Houston kills trees in slow motion. Water oaks rot from the inside, tallows come up wherever nobody's looking, and pines that survived the drought get finished off by beetles. What's left is a stump in a yard that floods twice a year.
Our menu is posted: $99 gets one stump up to 12 inches across. That's the door price, not the typical bill — the water oak stumps we grind in Spring Branch and the Heights usually measure 18 to 28 inches and price accordingly.
Gumbo clay is the local complication. It swells wet, cracks dry, and a hole that's loosely backfilled will be a sinkhole by the next tropical system. We tamp in layers and crown the fill slightly so it settles flat instead of low.
What Houston stump grinding costs
Same posted menu everywhere we work — no travel surcharge inside Houston. Most standard yard stumps measure 13 to 20 inches and land in the $120–$150 band, not at the $99 minimum.
Up to 12" across
Minimum job price. One stump, ground below grade.
$99
13"–20" across
Most standard yard stumps land here.
$120–$150
21"–30" across
Priced by diameter at the widest point.
$150–$240
31"+ / multi-trunk
We measure and confirm before starting.
Quoted on site
Optional extras
Haul chips away
+$40 and up
Optional — most people keep the chips as mulch.
Surface roots
+$15 per root run
Grinding visible roots trailing off the stump.
Extra stumps, same visit
From $45 each
No second trip charge when they're in one yard.
Grinding in Houston specifically
Gumbo clay and settling
Backfill matters more here than almost anywhere. We layer and compact the grindings so you're not adding dirt three months later.
Water oak and pine rot
A hollow, punky stump grinds fast but often hides a wide root flare under the turf. We measure the flare, not the visible trunk, so the quote is honest.
Bayou lots and drainage easements
If your stump sits near a bayou bank or a rear drainage easement, tell us in the form — access and where we can park changes the plan.
Fire ants and standing water
Wet Houston yards mean mounds and soft ground. We can reschedule for a dry day at no charge if the yard won't hold the machine.
Neighborhoods we cover
- Heights
- Spring Branch
- Katy
- Cypress
- Pearland
- Sugar Land
- Kingwood
- Clear Lake
Houston stump grinding questions
- How much does stump grinding cost in Houston?
- $99 covers one stump up to 12 inches across. Most Houston stumps are larger: 13 to 20 inches is $120 to $150, and 21 to 30 inches is $150 to $240. Big water oaks and multi-trunk tallows get quoted after we measure.
- Will the hole sink after grinding?
- Not if it's backfilled properly. We compact the grindings in layers and leave the fill slightly high so it settles level in Houston's expansive clay.
- Do you cover Katy, Cypress, Pearland and Sugar Land?
- Yes — the Houston truck runs inside the Loop plus Katy, Cypress, Spring, Pearland, Sugar Land, Kingwood and Clear Lake at posted pricing.
- Can you grind a stump in a fenced back yard?
- Our machine clears a 36-inch gate opening, which fits most Houston side yards. Note gate width and any AC pad or drainage box in the way when you book.
Not in Houston? See every city we serve.