil and seed | A lawn that matches the rest of the yard | Roots below the depth the machine reached |
| Deep enough for a new bed | Shrubs and small plantings above it | The old root plate, breaking down slowly |
| Deep enough to set a post beside it | A fence line that runs where the stumps were | Roots the post gets set around |
| Shallow, where rock or a buried line stops it | Chips raked flat and left as mulch | Whatever sits below the depth reached |
Request a free tree estimate
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Ready to Get That Tree Handled?
Talk to a certified arborist who owns the company. Free estimates across the Roanoke Valley, and we haul off every limb before we leave.
The crew runs out of Moneta and works the Roanoke Valley daily.