Grind it, dig it out, or leave it
The business end of a grinder is a heavy spinning disc set with carbide teeth. The operator sweeps it back and forth across the stump and lowers it a little with each pass, turning the wood into chips until the stump sits below the soil line. The roots stay in the ground and slowly break down. Because the machine works in a small circle, the lawn around it is mostly left alone, which is why grinding is the usual choice in a finished yard.
Digging a stump out means a machine pulls the stump and its main roots out of the ground. The hole is far bigger and the yard takes more of a beating, but the wood is gone. That matters if a patio, a slab, a shed or a driveway is going on top, since buried wood rots away and the ground above it sinks.
The third choice is to leave the stump cut low. It costs least, but it stays in the mower's way and is easy to trip over in tall grass.
Call NC 811 before the grinder starts
A grinder cuts into the ground, and that's where water, gas, power and cable lines run. North Carolina law requires waiting three full working days after notifying NC 811 before digging, according to the state's electric cooperatives, and the cooperatives describe 811 as a free service, saying a call should go in before every digging project, from planting a tree to setting a mailbox post. You can reach it by dialing 811 or 1-800-632-4949. The City of Monroe's own utility FAQ adds that once a locate request comes in, utilities have three working days, counted from 11:59 on the next business day, to mark their lines.
NC 811 describes the marking as covering publicly managed underground lines. What you or a past owner put in yourselves, like sprinkler pipe, lighting wire or a line to a shed or pool, won't be on the utility marks. Show the crew where those run before they start, and ask whether the contractor places the 811 request or expects you to.
Stumps near the street
A stump at the curb or in the strip by the sidewalk may not be yours. Monroe's Community Maintenance crew, part of the city's Code Enforcement Division, lists chipping limbs and brush and removing stumps among its groundskeeping work, and the division is responsible for right-of-way maintenance. If you aren't sure whose stump it is, call Community Maintenance at (704) 282-5770 before paying someone to grind it.
Wherever the stump is, keep chips out of the street and the ditch. Monroe asks that debris stay behind the curb line or the edge of the pavement and not block drainage.
Filling the hole so it stays level
Grinding leaves a mound of chips mixed with soil and a hollow where the stump used to be. It's tempting to rake the chips back into the hole and call it done, but a hole filled with wood chips settles as the wood breaks down, and so do the roots left underneath.
- Pull most of the chips out of the hole. Spread them in planting beds, kept back from the foundation.
- Fill the hole with soil, firming it as you go, and leave it a little higher than the lawn.
- Seed, sod or plug it to match the grass around it.
- Check it again after a few months and top it up where it has dropped.
Ask whether the price covers raking up, hauling away extra chips and bringing in fill, or whether the crew grinds and goes.
If the tree is still standing
Grinding comes after the tree is down, and grinding the stump at the same visit saves a second trip. The bigger question is what happens to the trunk and limbs, since Monroe doesn't collect wood cut by a hired tree service. See tree removal and the local rules guide.
For a pine killed by beetles, there's another reason not to leave a tall dead trunk standing near the house; see pine tree removal.
What stump grinding costs
When the tree is already on the ground and only the stump is left, Thumbtack's removal guide (last updated March 24, 2026) gives these national ranges, sorted by how wide the stump is:
| Width across the stump | Thumbtack, national |
|---|---|
| 36" to 48" | $372–$494 |
| 24" to 36" | $355–$486 |
| 12" to 24" | $324–$443 |
| Less than 12" | $267–$354 |
Elsewhere on the same page, Thumbtack's text gives average grinding costs of around $307 to $426, which doesn't exactly match its own table. Both figures are national. How easily the grinder reaches the stump, how many stumps there are, surface roots and cleanup all change the price, and the contractor's written quote is the one that counts.
What commonly goes wrong
- No 811 request. The grinder works exactly where service lines are buried.
- A chewed-up sprinkler line. Private pipes near the stump are easy to hit. Flag them first.
- Chips flying. A grinder throws chips hard and far. Keep children, pets and cars well back and shut nearby windows.
- Not deep enough for the plan. Grass needs less depth than a new tree or a flower bed. Say what's going there and agree on the depth in writing.
- Chips left in the hole. The patch sinks as they rot.
Who this guide isn't for
If something solid is going to be built over the stump, ask about digging it out instead. If the tree is still up, start with tree removal. If you're clearing a lot full of stumps for a new house, that's land clearing, which is a different job.
Questions homeowners ask
How deep does the grinder go?
That depends on the machine and on what you'll put there. Tell the contractor whether it's grass, a bed or a new tree, and get the depth in writing.
Will the roots sprout?
Some kinds of trees can push up sprouts from the roots after the trunk is cut. Ask the contractor what to expect from yours.
Is grinding several stumps cheaper per stump?
Ask. Several stumps ground in one visit share a single trip for the crew and machine, and the total in writing is the number to go by.
Can I rent a grinder and do it myself?
You can. The 811 request applies to you as well, and the flying chips, buried lines and street-edge questions above don't go away.
This site hands each request to one independent contractor in the Monroe area and does no grinding or tree work itself.
- North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives, Call Before You Dig (August 9, 2023). NC 811 site footer; Common Ground Alliance, call811.com North Carolina page.
- City of Monroe, Energy Services FAQ; Community Maintenance page; Planning and Development page; Yard Waste and Debris Collection Information (September 18, 2018).
- Thumbtack, cost to remove a tree, updated March 24, 2026.