Stump Removal in Murfreesboro, TN

What does stump removal mean?

Stump removal means getting rid of the stump so you can use that spot again. Most stumps get removed by grinding. The grinder cuts the stump into chips down below the grass line. The roots that are left deep in the ground rot out over time.

There's a second way, which is digging the whole stump and root ball out of the ground. That takes an excavator, leaves a big hole, and tears up a lot more yard. Most homeowners don't need it.

Want the long version? Read stump grinding vs. stump removal.

Why get a stump removed at all?

Some people leave a stump for years. Then something makes them call. Here's what we hear most:

• The mower keeps hitting it, or they have to trim around it every week
• Kids or older folks keep tripping over it
• Sprouts keep coming up around it
• It's rotting and drawing ants or other bugs
• They want to put in a patio, a shed, a fence, or a garden bed
• They're selling the house and want the yard to look finished

A rotting stump is wood sitting on the ground. Termites and other bugs eat dead wood, so an old stump can draw them in close to the house. We cover that in do stumps attract termites.

How deep do you grind for stump removal?

For most yards we grind 6 to 8 inches below grade. That gives room for topsoil and grass to grow over it. If you plan to build or plant in that spot, tell us. We'll grind deeper so you're not hitting wood later.

We also grind out the big roots that run along the top of the ground off the stump. Those are the ones that bump the mower and lift the grass. Roots farther out can be handled with root grinding.

What makes some stumps harder to remove around Murfreesboro?

Rock is the big one. A lot of Rutherford County has thin soil over limestone. Tree roots wrap around that rock, and sometimes the stump is sitting right on a ledge. A grinder wheel hitting limestone can break teeth and throw chips of rock.

Here's what else slows a job down:

• Very large stumps, like old oaks and hackberries
• Cedar stumps with roots spread wide through rocky ground
• Stumps right next to a house, fence, wall, or driveway
• Stumps behind a narrow gate or down a steep slope
• Stumps cut high, which need to be cut lower first

None of those stop us. They just change how we plan the job and how long it takes.

What does stump removal cost?

The price comes down to stump size, number of stumps, access, rock, and cleanup. Each extra stump on the same visit usually costs less than the first. For national numbers and what drives the price here, read our stump grinding cost guide.

To get a real price from us, send:

• A photo of each stump, with something for scale like a shoe or a tape measure
• About how wide each one is across the top
• How many stumps you have
• The width of any gate we need to fit through
• What you want done with the chips

What happens after the stump is gone?

You'll have a pile of chips and dirt where the stump was. You can rake the chips into the hole, use them as mulch somewhere else, or have us haul them off. If you want grass back, the chips need to come out and topsoil needs to go in. We can do that with cleanup, topsoil and grass seed.