Stump Grinding in Marietta, GA

Stump grinding in Marietta takes the part of a tree that is left after removal and turns it into wood chips with a rotating cutting wheel, working down to several inches below the soil so grass, beds or a patio can go over the spot. It is far less disruptive than digging a stump out, which on Cobb County's red clay usually means a backhoe, a large hole and a lot of torn-up yard. Grinding leaves the deeper roots in the ground to rot slowly while the visible stump and the root flare are gone.

Pine stumps and hardwood stumps

Pine stumps are common here, and they are resinous and fairly soft, so they grind quickly. Old pine stumps that have sat for years can attract termites and carpenter ants as they decay, which is a good reason not to leave them near the house. Oak and hickory stumps are denser and take longer, and a big white oak may have a root flare much wider than the trunk was. Pricing usually follows the diameter measured at ground level, so the flare counts.

Utilities first

Grinding wheels go well below the surface, and so do irrigation lines, low-voltage lighting cable, invisible dog fences, gas and electric service lines. Georgia 811 marks public underground utilities for free, and Cobb EMC reminds customers to contact 811 before digging. We have locates in place before grinding and ask you to point out any private lines, such as sprinkler pipes or a pool's electrical feed, that the 811 locate will not show.

Surface roots

Oak, sweetgum and maple roots often run along the top of compacted clay, lifting turf and catching mower blades. When the tree is gone, those roots can be ground out along their length so the area can be leveled. When the tree is still alive, cutting major surface roots can destabilize it or start decline, so we will tell you which roots are safe to remove and which should stay.

What happens to the hole

Grinding a large stump produces a surprising pile of chips mixed with soil. You can have them raked back into the hole, spread as mulch in beds, or hauled away. Grindings settle as they decay, so if you plan to sod or plant over the spot, removing most of them and filling with topsoil gives a flatter result. Planting a new tree in exactly the same spot is harder because of the old roots; a few feet to one side usually works better.

Stumps left from other jobs

We grind stumps left by any tree removal, not just our own, including old stumps from storm cleanup, builders' clearing or removals done years ago. Groups of stumps along a fence line or in the woods' edge are priced together, which usually costs less per stump than grinding one at a time.