Stump Grinding & Removal in the Springfield Area

No. Stump grinding is typically the most cost-effective way to make a stump disappear from your yard so that you can use that space. Removing the entire root ball is quite a process, since it’s like an iceberg, with so much more of it under the surface. With stump grinding, we grind the stump and often even the surface roots down 3 to 6 inches below grade (the surface of your lawn). Our customers often find that the root ball removal is cost-prohibitive unless the root ball is already torn out of the ground by a storm. If you are wanting to replant a tree directly in the same spot, sometimes this is the direction you’ll have to go. The stump under the ground will begin to decay, which steals nitrogen from the soil, and of course blocks roots from going down properly. Planting a tree in the exact same spot over a ground stump will make it difficult for that tree to grow healthy. However, you can grow grass if it’s ground deep enough, as long as you fertilize the grass from time to time.

Yes — grinding isn’t the only option, though it’s usually the fastest and least labor-intensive one. Homeowners sometimes remove smaller stumps by hand, use a chemical rot treatment (drilling holes and letting the stump soften over several weeks before breaking it apart), or even burn a stump out with a chemical accelerant. We’ve written up the details on each approach, including timelines and safety notes, in this blog post on DIY stump removal. If you’d rather skip the weeks of waiting or the physical labor, grinding gets it done in an afternoon.

Price depends on stump size, wood type, how far below grade you want it ground, how much surface root and how much you want taken, and whether it’s bundled with other tree work. Estimates are free and on-site.

Yes. A stump grinder is heavy equipment, and it often works right up against fences and driveways. Trufast carries a $5 million liability tower ($1 million general liability plus a $4 million umbrella), along with commercial auto and workers’ compensation. That last one matters more than most people realize. Some smaller outfits skip workers’ comp to save money, and if one of their crew gets hurt on your property, the liability can end up with you. We’re happy to share a certificate of insurance before work begins.

Most often, we fill in the hole left by what we ground with some of the ground-up wood and dirt, and take some of it away because there is quite a bit more than will fill the hole. Once composted, stump grindings make great compost, and can be used as mulch if you don’t care how nice it looks.

Yes. If requested, we will bring in dirt and even grass seed to fill the area where the stump once was. If you do want grass to grow there, we need to grind the stump quite deep.

We will include the roots that are right around the stump within 1 ft. as part of the estimate, but if the roots grow along the top of the ground, our estimator will discuss how much of that you want ground out of the way. There is a big variation in how a tree’s roots grow across the lawn, so it is very hard to make a definitive answer on that one without seeing the stump.

Yes. One of the hidden costs of any service work is the travel time related to coming to the job. Most often, we bring the machine to grind the stump, whether we are grinding the stump or not, and the estimator will always assume that this is true. Bundling the stump into the tree work is definitely the most economic way to go. See tree removal →