Stump Removal: Pulled Out Whole, Hole Filled and Graded
A stump in the yard, a row of them where the pines were cut, or a lot full of them after clearing. We pull stumps and root balls out whole with the excavator, fill the holes and grade the ground back level.
Stump Removal, Start to Finish
A stump is the part of the tree nobody wants. It sits in the yard where the mower finds it, in the field where the disc finds it, or right where the shop is supposed to go. Left alone it sprouts, or it rots slowly and leaves a soft hole. A sweetgum or a privet stump will throw whips for seasons. If something is going to be built, planted or mowed on that spot, the stump has to be dealt with first.
We pull them. The excavator digs around the stump, breaks the roots loose and lifts the stump and root ball out in one piece. Where there are a lot of them, as on ground that has just been cleared, the Cat dozer and its root rake comb the stumps and big roots out of the dirt. Then each hole is filled, packed and pulled level, so it is not a trip hazard or a place for water to stand. It is part of the land clearing we do across eight west Alabama counties.
Not every stump has to come out. Where you only need to mow over it or run a trail across it, the mulching head can take a stump flush with the ground and a little below, and the root ball stays put. That is quicker and it leaves the dirt alone. Which one you need depends on what the ground is for. Our guide to stump removal versus stump grinding walks through the choice, or call or text (205) 535-6376 and tell us what is going on that spot.
What stump removal covers
- Single stumps pulled from yards and lots
- Stumps and roots raked out after clearing
- Root balls lifted out whole by excavator
- Holes filled, packed and graded level
- Stumps taken flush with the mulching head
- Stumps hauled, burned or buried where allowed
Pulled, raked or cut flush: three ways a stump goes
One stump in a front yard is an excavator job. The bucket digs down one side, cuts the roots and rolls the whole root ball out. A cleared lot with fifty stumps is dozer work: the root rake goes through the dirt like a comb and brings up the stumps and big roots while the soil falls back through the teeth. A stump on a trail or a fence line that you only want to drive over can be taken flush with the mulching head. Flush is fast, but the root ball stays in the ground. If anything is being built or plowed there, pull it.
What happens to the hole
A big root ball leaves a big hole, and what goes back in it matters. Loose dirt pushed in and left will settle into a dip that holds water and catches a mower wheel. We fill the hole in layers, pack it as it comes up and pull the top level with the ground around it. Where a slab, a pad or a drive is going over the spot, tell us, because that fill has to carry weight. The stump itself gets hauled off, burned with the other clearing debris where burning is allowed, or buried on your land if you have a sensible place for it and the county allows it.
What a stump job is priced on
Size, number and access set the price. A stump that has rotted a few seasons lets go easier than one cut last month, and a wide hardwood root ball takes more digging than a small pine. Twenty stumps in open ground go quicker each than one stump beside a house, a fence and a water line. Before any digging, an Alabama 811 locate has to be in place, and we need to hear about private lines a locate will not mark. Estimates are free, and small jobs carry a minimum that you hear before you commit. Fayette is the seat of our home county, so stump jobs around Fayette are close to home.
Real Job Photos
Phone pictures from real jobs, captioned with what they show. See more recent work.
Stump Removal Questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (205) 535-6376 and ask.
- Stump Removal vs Stump Grinding: Which One Do You Need?
- What Land Clearing and Forestry Mulching Cost in Alabama
- Do You Need a Burn Permit to Burn Brush in Alabama?
- What to Ask a Land Clearing Contractor Before You Hire One
- How Long Does It Take to Clear an Acre of Land?
- Best Time of Year to Clear Land in Alabama
- Do You Need a Permit to Clear Land in Alabama?
- What Is the Cheapest Way to Clear Land?
- Should You Sell the Timber Before You Clear? An Alabama Guide
- All guides
How do you remove a tree stump and its roots completely?
With an excavator. The bucket digs around the stump, cuts the side roots and lifts the stump and root ball out whole. Small feeder roots stay in the soil and rot away. The hole is then filled in layers, packed and graded level with the ground around it. On cleared land with many stumps, a dozer with a root rake does the same job across the whole site.
Is it better to pull a stump out or grind it down flush?
It depends on what the spot is for. If you are building, pouring concrete, setting a pad or plowing, the stump and root ball should come out, because buried wood rots and the ground above it settles. If you only need to mow, walk or ride over it, taking it flush with the ground is quicker and disturbs less dirt. Our mulching head can do the flush cut.
What do you do with tree stumps after you dig them up?
Three choices, and we price them before you pick. They can be loaded and hauled off. They can go on the pile with the rest of the clearing debris and be burned where burning is allowed. Or they can be buried on your own land if you have a sensible place for it and the county allows it. Stumps are heavy and slow to burn, so hauling costs the most.
Can you remove a stump close to a house, a fence or a septic tank?
Often, yes. An excavator needs room to sit and swing, so send a photo that shows the stump and what is around it. An Alabama 811 locate has to be in place before digging, and it will not mark private lines such as a water line you ran yourself or the field lines off a septic tank. Tell us where those are. Not sure a machine can get to yours? Call or text and ask.
How much does it cost to have stumps pulled in Alabama?
There is no honest flat figure. The price moves with how many stumps there are, how big they are, how fresh they are, how close they sit to buildings and buried lines, and what happens to them afterward. A single stump usually falls under our small-job minimum, and you hear that number before you commit. A lot full of stumps costs far less per stump. Estimates are free.
How a Job Runs
Tell Us What You Have
Call, text or send the form. County, rough acreage, what is growing on it and how a truck and trailer gets in.
We Look at the Ground
Close by, we come and look. Farther off, we can go over it with you on satellite first, then see it on the ground before the work starts.
A Number to Plan Around
Estimates are free and priced off the property. Small jobs carry a minimum, and you hear the figure before you commit.
The Machines Go to Work
We settle what comes out and what stays. Mark the trees you want kept, or walk it with us and point them out.
Finished, Not Just Knocked Down
Holes filled, ground pulled back to grade, and the fall set so water leaves the site instead of standing on it.
Stump Removal Near You
Based in Berry, in Fayette County. Eight west Alabama counties. Pick your county or town, or call or text and ask.
Towns
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More services
Land Clearing
Trees pushed, stumps raked out, debris burned or hauled, ground graded and ready to use.
DetailsLot Clearing
Wooded house lots and lake lots cleared, drive roughed in, ready for the pad.
DetailsUnderbrush Removal
Privet, briars and saplings mulched out from under the trees you are keeping.
DetailsNeed Stump Removal?
Call or text, or send a few details. Estimates are free and priced off the property.