A stump is what is left after almost every tree removal in Houston unless the quote said otherwise. Some homeowners leave it. Most eventually want it gone: it gets in the way of the mower, sends up sprouts, takes up the one sunny spot for a garden bed, or sits right where a new driveway or patio is going. Here is what grinding actually removes, what it leaves behind, and what to ask before the machine shows up.
Tree Service Houston TX does not grind stumps. It is a free phone line. Call (346) 680-8916, tell the automated assistant how many stumps you have, roughly how wide they are and where you are, and the call is transferred to an independent, locally owned tree service company that works in your part of the Houston area. That company looks at the stumps, quotes its own price and does the work.
Stump grinding or full stump removal?
The two phrases get used as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and the difference changes the price, the mess and what you can do with the spot afterward.
| Stump grinding | Full stump removal | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | A grinder with a toothed wheel chews the stump and its surface roots into chips, down to a set depth below the lawn. | The stump and its root ball are dug or pulled out of the ground with heavier equipment. |
| What is left | Roots below the grinding depth stay in the soil and decay over the years. A pile of chips and soil. | A large hole that has to be backfilled, and much more disturbed ground. |
| Best for | Lawns, beds, most yards where you want the stump out of sight. | Building projects where the soil under a slab or footing has to be stable, or where a large root mass is in the way. |
| Published price | Angi Houston: about $150 to $495 per stump. | Angi Houston: about $200 to $695 per stump for manual removal. |
For most Houston yards, grinding is enough. Comparison guides such as Fixr's describe full removal as mainly worth it for building or major landscaping projects where more of the root mass has to come out. If a stump sits where an addition, a pool or a new slab is going, ask the company and your builder which they need before anyone quotes.
How deep the grinder goes, and what stays in the ground
There is no single standard depth. Angi's guides describe grinding about 4 to 6 inches below grade when the spot will be covered with sod or topsoil, and around 12 inches below ground when the aim is to stop the stump from sprouting again. Tell the company what you want to do with the spot. A flower bed, a new tree, a fence post and a patio slab each need a different depth.
Grinding does not pull out the root system. The roots that run sideways from the stump stay below the grinding depth and break down slowly, and Angi notes that can take up to a decade. As they decay, the ground over them can settle a little, so a low spot can show up in the lawn a year or two later. Topping it up with soil is normal.
Texas 811 and buried lines: before any grinding starts
A grinder wheel does not know the difference between a root and a gas line. Texas has a law for this.
- 811The Texas811 notification center. A ticket sends the member utilities out to mark their buried lines. The call is free.
- 48 hoursTexas Utilities Code section 251.151: notify at least 48 hours before the dig starts, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and no earlier than 14 days before.
- 16 inchesTexas law treats mechanized digging that disturbs soil 16 inches or deeper as excavation, so it needs a locate first.
What to ask the company
- Will you place the Texas811 ticket, and what is the ticket number?
- How deep will you grind each stump?
- Will you wait for the marks before you start?
- How will you protect sprinkler heads and lines you know about?
What 811 will not mark
Texas811 says member utilities mark only public lines. Private lines, such as sprinklers, private lighting, lines to a detached garage, pool lines and septic lines, generally are not marked. It is the property owner's job to get those located, often through a plumber, an electrician or a private locating company. Show the stump company where your sprinkler valves and heads are before it starts.
Stumps near the house: clay soil and the foundation
Much of greater Houston sits on clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. Geotechnical engineers studying Houston-area foundations have documented that trees and climate change the soil moisture under a house, and that shallow slab foundations on expansive clay can move as a result. A large tree close to the slab has been drawing water out of that soil for years. Taking it out, and grinding the stump, changes that pattern.
That does not mean every stump near a house is a problem. It means a big tree within a few steps of the slab is worth a question before it comes out, especially if you already see cracks or sticking doors. A tree company can tell you about the tree and the stump. Questions about the foundation belong with a foundation or geotechnical engineer, not with a tree crew or with this line.
What a stump grinding quote should cover
Two quotes for "grind the stump" can describe very different jobs. Ask for these in writing so you can compare them on the same terms:
- Count and sizeEach stump and its approximate width. Size drives the price, and Angi's Houston data notes that the cost per stump drops when several are ground on one visit.
- DepthHow far below grade each stump will be ground, and whether the main surface roots are included.
- ChipsWhether the chips are left in the hole, spread as mulch or hauled away, and whether the hole is backfilled with topsoil.
- AccessWhether the grinder fits through your gate, and how the company will protect the lawn, the fence and the driveway on the way in.
- UtilitiesWho places the Texas811 ticket, and what happens if a sprinkler line is hit.
On price, use published numbers only as a starting point. Angi's Houston data shows tree stump removal averaging $381, with a total range of about $180 to $600 and grinding at about $150 to $495 per stump. HomeAdvisor's Houston page shows an average of $347 and a typical range of $183 to $573. Angi notes that Houston's hardwoods such as oak and its heavy clay soils can make some stumps harder work. Real quotes vary with the stump, the yard and the scope, and only the company standing over the stump can give you one.
After the grinding: the hole, the chips and new grass
Once the stump is gone you are left with a shallow hole of chips and soil. If you are putting St. Augustine sod or seed back over it, Angi's advice is to get the chips out rather than bury them, because wood chips can tie up nitrogen in the soil and hold back the grass. Fill with fresh soil until it is about level with the lawn, then expect to top it up as the roots below decay and the ground settles. If you plan to replant a tree, ask the company to grind deeper and to clear the chips from a wider area, or choose a spot a few feet away.
A stump left from a tree on the City of Houston right of way, the strip between the sidewalk and the street, is a different case: trees on city property need a city permit before anyone removes or trims them, and Urban Forestry handles dead or hazardous trees there. See the Houston tree permit guide and the who pays guide before you hire anyone for a stump by the curb.
Before you hire anyone
A stump grinder is a heavy machine with a fast spinning wheel, and it throws chips and stones. Ask the company you are connected with for a certificate of general liability insurance sent by its agent and proof of workers' compensation coverage, and keep people, pets and cars well back while it runs.
Check the company yourself. Texas has no state license for tree trimming or tree removal, so a business card proves very little. Ask the company for a certificate of general liability insurance sent by its insurance agent, proof of workers' compensation coverage, and the ISA certification number of its arborist. A company that sprays or injects trees for hire needs a pesticide license from the Texas Department of Agriculture or its Structural Pest Control Service. You can confirm a certification with the ISA's credential lookup (opens in a new tab).
Have one stump or a dozen? Call and say how many and roughly how wide. The company you are put through to looks at them and gives you its price before it grinds anything.
Related services
Stump grinding usually follows another job.
Tree Removal
Taking down a dead, leaning or unwanted tree near a Houston home, from water oaks and pines to big live oaks, and what a complete quote covers.
Emergency and Storm Tree Removal
A tree on the house, the car or across the street after a hurricane, a derecho or a hard freeze. What to do first and how emergency work is handled.
Land and Lot Clearing
Clearing a building lot, a fence line or wooded acreage north and west of Houston, mulching versus hauling, and the rules that apply first.
Tree Debris Removal and Hauling
Hauling limbs, logs and storm debris, what curbside tree waste pickup takes, and when to have the tree company haul it instead.
How a stump grinding call works
- Call any hourAn automated assistant answers (346) 680-8916 and asks what kind of tree work you need.
- Describe the jobGive your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and what the tree is doing, including anything on a roof, a car or a line.
- Get put throughThe call goes to an independent, locally owned tree service company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with them directlyThat company looks at the tree, quotes, does the work and is paid by you. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call back.
How this line works: Tree Service Houston TX is a free phone line, not a tree service company. It does not trim, remove, quote or schedule tree work and holds no license or arborist certification. Calls are transferred to independent, locally owned tree service companies in the Houston area. Those companies may pay Tree Service Houston TX a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.
The line takes calls from across greater Houston:
- Houston-area service areas
- Houston
- Katy
- Sugar Land
- The Woodlands
- Spring
- Cypress
- Humble
- Pasadena
- Conroe
- Pearland
- League City
- Baytown
- Tomball
- Richmond
- Friendswood
- Missouri City
- Fulshear