Call us for a free on-site estimate. We will come out, survey the grounds, measure the stumps, and calculate an amount based mainly on the diameter of the stumps and the time the project will take. I follow the industry standard of $3 per diameter inch – more for hardwoods and difficulty of access or extra precautions that may be needed to protect your property. A stump is measured across its widest span (d), where it touches the ground. One more diameter inch equals much more wood volume. Discounts for active military (with ID), clergy, disabled persons, and volume are available.
After the estimate is given and the agreement is signed, Grimm Family Stump Grinding will request a “locate” with South Carolina’s free SC811 know-before-you-dig service. Utility companies are required to come to your property within 3 business days and mark their buried lines with marker flags and/or colored lines.
We will come within the agreed time window or call beforehand to let you know we’re running behind. Before we roll out our equipment, we’ll take steps to protect your property, though some damage to grass is typically unavoidable. The precautions may include the use of pathway mats, debris guards, removing and replacing pavers, etc.
Stump and root grinding is the mainstay of our company. Unless otherwise agreed upon, we will grind your stump down 6 inches or more below ground level, which is plenty to place new soil and grow new grass over. We will then smooth out the debris with a rake, or you may opt for debris removal. See the AFTERWARD section below for more information.
If you’d like a small tree or large bush cut down or have a fallen tree that needs cutting up into logs, we can help! Do you have a large tree that needs cutting down? We’ll happily give you a reference to a local company, which can help.
The stump is ground, the logs cut, the brush cleared, and your lawn or garden is looking much better. Now what? You assess the result, payment by cash or check is due, we shake hands, and we thank you for your business! If you’d then email us a review and tell your friends, we’d be very grateful!
What do you do with the old stump spot? If it’s in a lawn, we recommend having a landscape company remove the top 3 to 6 inches of debris (or we can do that at your request) and add high nitrogen soil and fertilizer, maybe some lime to increase the ph (especially for pine stumps), and lay new seed or sod.
If you will be doing any kind of construction at the grind site, we strongly recommended you opt for having the debris removed, as stump grindings will eventually decay and cause the ground to settle, likely damaging your new project. For a low cost, we can remove the debris and put thick plywood over the hole for safety until the construction crew fills it with new compacted soil. Or, you can have the crew remove the debris.
You can use the grindings from most stumps as mulch, but bear in mind it won’t look the same as store bought mulch, since it’s mixed with dirt and the pieces range from fine to large. The grindings may have low ph (acidic) and leach nitrogen from the ground, so don’t put it on any plants you want to keep. It will turn into very good soil in 1-2 years, or you can use it in composted fertilizer, which takes 3 months minimum. If the stump was diseased, certainly don’t use its grindings as mulch.