Stump grinding in Mobile, ground below grade and ready for grass
A stump left in a Mobile yard doesn't rot quietly. It sprouts, it feeds termites and fungus, it catches the mower, and in sandy soil the roots of a pine stump hold on for years. We grind it out and leave a spot you can plant.
Grinding is the clean way to get rid of a stump. A tracked grinder chews the stump and the top of the root flare into chips, 6 to 12 inches below grade for a lawn and deeper where a new tree, a fence post or a driveway is going in. Pulling a stump with an excavator tears up a yard and leaves a crater; chemicals and burning are slow, and open burning in the city is a bad idea in a yard full of pine straw. Grinding takes an hour for a typical pine stump and leaves a pile of chips you can keep as mulch or have us haul.
Before any grinder touches the ground, Alabama 811 gets called. Alabama law requires notifying 811 before any excavation, and the utility sends a locator to mark buried gas, power, water, sewer and cable with paint and flags. A stump near the street or the house is often sitting on top of something. We call, we wait for the marks, and we grind around them. In Mobile's older neighborhoods a stump by the sidewalk may also be a City tree stump: if the tree was in the right-of-way, Urban Forestry handles stump removal through 311, or we do it under the same Tree Commission permit that covered the removal.
Afterward the hole is backfilled with the chips, or with topsoil if you want sod or a new tree right away. One thing to know about pines: the chips are acidic and slow to break down, so a pine-stump hole wants topsoil before grass. And if the stump was a redbay or sassafras killed by laurel wilt, the Alabama Forestry Commission's advice is to grind it to soil level and keep the chips on site rather than hauling them, so the beetle that carries the disease doesn't ride along.
What's included
Alabama 811 called first
Required by law before digging. Buried utilities marked before the grinder arrives.
Ground 6–12 inches below grade
Deeper on request where a tree, post or slab is going in.
Surface roots chased
The big roots that lift sidewalks and catch mowers are ground back too.
Chips hauled or left
Keep them as mulch or we take them; topsoil and seed on request.
Tight access
A narrow grinder fits through a 36-inch gate for backyard stumps.
Laurel wilt stumps handled right
Ground to soil level with the chips kept on site, per the Forestry Commission.
Stump grinding cost in Mobile, AL
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small stump, under 12 in across | $100 – $200 | Crape myrtle, small pine |
| Medium stump, 12–24 in | $175 – $375 | Typical yard pine or water oak |
| Large stump, 24–40 in | $350 – $700 | Big oak, pecan or pine |
| Live oak stump over 40 in | $650 – $1,400 | Wide flare, many surface roots |
| Several stumps, one visit | $75 – $150 each after the first | Setup shared |
| Chip haul-off and topsoil backfill | $75 – $250 | Ready for sod or a new tree |
| Storm-uprooted root plate | $250 – $700 | Cut, ground and the hole backfilled |
These are 2026 Mobile-area ranges to help you budget. Your written price is itemized (climb or bucket work, rigging, chipping and haul-off, stump grinding, crane time, the City permit when one applies) and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about stump grinding
How deep do you grind?
Six to twelve inches below grade for a lawn, which is plenty for sod or seed. If you're planting a tree in the same spot, building a fence or pouring a slab, tell us and we'll go deeper and chase the roots.
Do I really have to call 811 for a stump?
Yes, and we do it for you. Alabama law requires notifying 811 before any excavation, and a grinder cuts a foot into the ground. Gas and power lines are often shallower than people think near older houses.
Can I plant a new tree where the stump was?
Yes, once the chips are out and the hole is backfilled with topsoil. Many people put a live oak or magnolia where a pine came out. We can plant it for you; see tree planting.
Will the stump grow back?
Not after grinding below grade. Some species, like crape myrtle and sweetgum, send up sprouts from roots left in the ground; a season of mowing them off ends it.
What about termites?
Mobile is Formosan termite country, and a rotting stump next to the house is a buffet. Grinding the stump and removing the big chips takes away the food source. Grinding doesn't treat an existing infestation; a pest control company does that.
Do you grind stumps on the street side?
If the tree was a City tree in the right-of-way, Urban Forestry handles stump removal by request through 311, prioritized by safety. If you'd rather not wait, we can do it under a Tree Commission permit.