Stump chips: keep them, or get them gone.
Grinding turns a stump into a pile of chips roughly the size of the stump. You can keep them as mulch, or we haul them and bring in screened topsoil so the spot looks like nothing was ever there. Both are legitimate, and neither is included by default.
- Free estimate
- Most jobs within the week
- 811 locate first
Get a free estimate
Three fields. We call you back with a price, usually the same day.
Keep the mulch or take the hole back to dirt.
Leave the grindings
Included in the grind. The chips go back in the hole and get raked level. They work as bed mulch, and for ash stumps they are safe to keep on site. Plan on the spot settling an inch or two.
Haul and backfill
We load the grindings out, bring in screened topsoil, and fill the hole in lifts so it does not sink as far. This is the option when the stump is in the front yard or in a lawn you care about.
Why hauling is a separate line.
It is real work and real volume. A 30 inch stump makes roughly two wheelbarrows of chips, and a 48 inch stump makes three or four. Loading, hauling and disposing of that is a trip, and a dump fee.
Small stump, small add
One 12 inch ornamental is a bucket of chips. Hauling it is a few minutes and priced that way.
Big stump, real volume
A 40 inch hardwood fills a trailer. That is the job where hauling is worth paying for, because the alternative is a mound in your yard.
Backfill is separate again
Topsoil is a material cost plus the trip. If you want the hole filled properly in lifts, say so when you book.
All 24 metro cities.
Pick your city for local detail, or skip it and send your ZIP.
Chip haul-away and backfill, answered.
Can I use stump grindings as mulch?
Yes, in a bed, once they have aged a few months. Fresh grindings pull nitrogen from the soil as they break down, so keep them away from vegetable beds and new plantings for a season.
Are ash grindings safe to keep?
Yes. Grinding destroys the borer larvae, and processed ash material is not a practical way for emerald ash borer to spread. The chips can stay on site.
How much does hauling cost?
It depends on volume, which follows stump size and count. It is quoted as a line item, not folded into the grind, so you can decide with a real number in front of you.
Do you bring black dirt?
Screened topsoil, yes, as part of the backfill option. We do not promise a finished grade, because the fill settles. Plan on topping it off before you seed.
Send your ZIP, get a firm price.
Free estimate across the Des Moines metro. Most jobs scheduled within the week, and the number you approve is the number you pay.
Three fields. Takes about 15 seconds.