Stump Grinding in Memphis, TN: How It Works, What It Costs and What Is Left
Stump grinding is the cutting of a tree stump below ground level with a grinding machine. 18 Primos Solutions is a tree service based in Raleigh, Memphis, and we grind stumps for homes and businesses in Memphis, Shelby County and 13 nearby towns.
- Free estimates
- Phone answered 7 days a week
- Ground below ground level
- Several stumps on one visit
Every stump is priced after we see it, and estimates are free. As a guide, published price guides put most single stumps at about $120 to $500, with a usual minimum of about $100 to $150 for one small stump. Those are guide figures, not our prices. Call our own team at (901) 389-2360, Monday to Saturday 7am to 9pm and Sunday 6am to 8pm, and send photos of the stump if you can.
Below, you’ll see how grinding compares with digging a stump out, when to do it, what is left afterward, the 811 call that comes first, and what it costs.
Sources: HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost, LawnStarter, Pricing Guide: How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost in 2026, Fixr, Stump Grinding Cost.
Is stump grinding or full stump removal better?
Stump grinding is better for most yards, because it costs less, takes less time and leaves far less damage than digging the stump out. Tree service in Memphis crews like ours grind most stumps rather than dig them out.
Grinding takes out the stump and the top of the main roots and leaves the deeper roots to rot away on their own. Full stump removal digs out the whole root ball with heavy equipment, which tears up more yard. Fixr puts grinding at about $150 to $300 and removal at $200 to $700. LawnStarter puts grinding at $131 to $438 and removal at $175 to $516.
Full removal makes sense when you’re pouring a slab or building right over the spot, because buried wood rots and leaves gaps. For a lawn, a bed or a fence line, grinding does the job.
Sources: Fixr, Stump Grinding Cost, LawnStarter, Pricing Guide: How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost in 2026, UT Extension on termites.
When is a good time to grind a stump?
A good time to grind a stump is any time it’s in the way of what you want to do with that spot next. These six times come up most often:
- Right after a removal. Add grinding to your tree removal and finish the job in one trip.
- Before new sod or beds. Clear old stumps before you redo the lawn or plant new beds.
- Before a fence, patio or shed. Get stumps out of the path of fence lines, patios, pools and sheds.
- When sprouts keep coming. Sweetgum, one of the most common yard trees here, can sprout from the stump or root collar until it’s about 50 years old.
- Old stumps from past storms. A stump left from a storm cleanup years ago can still be ground, no matter how long it’s been there.
- Before selling a house. A yard with no stumps shows better and gives buyers one less thing to ask about.
Whichever fits, the next question is how deep the grinder goes.
Sources: USDA Forest Service on sweetgum.
How deep do we grind and what is left?
We grind the stump below ground level, and the depth depends on what you plan to do with the spot, so tell us before we start. Guides describe normal stump grinding at about 3 to 8 inches below the soil, and one Memphis cost page lists 4 to 6 inches as typical.
Two things are left when the grinder stops. The first is a pile of wood chips and soil, often bigger than people expect. The second is the roots underground. The grinder doesn’t dig them out, and they rot slowly over the years.
You can use the chips as mulch on beds, use some to fill the hole, or have them taken away. For grass, rake most of them out and fill with topsoil first.
Sources: HomeAdvisor on stump grinding, Contractor+, Cost to grind a stump in Memphis, TN, Iowa State University Extension, How to plant grass after tree stump removal.
What utilities and safety checks come first?
The call to 811 comes first, because a grinder cuts below the surface where gas, power and water lines can run. Tennessee 811 needs at least three working days notice before digging, and stump grinding counts as digging. Tennessee law says everyone who digs has to contact Tennessee 811, and that includes homeowners. Marking the lines is free.
We check for buried lines before we grind. We also look for things 811 doesn’t mark, like sprinkler lines, landscape lighting and private gas lines to a grill or pool heater. Point out anything you know about. Mississippi and Arkansas have their own 811 centers for stumps across the state lines.
Sources: Tennessee 811, Tennessee Public Utility Commission, 811 call before you dig, Mississippi 811, Arkansas 811.
What does stump grinding cost in Memphis?
Published price guides put most single stumps between about $120 and $500, and HomeAdvisor’s Memphis page lists a typical $220 to $833 for stump removal and grinding together. Those are guide figures, not our prices. For the full breakdown, read what stump grinding costs.
Two things from that page are worth knowing before you call. Most companies have a minimum of about $100 to $150 for one small stump. And extra stumps on the same visit cost less, about $37 to $75 each in the guides, because the machine is already set up. So if you have three stumps, do them together. We give you a free estimate and talk through the price before we start.
Sources: HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost, HomeAdvisor, stump removal and grinding costs in Memphis, TN, LawnStarter, Pricing Guide: How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost in 2026, Fixr, Stump Grinding Cost.
Can you plant a tree where a stump was ground?
Yes, but it’s better to plant a few feet to one side than right on top of the old stump. Purdue Extension says it generally doesn’t recommend planting new trees or turf right over a stump, because the soil there is thin and the old wood is still breaking down.
If you want the new tree in the same spot, clear out as many chips as you can and fill the hole with good soil. Fresh wood chips tie up nitrogen in the soil as they break down, so new plants there can turn yellow. Purdue and Iowa State both suggest a slow release fertilizer to make up for it. Mound the soil a little above the ground around it, since it will settle.
Sources: Purdue Extension, Can I plant grass over a newly removed stump, Iowa State University Extension, How to plant grass after tree stump removal.
How long does a ground stump take to rot?
The roots and wood left under a ground stump take several years to rot away fully. Purdue Extension gives that same answer, unless the stump was ground very deep or dug out.
You’ll mostly notice it as settling. As the old wood loses its shape, the soil above it sinks, and you may see a low spot where the bigger roots were. A bit of extra topsoil fixes it. Check the spot each spring for the first few years.
Sources: Purdue Extension, Can I plant grass over a newly removed stump, Iowa State University Extension, How to plant grass after tree stump removal.
Does grinding kill the roots and the sprouts?
Grinding doesn’t kill every root, but it takes out the stump and root collar, where most sprouts start, so most ground stumps stop sprouting. The roots left in the ground die off and rot over time.
Some trees fight back for a while. The roots still hold stored energy, so a few shoots can come up. Sweetgum, a common Memphis yard tree, is one of them. Purdue Extension says sprouts can be treated with a regular lawn weed killer, used as the label says. Cutting them off a few times also wears the roots out. If shoots keep coming from one spot, the root collar may need a deeper pass.
Sources: Purdue Extension, Can I plant grass over a newly removed stump, USDA Forest Service on sweetgum.
Do you need the stump gone before building?
Yes, for anything with a foundation or slab, the stump and its main roots should come out of the building area first. UT Extension advises removing tree roots and stumps from building sites and not burying wood in the backfill, because buried wood draws termites and gives them food.
Rotting wood under a slab also leaves gaps, and the ground can sink. For a fence line, a shed on blocks or a patio, grinding below ground level is usually enough. For a house, an addition or a driveway, ask your builder how deep the roots need to go before the work starts.
Sources: UT Extension on termites, Purdue Extension, Can I plant grass over a newly removed stump.
Is renting a grinder a good idea?
Renting a grinder can work for one small, easy stump, but for most homeowners it saves less money than it looks like. HomeAdvisor lists rentals at about $100 to $300 a day, and LawnStarter lists $178 to $364 a day. LawnStarter also says a do it yourself job can take one to three days, and the rental and safety gear can eat up the savings.
A rental grinder is heavy, throws chips and stones, and has to be hauled to your house and back. You still need the 811 call three working days ahead. See the rental and hiring prices side by side if you want to compare.
Sources: HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost, LawnStarter, Pricing Guide: How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost in 2026.
What happens to the wood chips?
The wood chips are either left in the hole, spread as mulch or hauled away, and you choose which. Tell us when we look at the stump, so we plan for it.
Leaving them is simplest, since they fill the hole. Spreading them works well on beds. Hauling them away makes sense when you want grass or sod on the spot, because Iowa State says chips should be removed as fully as you can before planting grass.
Sources: Iowa State University Extension, How to plant grass after tree stump removal, Purdue Extension, Can I plant grass over a newly removed stump.
How does a stump job go?
A stump job goes in four steps: an estimate, the utility check, the grinding and the cleanup. Here is each one.
- Estimate from photos or a visitCall (901) 389-2360 or send photos. Our own team answers the phone. Estimates are free, and we talk through the price before we start.
- Locate utilitiesWe confirm the 811 marks and ask about sprinklers, lighting and private gas lines.
- Grind below groundThe grinder sweeps back and forth until the stump and surface roots are below ground level.
- Chips and cleanupWe leave the chips in the hole, spread them, or rake and haul them off, the way you asked.
Ready to lose that stump?
Free estimates. Our own team answers the phone.