Should I Dig Out My Stump?

So, your tree has been taken down, and now you’re left with a stump. What are you going to do with that stump? You have a few options:

1) You could just leave it.
2) You could drill holes in it and apply a solution, so it rots faster.
3) You could pay someone to grind it out.
4) You could dig it out.

This last option is what I want to advise on here.

Should you dig out your stump?

I would consider digging a stump out if:

1) A foundation or driveway is to be placed on top of the stump, and I would not be able to remove the majority of the stump with a grinder.
2) The stump is inaccessible to a grinder.

I would not consider trying to dig a stump out if:

1) It’s a large stump and I don’t have access to large equipment (e.g., an excavator)
2) It’s within 6 feet of a foundation.
3) It’s near utilities.
4) It’s possible to grind the stump out.

The cost of digging a stump out with large equipment could well exceed the cost of grinding it out. If digging out by hand, the cost of time and energy could also well exceed the cost of grinding it out. Therefore, only in a couple of scenarios do I advise digging out a stump instead of grinding it out.

We often get calls from customers who tried to dig out their stumps and in the end asked us to come grind them out. Grinding a stump takes little time and is more cost effective in most cases.

If you have more questions like this, please let us know.

I have to give it to this dear man for at least trying. This is how far he got digging it out by hand.