How far down does stump grinding go?

How far down does stump grinding go? This is another question we get from customers frequently. Our answer depends on the stump we are about to grind. Our bigger machine has a maximum depth of 15 inches while the smaller one has a depth of 14 inches. But, contrary to what you might think, it's not necessary to go as deep as the machine will go on every stump.

If we're grinding a smaller stump (6-18"), we will stop grinding before reaching maximum depth because there's no more stump. We may do the same thing with a large tree with expansive but shallow roots (like a maple or river birch).

We will, however, grind down as deep as we can if the customer tells us they plan to plant a tree where the old one was located, and we will grind down on larger stumps as far as our machine will go if we know there's more stump. However, for most jobs and homeowners, we find that a depth of at least 6" is sufficient.

We hope this helps set expectations before you have your stump ground!