Stump Grinding in Joliet, IL

Stump grinding turns a leftover stump into a pile of wood chips and soil, so the spot can be seeded, planted or paved over. A grinder uses a spinning wheel fitted with carbide teeth that chews the stump down a little at a time, sweeping side to side. It is far faster and less destructive than digging a stump out, which on a large Joliet maple or oak would mean excavating a root mass several feet across. Most of our stump work follows our own removals, but we also grind stumps left by other crews, by storms or by previous owners.

Utility locates come first

Grinding goes below the surface, so buried lines matter. Illinois requires excavators to contact JULIE, the state's one-call notification system, before digging, and you can reach it by calling 811. Utilities then mark gas, electric, water and communication lines in the yard with paint or flags. Private lines, such as power to a garage or lamppost, irrigation lines and invisible pet fences, are not marked by the utilities, so tell us where those run. We do not start grinding until the marks are in.

How deep is deep enough?

For lawn seeding, grinding about 4 to 6 inches below grade is usually enough. If you plan to plant a new tree or shrub close to the old spot, or lay pavers or a patio, deeper grinding helps, and moving a few feet away from the old stump is usually better than planting right on top of it. We set the depth with you before starting. Large surface roots running across the lawn can be ground out too, which helps lawns on clay soil where roots tend to run shallow.

Grindings and cleanup

A stump becomes a surprisingly large pile of grindings, a mix of wood chips and soil. You can keep them to fill the hole and use the rest as mulch, or have them hauled away and the hole filled with topsoil for seeding. Fresh grindings are not ideal for vegetable beds because the wood ties up nitrogen as it breaks down. As the wood left underground decays over the next few years, the spot may settle; a little extra topsoil fixes that.

Access and protection

Modern grinders come in sizes from narrow walk-behind units that fit through a standard backyard gate to large tracked machines for big stumps. Narrow gates and the fenced yards common in Joliet subdivisions are rarely a problem. We put down boards or mats on soft lawns and use guards to keep chips from flying at windows, cars and siding.

Stumps that come back

Some trees resprout from the stump and roots after they are cut, with silver maple, cottonwood, willow and boxelder among the common culprits. Grinding the stump well below grade usually ends that, though a few sprouts can appear from roots for a season. Cutting them back as they come up wears out the root system.