Root grinding in Des Moines, flush with the grade.
A stump can be long gone and the roots still catch your mower, lift a sidewalk panel, or turn an ankle. Root grinding is the same machine, run along the surface roots instead of down into a stump.
- Free estimate
- Most jobs within the week
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Three fields. We call you back with a price, usually the same day.
Take the hump out, leave the tree alone.
Surface roots are ground 2 to 4 inches below grade and the turf is raked back over. The tree keeps its structural roots, the mower stops catching, and the trip hazard goes away.
Lawn roots
The ones that hump the grass and stall the mower. Ground flush and raked, and the turf grows back over the scar.
Driveway edges
Roots that have crept under asphalt or lifted a slab edge. Grinding relieves the pressure. It does not put a cracked slab back.
Sidewalk panels
The classic trip hazard. We grind the root on your side; replacing a lifted panel is a concrete job, not a stump job.
Roots do not disappear with the stump.
The stump is gone, the roots stop growing, and they decay over years. In the meantime they hold a hump, a ridge, or a row of bumps across the lawn. That is what a root pass fixes.
Do it the same day as the stump
Cheaper, because the machine is already there and set up. Ask for it when you book rather than calling us back in a month.
Or wait a season
Some roots settle on their own as they decay. If the hump is only a mower annoyance, waiting a year is a legitimate choice.
What to expect, marks and all.
Honest version: a grinder is heavy equipment, the hole will settle, and the lawn is not a golf course when we leave. Here is what is normal and what is not.
Track and tire marks
Expect them on the approach and around the stump. Turf recovers in a week or two, and wet ground is the one case where we reschedule rather than chew up a yard. Wet ground is the one case where we reschedule.
Chips on the lawn
Grinding throws chips a few feet past the hole. We rake the bulk up and blow off hard surfaces. A light scatter in the grass is normal and disappears with the next mow.
A hole that settles
We fill and rake it level, then it drops an inch or two over the first season. That is ground wood breaking down, not a bad fill job. Top it off before seeding.
No seed, no sod
We leave it graded and ready. Seeding is yours, and on a deep grind you may need extra soil first. We tell you the depth so you know what you are working with.
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Root grinding, answered.
How deep do you grind surface roots?
Two to four inches below grade, enough that the turf can be raked back over the scar and the mower clears it. Going deeper does not help and damages more turf.
Will grinding roots kill my tree?
Not the surface roots we take, in most cases. Structural roots are different, and we will not cut one close to a living tree without telling you the risk first. If the tree matters to you, say so and we will be conservative.
Can you grind roots under a driveway?
We can grind the root at the edge, which relieves pressure. We cannot work under a slab. If the slab has already lifted, the root is no longer the whole problem.
How much does root grinding cost?
It is priced by linear feet of root and access, not by the stump. It is usually less than a stump grind when done in the same visit, and more when it is a separate trip.
Will the lawn recover?
Yes, usually within a few weeks in spring or fall. The scar gets raked, seeded by you, and the turf fills back in. Do not do it in the heat of August and expect grass to bounce back.
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.